Meet USC Marshall’s MBA Class Of 2027

P&Q: What do you see as the main differentiator that distinguishes your MBA program from other schools? How does it enhance the student experience and make them more attractive to employers?

Tost: “One of the defining features of our MBA program is its intentionally small class size. We believe that keeping the program intimate fosters a strong, collaborative community in which students build each other up rather than compete against one another. This environment creates the trust and camaraderie that form the foundation of the Trojan Family—a network with a unique ethos: We help each other succeed.

Because of this close-knit culture, our students are able to form deep, enduring relationships that extend well beyond graduation. These bonds give them unparalleled access to the vast and engaged Trojan Network, a resource that is both global in reach and personal in its commitment. We actively help our students tap into this network from day one. For example, just last August, more than 60 alumni visited campus in a single week to meet with our incoming MBAs—immediately expanding their connections and accelerating their professional growth.

The result is a student experience defined by meaningful relationships, a powerful support system, and an active network that not only enriches the MBA journey but also makes our graduates especially attractive to employers. They leave our program not just with a degree, but with a lifelong community committed to their success.”

P&Q: What types of services do you provide to first-year MBAs to ease their transition into business school?

Abrams: “USC Marshall’s Full-Time MBA program provides a carefully layered set of initiatives to ensure that students are academically, professionally, and socially prepared from the very start of their MBA journey.

During the summer months before arrival, incoming students are invited to a series of virtual Town Halls and Career Services webinars that address logistics, answer questions, and begin preparing them for recruiting. Many also choose to participate in our three-day JumpStart program—optional short courses in Business Math, Excel, Accounting, and Finance—offered for those who want to strengthen their quantitative foundation and build confidence ahead of the core curriculum.

Our main Orientation is a comprehensive, weeklong experience that touches on every aspect of the MBA (academics, career, and community). Students participate in a mock case class co-taught by faculty from different disciplines, and they begin their academic journey with class sessions from their Leadership course and their course on Foundations of Professional Value. Orientation also introduces them to specifics in academic services, academic policies, as well as USC’s broader campus resources. Alumni panels provide advice on thriving in the program and showcase the power of the Trojan Family.

Equally important, Orientation demonstrates the strength of the Marshall community. Students are placed into their cores and their smaller core study teams, which serve as the foundation of their support system throughout the first year. To help build relationships across the class, we hosted three mixers during the week, bringing together students, faculty, and staff in both structured and informal settings. TAM Day (Teamwork at Marshall) further builds bonds within core teams through a fun and interactive day of team-building. Students also take part in sessions on professional networking, the Trojan Network, and the launch of our MBA Career Launchpad course, along with an introduction to PRIME, our signature global experiential learning course.

By combining summer engagement, optional academic preparation, and an immersive Orientation anchored in both academics and community, Marshall ensures that students not only begin their MBA journey well-prepared but also feel connected to a powerful network of peers, faculty, alumni, and staff. This sense of community is one of the defining features that makes USC Marshall such a special place.”

P&Q: What types of support do you provide to international students before and during business school to enable them to better acclimate to your country?

Abrams: “International students are an essential part of the Marshall community, and we provide targeted support both before and after their arrival to ensure a smooth transition.

Over the summer, Career Services and program leadership host virtual sessions specifically for international students, addressing questions around visas, travel, and other logistical considerations. Once on campus, students participate in a two-day International Student Orientation (ISO) prior to the main MBA Orientation. This program is designed to help students acclimate to USC, Los Angeles, and the U.S. academic environment. It includes community-building activities, practical guidance on life in LA, and a faculty-led case discussion to demonstrate how classes are conducted in a U.S. business school. Students also explore the nuances of networking in the U.S., review academic expectations, and connect directly with Career Services, who provide tailored programming to address the recruiting challenges international students often face.

This year, we also introduced a follow-up ISO gathering at the end of Term 1, giving international students the opportunity to come back together as a group, reflect on their early experiences, and receive additional support as they enter the next stage of the program.

By combining early virtual support, a dedicated International Student Orientation, and ongoing touchpoints during the academic year, we ensure that international students feel both prepared and connected as they adapt to a new country, culture, and business environment.”

P&Q: How does your program integrate other disciplines, such as the liberal arts and STEM, across your curriculum to provide students with a more interdisciplinary experience in business school?

Abrams: “At USC Marshall, we believe that the most effective leaders can bridge disciplines, combining the analytical rigor of STEM with the creativity and perspective of the liberal arts. That philosophy is built into the design of our MBA.

In the core, students don’t just learn finance and statistics. They also explore the intersection of economics, psychology, and organizational behavior to better understand how people and organizations make decisions. This balance between human insight and quantitative skills equips them to tackle problems from multiple angles and ensures they graduate with both analytical rigor and human-centered insight.

Beyond the core, students can tailor their education with electives across USC’s world-class schools. Many pursue courses in communication, law, engineering, and public policy, gaining exposure to disciplines that shape industries like healthcare, technology, and media. A prime example is the Graduate Certificate in the Business of Entertainment, offered by USC’s renowned School of Cinematic Arts. Marshall MBA students can pursue this certificate to gain specialized knowledge in the business aspects of film, television, and new media. This pathway complements their MBA education by pairing strategic and financial training with insights into one of the world’s most dynamic industries, reflecting Marshall’s deep ties to Southern California’s role as a global entertainment capital.

We have also launched MBA+MS dual-degree pathways that allow students to pair their MBA with a specialized Master’s in areas such as Finance or Business Analytics. These pathways give students the breadth of an MBA while also providing the technical depth that employers increasingly demand in a data-driven business world.

At the same time, the entire Marshall MBA program is STEM-designated, reflecting our emphasis on analytics, finance, and data-driven decision making. This not only signals to employers the technical rigor of the degree, but also provides international students with extended post-graduation work opportunities in the U.S., further increasing the global value of the program.

Together, these opportunities from core courses to cross-campus electives, from entertainment to analytics, from MBA+MS dual degrees to the STEM designation, ensure that Marshall MBAs graduate with a truly interdisciplinary perspective. They are prepared to lead at the intersection of business, technology, and culture, and to adapt with agility as industries and economies continue to evolve.”

P&Q: What are two ways that your program is incorporating Artificial Intelligence into your programming? How do they better prepare students for the future world of work?

Palanjian: “At USC Marshall, we’ve taken a comprehensive approach to becoming an AI-powered learning organization, with two key strategies driving our efforts.

First, we’ve implemented faculty-led AI integration across all business disciplines. Rather than treating AI as an add-on, 26 of our faculty collaborated to showcase AI applications spanning various business disciplines including Accounting, Business Communication, Data Sciences, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Management, Marketing, and Operations. This resulted in our recent publication, “Embracing AI in Business Education: A Case Study of USC Marshall School of Business,” which presents our framework for meaningful AI integration. By positioning faculty as learners first, we’ve built the agility needed to adapt quickly as AI technology evolves.

Second, we’ve embedded AI literacy development throughout our curriculum while maintaining our emphasis on critical thinking and human judgment. In Spring 2025, 80% of our faculty included a formal AI policy in their syllabus, and of these faculty, 78% were actively allowing AI use.

We believe our comprehensive approach prepares graduates for a future where technical fluency and human leadership must work in tandem. Our goal is to develop business leaders who can navigate the ethical considerations, strategic implications, and human elements that will define successful AI implementation in the workplace. This unique combination of technical competence and thoughtful leadership will set our graduates apart in an AI-enabled world.

A formal manifestation of our approach is our product management specialization, which focuses on building products strategically in today’s AI-first dynamic landscape. This specialization includes a dedicated class where students use AI to develop products.”

P&Q: What types of educational and career support do you provide to alumni after graduation? How does it make them more valuable to employers during their careers?

Palanjian: “The USC Marshall Trojan Family is a powerful, global network of alumni, students, faculty, and friends united by a shared commitment to helping one another succeed—personally and professionally. Rooted in an ethos of lifelong connection, mentorship, and opportunity, this community offers resources, relationships, and experiences that extend far beyond graduation, ensuring Trojans remain supported and prepared for every stage of their careers.

USC Marshall invests in the continued growth of our alumni through a variety of lifelong learning opportunities, including substantial discounts on all Executive Education programs with Marshall’s world-class faculty on leading-edge topics in business.  USC Marshall Insights Corner webinars and masterclasses further connect alumni with leading scholars and industry experts, offering exposure to emerging business trends and innovative research. These opportunities and continued access to faculty thought leadership enable alumni to continuously sharpen their skills, adapt to changing market conditions, and bring fresh, relevant ideas to their workplaces, making them more innovative, strategic, and valuable to their employers.

Marshall also fosters industry and peer networking through active alumni chapters across the US and globally, a variety of signature events and initiatives. The annual Marshall Alumni Leadership Summit convenes accomplished alumni and business leaders on campus to exchange ideas and strengthen Trojan bonds. Initiatives such as the ACE Ambassador Program extend this network globally through peer-to-peer mentorship. This accelerates skill development and visibility, while conferences like the annual Global Supply Chain Excellence Summit, IndiaCon, and local and international meet-ups and even spirited tailgate gatherings ensure that the more than 100,000 Marshall alumni across 100+ countries remain connected to each other and to the school. Beyond Marshall, graduates tap into the vast USC Trojan Network, multiplying their touchpoints and global connections. These vibrant relationships give alumni and their organizations exclusive access to collaborative partnerships, fresh industry insights, and opportunities that fuel innovation and business growth.

In addition, USC Marshall is a catalyst for entrepreneurial and innovation success, providing alumni founders with access to resources such as the USC Marshall/Greif Incubator and New Venture Seed Competition (NVSC). These programs offer structured mentorship, legal and financial guidance, and connections to investor networks, helping entrepreneurs secure over $300 million in funding, join top accelerators, and achieve major business milestones. Alumni who engage in these programs not only advance their own ventures but also strengthen their problem-solving and leadership skills that positively impact any organization they serve.

Marshall Career Services always aims to support its alumni in their post-graduation professional pursuits, whether short-term or long-term. All graduates have access to the full suite of career services for one year after graduation – that includes one-on-one career advising, career fair attendance, access to job opportunities, and access to educational workshops. For most graduates, access to these opportunities during this period after graduation fills any needs to successfully launch their careers.

At Marshall, our career team members often work with alumni that reach out and ask for help at various times during their professional journeys. We always aim to support Trojans – and work to accommodate these requests whenever possible. The most common interactions include one-on-one discussions with our career strategists to discuss career changes, interview preparation, and networking. In many cases, our alumni our reconnecting with team members that helped guide them in their careers when they were students.

At USC, we always take the opportunity to talk about our Trojan Network – one of our greatest value propositions as an institution. Networking, Trojans helping other Trojans being successful, making introductions, taking the time to mentor and coach each other, it’s all part of our culture and expectations of alumni. That network adds another invaluable piece to our career support.”

Click on the links below to access in-depth profiles for 12 members of the MBA Class of 2027.

MBA Student	Hometown	Undergraduate Alma Mater	Last Employer
Eko Bianto Putra	Bangkok, Thailand	Mahidol University	KASIKORNBANK
Autumn Boutin	New York City, NY	Harvard University	Massachusetts General Hospital
Cy Brink	Beaverton, OR	University of Washington	White House Office of Speechwriting
Caitlin Chou	Irvine, CA	University of Michigan	30 Minutes to President’s Club
Maddie Gissler	Naperville, IL	University of Illinois	Ernst & Young
Yash Gupta	Agra, India	Vellore Institute of Technology	Samsung R&D Bangalore
Tamen Jadad-Garcia	London, United Kingdom	King’s College London	The Right Healthcare
Baobao (Bonnie) Ji	Shanghai, China	Communication University of China, Nanjing	Cathay Pacific Airways
Emily Mam	Oxnard, CA	Stanford University	J.P. Morgan Private Bank
Smith Saintil	Naples, FL	Emory University	Dermaglove
Daniel Seo	Los Angeles, CA	Cal Poly Pomona	U.S. Air Force
Brock Settlemier	San Francisco, CA	University of Colorado	RIAZ Capital

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