Q&A: Faculty and Staff Share their Summer Highlights and Excitement for the Academic Year
As we approach the unofficial end of summer on Labor Day, many Ross faculty and staff are reflecting on how they spent the summer season. We asked some to share their favorite summer memories and also what they’re looking forward to in the new academic year.
Jessica Oldford, managing director, Global Initiatives
One highlight of my summer was attending the MBA Global Education Consortium at Kelley Business School. MBA GEC has roughly 40 members from 17 U.S.-based MBA programs, and I co-founded it with colleagues from Chicago Booth and McCombs School of Business in 2018. We’ve kept it going strong throughout (and maybe because of!) the pandemic. We meet every other month virtually and once a year in person. This year the conference took place at Indiana University, and it was amazing seeing everyone and sharing new ideas with each other. We have many similar programs, partnerships, students, etc., so it’s a wonderful group to connect with and learn from. I’m grateful for the consortium and the connections that we’ve made through it.
There is a lot to be excited about for the new academic year! One thing that my team and I are eager to launch is a new format for our undergraduate short-term global programs. We have worked with a couple of select partner schools to create a specialized, short-term immersion for our BBA students over spring break (Austria) and during May (Finland). Our students will enroll in the course and they’ll learn from faculty from the Vienna University of Economics and Business in Austria and Aalto Business School in Finland. The course content is impressive and will complement students’ Ross coursework. The cherry on top is that the program fee is roughly 25% of the cost of short-term programs offered in the past, so this will provide a lot more access to global programs for our students.
Loren Townes, Jr., LEO intermittent lecturer of business administration,
My favorite summer highlight was completing the Spartan “Super” race, a 10k, 25-obstacle course that blends trail running with fitness challenges. This race was an incredible test of grit, strength, endurance, and teamwork. I felt extremely accomplished crossing the finish line and was inspired to trust more in my abilities, shifting my mindset to set and achieve higher goals in all areas of life, not just physically. Notably, this was my first time running a 10k, and I hadn’t trained for this race. However, recognizing it would challenge me for the better, I embraced the challenge, leaned into discomfort, and navigated uncertainty with the best effort I could muster. I was also incredibly fortunate to have a supportive team cheering me on, making the experience not only memorable but also a meaningful reflection of life’s broader challenges.
This school year, I’m eager to bring the lessons from my Spartan race experience into the classroom. I’m excited to help my students embrace ambiguity as they engage with complex concepts and assignments and to encourage them to leverage team dynamics to achieve shared goals. I am passionate about assisting them in overcoming self-limiting beliefs and fostering resilience. It is my desire to help them forge new ways of thinking that will be beneficial both in the world of business and in life.
Overall, I can’t wait to get to know my students and for them to know me so we can inspire each other to become better individuals. I anticipate lively discussions that spark creativity and critical thinking, shared laughter in moments of breakthrough, and celebratory high fives when we overcome challenges. I also look forward to working closely with my colleagues, engaging in meaningful collaboration, and gaining insights from their experiences and expertise!
Lindy Greer, professor of management and organizations
My favorite summer highlight was going to Paris earlier this summer. I attended New Directions in Leadership Research, the main leadership research conference in the world. It was wonderful to connect with colleagues, hear interesting new research, and brainstorm on the future of leadership development. Afterward, my family joined me in Paris. We loved seeing Mont St Michel for the first time. As we look to this academic year, I’m really excited for Sanger to host the New Directions in Leadership Research Conference here at Ross (June 3-5, 2025).
Jennifer Steben, managing director, custom programs, Executive Education
Michigan is such a beautiful state, and our family and friends just love going up north. This year, a summer highlight was that we rented a house in Glen Arbor, right on Lake Michigan. We invited friends who have become family, and had a houseful of teens. There were hikes, cards, kayaking, and a lot of laughs. It was truly Pure Michigan.
For me, the start of the year is always September, not January — the students are back, it’s my birthday, and everyone seems eager to start a new academic year. This year I am especially excited to launch a new program with a new client. The client is Diageo, a British multinational alcoholic beverage company with its headquarters in London, England. Together with their executives and aided by our friends at Deloitte, we’ve created a learning academy that begins in Dallas and ends in Ann Arbor, with topics including value creation, competitive empathy, communication styles, and more. We are expecting 150 executive education students to travel to Ann Arbor to participate in this program. The client has been so fun, and the teaching/staff team is very collaborative. It’s a wonderful partnership!
