Walton MBA will host several new and returning programs this fall. Walton Fuse, Walton MBA Learning Series, Walton MBA Conversations and the Professional Development workshop series will bring industry experts and leading business topics to Walton MBA students, alumni and the public. Registration links for public events available on Walton MBA LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram one week prior to the event date.
Walton Fuse (Public)
Walton Fuse, an MBA workshop co-sponsored by Walton College Executive Education, is FREE for current and recently graduated Executive MBA students. The inaugural October program, “Business Law and Legal Finance,” is designed to identify potential legal risks in business, explore how legal expenditures can be reduced, optimize legal engagements and enhance business success with robust legal forecasting. The event is currently available as an in-person or virtual seminar and is open to the public. Program fees may apply for non-students. Learn more about Walton Fuse.
10/8 & 10/9: Business Law and Legal Finance with Jennifer Wattman, attorney and counselor at law for Wattman & Associates, LLC.
TBD: Visual Analytics and Valuing Startups
Walton MBA Learning Series (Public – FREE)
The Walton MBA Learning Series (formerly Walton Alumni Learning Series) is back! Join us August through November for monthly events offering continuous learning opportunities on prominent and emerging business topics to students, faculty, alumni and the community. All Learning Series events are FREE and available via Zoom this fall.
7/8: Entrepreneurship During COVID with Dr. Ahmad Kaako, founder and CEO of Avicenna Health, Daymara Baker, founder and CEO of Rockin’ Baker, and Justin Urso, founder and co-owner of Big Box Karaoke. Event moderated by Sarah Goforth, executive director of the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
8/19: The Economics of COVID-19: Explaining the Relationships Among Income, Race, Health, and COVID-19 Spread with Aaron Novotny, health economist at Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield Register Now!
9/16: How to Lead a Thriving Team From Your Home Office with Shan Pesaru, founder and CEO of Sharp Hue.
10/14: Social Network Analysis with Song Yang, professor of sociology and criminology at the University of Arkansas
11/18: Artificial Intelligence in Retail with Britt Fogg, founder and CEO at Shiloh Technologies
Questions? Topic suggestions? Interested in becoming a speaker? Email Aditi Kar at
akar@uark.edu.
Walton MBA Conversations (Executive MBA)
Hosted by world-renowned industry and academic experts, Walton MBA Conversations offers new learning and networking opportunities for current and recently graduated Executive MBA students. Available via Zoom, these one-hour conversations are offered eight times throughout the fall and spring semesters for a total of 16 sessions annually. Students are provided a short briefing prior to the session and engage directly with the guest host while gaining valuable industry insights and exposure to cutting-edge theory and innovation.
7/10: Micro Role Transitions with Blake Ashforth, Regents’ Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship and Horace Steele Arizona Heritage Chair at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award and author of Role Transitions in Organizational Life: An Identity-based Perspective.
7/16: Building a Fintech Startup – Lessons from the Street with Andrew Endicott, CFO, co-founder and president of Petal, and University of Arkansas and Harvard Law School alumnus.
8/18: Self-Management with Charles Manz, award-winning author, Nirenberg Chaired Professor of Leadership in the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and former Marvin Bower Fellow at Harvard Business School.
8/25: Driving Change, Leadership, Business Processes, Efficiency, Recruiting and Retention and Public Service with David Schlendorf, associate executive assistant director of the Finance and Facilities Division at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
9/9: Statistical Modeling with Dr. Joseph Sanford, chief clinical informatics officer at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and co-director of Healthcare Analytics at the Institute for Digital Health and Innovation.
TBD: Korto Momulu and more!
Professional Development (Full-time MBA)
Professional Development, a mandatory program for all full-time students, is an integral component of the MBA curriculum. The program offers seminars, workshops, technical training, corporate mentoring and several networking opportunities over the course of the two-year program. Designed to promote professional communication, leadership, management, critical thinking, problem solving and ethical reasoning skills, Professional Development gives students the opportunity to network with hiring partners and local businesses while developing critical soft skills, earning certifications, and advancing skills in select software environments, including Power BI and Tableau.
Professional Development for New Students:
8/28: Maintaining Professionalism in the Corporate Setting with Rand Waddoups, senior director for Omnichannel at Walmart
9/4: Strengths and Personality Assessment with Adam Stoverink, assistant professor of management at the Sam M. Walton College of Business
9/18: Tableau Training with Terrill Standifer, senior manager for Demand Planning at Walmart
Corporate Mentor Program: New Mentors
Abbigail Hawthorne, Bernedette Casey, Bin Lui, Hannah Brunner, Igor Marques, Jane May, John Whitmore, Jonathan Navallo, Kaitlin Arvin, Marcus Monk, Matt Bumgarner, Matthew Gow, Matthew Roughton, Meerim Choi, Megan Iseman, Michael Bollero, Porter Williams, Sally Ashcroft, Scott Andrews and Whitney Cooper.
Professional Development for Returning Students:
8/24: Talent Identification and Performance Management with Rich Lawrence, vice president of Special Markets at Helen of Troy
8/25 & 8/26: Business Ethics, Diversity and Inclusion with Cindy Moehring, founder and executive chair of the Business Integrity and Leadership Initiative, and Barbara Lofton, director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Walton College
8/27: Career Coaching with Bill Ryan, Executive MBA career coach and industry expert; Problem Solving with Shana Gold, adjunct communications professor at the University of Arkansas
8/28: Design Thinking with Henry Trejo, Design Thinking Fellow, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; Delivering a Resilient Mindset with Carol Silva Moralez, partner at SERVE2PERFORM and former director of Relationship Management at Walmart
Corporate Mentor Program: Returning Mentors
Anna Musgraves, Clinton Rhodes, Daniel Fritsche, Dinesh Hedge, Elizabeth Arredondo, Evan Verucchi, Honey Brinkley, Jake Fuller, Joanne Tam, Joel Harris, John Wright, Kenny Bierman, Mark Blanco, Riley Shearin, Ryan Stearle, Senad Zlatovic, Tanya Welihindha, Victor Carreno and Zak Lowe.
Alexandra Goforth graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, San Diego in 2019. She
received college and departmental honors with highest distinction for her studies
in biological anthropology and global health along with the Sherwood L. Washburn Award for
Excellence in Biological Anthropology for her undergraduate honors thesis. Since returning to her hometown
of Fayetteville, Ark., Alexandra has joined the University of Arkansas as a marketing and communications officer for
the MBA Programs Office at the Sam M. Walton College of Business. She has contributed
to freelance projects for Walton College Executive Education and the University of
Arkansas School of Law. She is passionate about writing, community health and the
nexus of business and healthcare.
