Students
Adam Foldenauer
I’m a part-time MBA student with aspirations of graduating sometime before the year 2010. (My beautiful wife Christy will strangle me if I don’t make it by then!) We have two children, Ashton (4) and Lauren (1 ½), so life is always on full throttle for me as a parent, student and businessperson.
On to the business part of the bio: I’m in Internet marketing at Genworth Financial, but my career journey has had a few detours. As a mass communication major at James Madison University, I began with aspirations of becoming the next Bob Costas. Alas, it merely took an internship at a local TV station and a couple of years at the Richmond Times-Dispatch to determine that I enjoyed actually playing sports more than reporting on them.
Since then, I’ve held different roles in the financial services field, ranging from corporate communications, to team leadership, to Six Sigma. I’m eager for my MBA studies to improve my financial management ability and strategic planning skillset.
Connie Mattox
I am excited to contribute to the blog as a representative of the Robins School MBA Women’s Association. This student-run organization focuses on developing a network for female students and alumna as well as a forum to discuss issues affecting female business leaders.
I am a part-time MBA student, just finishing my second semester in the program. I hope to graduate in 2011. It’s great to be back at UR for my MBA, as I also spent my undergraduate days earning a degree in Leadership Studies from the University.
My career experience is in consumer behavior research and brand management. I am currently Consumer Insights Manager for Ukrop’s Super Markets, where I conduct shopper research and manage marketing efforts to grow Ukrop’s private label brands. I have also worked as a consumer researcher and brand manager for Tredegar Corp and as VP of Belli Skincare in Seattle. When I am not working or studying, I am spending time teaching an online marketing and advertising strategy course for undergraduates at The Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
Marissa Smithson
I don’t consider myself a typical part-time MBA student, although I have only a semester and a half under my belt, so I reserve the right to change my mind. I was raised in a small town in Southern Maryland (prevented from becoming provincial by the nearby naval air station). I graduated from Washington College with a B.A. in Environmental Studies.
I thrived in school from day one, now six years later, I’m back in the halls of academia—not to add a degree to my resume and not because I desire to be in upper management but to satisfy my curiosity. In my current job, as a Managed Care Analyst for Bon Secours Richmond, I have questions: What factors influence the healthcare industry? How can I analyze the data we have to get the most out of our Managed Care contracts? I want to learn and understand the reasoning behind the fundamental decisions being made in our department and determine for myself whether they are right or wrong, good or bad.
I hope to give readers of this blog insight into the time I spend at University of Richmond (my graduation date will be in 2011) and to satisfy the curiosity of those who wonder, as I once did, is an MBA for me?
Meg Standing
I’m a full-time MBA student; I started in the fall of 2008 and plan on graduating in May of 2010. I have a BS in Psychology from Virginia Tech and am excited to be back in school getting my MBA! I never thought about going into business until I worked in fundraising for UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce after graduating from college. Being around all of those business students and alums made me get the “business bug” and I knew I wanted to pursue this field. I left UVA and took a few business classes at VCU while working part-time for a K-12 private school in Richmond, also working in development. My boss asked me to come on full-time a few months later, and while I loved my job (I also coached field hockey and lacrosse there) I knew that I ultimately wanted to get my MBA. So here I am!
I love development work but would like to use my degree to help me switch into a new field. I’m still tossing around a few ideas and am not yet 100% ready to commit on just one. With all of the great classes offered, I feel like I’m only just beginning to learn about possibilities for me in the business world. For now I’m loving being at a small school and am trying to take full advantage of all its opportunities!
Teng-Chieh Yang
My name is Teng-Chieh Yang (pronounced Tawn Chey) and I am a part-time MBA student at the Robins School of Business. I go by the nickname “T.C.” because by the time I got to high school, with the amount of teachers, students, and parents I was interacting with, it took too much time to correct everyone on the full pronunciation. I was born in Taipei, Taiwan but moved to the white, sandy coastline of Fort Walton Beach, Florida when I was 2. My folks still live in Fort Walton and I take every chance I get (Thanksgiving and Christmas) to return home.
I received a BS from The College of William and Mary and moved to Richmond upon graduation. My professional career began at a healthcare technology company called Payerpath that was founded by UR alum Jim Brady. Payerpath was eventually acquired by Misys Healthcare Systems, and I am currently a Product Manager for Misys.
As a Product Manager, I have the opportunity to be involved in a variety of areas from strategy and business development to marketing and operations. So, my main goal in pursuing an MBA was to become more effective in my current job, and to prepare myself with the skill set and knowledge needed for future opportunities. In turn, I was drawn to the Robins School because of the world class faculty, the flexibility of a part-time or full-time program, the dedicated alumni interaction, and the school’s strong academic reputation.
Faculty
Dr. Richard Coughlan
Senior Associate Dean
I look forward to using this blog as a platform to discuss current issues and trends in business and business education, and to answer questions about the Richmond MBA program.
I serve as Senior Associate Dean for the Robins School. In this role, I lead the MBA, Master of Accountancy, and Executive Education programs. I have been at the University of Richmond since 1998, teaching courses in ethics, negotiations, and organizational behavior at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive levels. The focus of my research is on ethical decision making processes.
After earning my undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce, I worked as a sales manager for Hyatt Hotels and later for The Pebble Beach Resorts. After spending nearly five years in the hospitality industry, I decided to attend graduate school, where I earned an MBA and a Ph.D. at the University of Arizona.
One of the best parts of my job is getting to know each of our MBA students. With only about 50 students per class, we form a close-knit group of professionals from the Richmond business community. I invite you to respond to my posts, engage in discussions, and discover for yourself what makes the Richmond MBA one of the best programs in the country.
