2018 MBAs To Watch: Ngozika Uzoma, University of Chicago (Booth) - Poets&Quants

Ngozika Uzoma

The University of Chicago, Booth School of Business

“I am a constant observer, curious about how businesses and people in the world work.”

Age: 29

Hometown: Medfield, MA

Fun fact about yourself: I love ancient Egyptian history.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Tufts University: Major in Biology & Minor in Studio Art

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Democracy Prep Public Schools, Expansion Manager

Where did you intern during the summer of 2017? Udemy, San Francisco, CA

Where will you be working after graduation? Box, Management Associate, Rotational Leadership Program

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

Admissions Fellows – Interview Team, Brand Ambassador

Second Year Mentor

Booth Soccer Club – Active Member

Forté Foundation Fellow

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am very passionate about women in sports and soccer is one of my favorite sports to play and watch. In my first year at Booth, there was minimal involvement of women in the Booth Soccer Club. After playing in a women’s league, we got a group of girls together and joined the Booth Soccer Club in our second year. We’ve had a great time playing with the guys, scrimmaging every week, and playing in tournaments – all in a welcoming and inclusive environment. Next year, the Booth Soccer Club will have its first female co-chair, and I hope to see an increase in women participating in the club after I graduate. I find soccer to be an amazing opportunity to challenge myself physically and mentally each week as I bond with my classmates in a new way. I want to share this opportunity with more of my peers. Though this is not my most direct or concrete achievement, it is the one I am most proud of. I hope our example will drive and encourage a higher representation of women in soccer and extracurricular sports in business school.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? When I joined Democracy Prep Public Schools, we had four schools, and when I left we had grown into a network of 19. As Expansion Manager, I was exceptionally proud to work with a diverse group of dedicated and passionate leaders to bring new educational opportunities to predominantly lower-socioeconomic black and brown students across the country. Helping reopen a Pre-K through 8th grade turnaround school in Washington DC (on a three-month timeline, no less) was one of the most formative and challenging achievements of my professional career. It was the first time where my leadership could directly impact so many people: staff, teachers, students, and the local community. As a team, we had to dig deep to effectively reallocate resources. After an exhilarating few months working across different functional teams from finance to academics, I helped the principals to open the school doors and set the stage for an educational transformation in the local community.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? One of my favorite professors at Booth has been Professor Ozan Candogan. I took Operations Management with him and his passion for the topic and his commitment to his students’ understanding set him apart. As he shared his personal research and worked through the cases with us, you could see how passionate he was about the topic, and that in turn helped me internalize that importance of operations in running a successful enterprise. Also, after the midterm, he made the time to go over every question with me and made sure I understood the core concept behind each one. His deep level of commitment to his subject and students made him one my favorite professors.

What was your favorite MBA Course? My favorite course at Booth was Platform Competition with Austan Goolsbee. I had just completed my first microeconomics course the quarter before and was still a little fuzzy on how the concepts really applied to my field of interest in tech. Austan Goolsbee’s class actually applied abstract concepts of micro such as supply and demand curves, to the structure and impact of current major tech companies. With great passion and dynamic class conversation, Professor Goolsbee helped us understand how technology platforms functioned in and were also changing the traditional marketplace, along with the network effects that made them so effective.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Booth for its commitment to solve the toughest problems. I was inspired by the flexible and deep analytical approach across multiple disciplines that Booth offered. And when I came to visit, I was inspired by the community and the commitment students had to each other’s success. As I sat in the winter garden as a prospective student, I chatted with current students about their entrepreneurial ideas and how they would use new technologies to track customer data and update their business strategy. In that conversation, I knew this would be a community that would support and challenge me, and I knew I had to come to Booth.

What is your best piece advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s MBA program? Before applying, I think it is very important to identify your ultimate career goals, and think backwards about the major steps you will need to realize your aspirations. With that understanding, I would then consider how Booth or any business school would help you get there and what you could contribute to the community in turn. Having a strong end game, I think really helps you to focus your choices around the business school application process, so you can understand what you need from a business program and what you can give back to it.

What is the biggest myth about your school? I think the biggest myth about Booth is that we are solely quant focused and lack an emphasis on intrapersonal skills and community. Yeah so, we all have had to take derivatives in micro and some of my classmates have some crazy modeling skills. However, some of the best memories I will take away from Booth are moments of support from my classmates during classes and recruiting, along with the crazy adventures we’ve had together exploring Chicago and the world.

What was your biggest regret in business school? This may not be a true regret, but the two years of business school go by so quickly, and there are so many classes and clubs I would have loved to participate in, but there really just weren’t enough hours in the day to make it all happen. I could have really used a ‘time-turner’ like Hermione had in Harry Potter.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Because I can’t pick just one, I most admire Maura Welch and Wenting Xi. Maura is part of the MPP/MBA dual program, and her organizational commitment to extracurriculars from highlighting the great possibilities of socially-minded business through Net Impact to leading the organization of women in Booth Soccer, she reminds me of the amazing impact you can have when you give back to your community. Wenting is an entrepreneurial force. In her time at Booth, she has started two businesses around topics that I am deeply passionate about – sports and professional networking – and she has set an amazing example of what you can achieve when you have the courage and drive to make your ideas a reality. I am deeply excited to follow the careers of both of these awesome women.

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? My father has most influenced my decision to pursue an MBA. Coming from Nigeria, my father always reiterated the importance of education as an essential tool that no one can take away from you. He holds degrees in both pharmacy and finance and throughout his life he has demonstrated the importance of a savvy sense of business in building your career. At the age of 55, he decided to follow his passion and completely changed his career to start his own business. He is emblematic of how far a strong business education and true entrepreneurial zeal can take you. I hope to one day live up to his example.

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…a business design specialist. I would have formalized my passion for graphic design and gone to design school with the aim of finding a way to use design to make companies more operationally efficient both internally and externally. (Or who knows… maybe I still will.).”

If you were a dean for a day, what one thing would you change about the MBA experience? If I were dean for a day, I would change the application process to be more holistic and experiential, with the aim of understanding how people really work with others and solve problems.

What are the top two items on your bucket list? I want to see the great Egyptian pyramids and go scuba diving with a whale shark.

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? I would like to be remembered as a dependable friend with innovative ideas from a less traditional perspective.

What is your favorite movie about business? I think my favorite business movie would have to be Trading Places. It taught me to never underestimate the importance of positioning and presentation.

What would your theme song be? “Dog Days Are Over” by Florence and the Machine

Favorite vacation spot: I love visiting Mexico – from Mexico City to beaches of Tulum – I love exploring the rich culture and meeting so many amazing people.

Hobbies?I love playing soccer, running, drawing with charcoal, and finding the best bakeries to satisfy my crazy sweet tooth.

What made Ngozika such an invaluable addition to the class of 2018?

“Ask anyone who knows Gozi and they will tell you what a wonderful person she is. Gozi has volunteered a great deal of her time to the Dean’s Student Admissions Committee initiatives, engaging with Booth’s prospective student population and serving as a resource in their MBA decision process. Coming from the public schools sector, she is very dedicated to advancing education technology and I think she will make real impact on that space. She has a promising career ahead of her.”

Stacey Kole
Deputy Dean for Alumni, Corporate Relations and Full-Time MBA Program, Chicago Booth

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2018 MBAs To Watch: Anjana Agarwal, University of Chicago (Booth) - Poets&Quants

Anjana Agarwal

The University of Chicago, Booth School of Business

“I’m a lawyer-turned-MBA with a passion for sustainability and leveraging technology to develop good infrastructure.”

Age: 31

Hometown: New Delhi, India

Fun fact about yourself: I’m a tea aficionado and have 5 or 6 different types of tea (black, white, green, rooibos) at my house at any given point!

Undergraduate School and Degree:

National Law School of India University – BA, LL.B (Honors) [JD Equivalent]

Harvard Law School – Masters in Law (LLM)

Where did you work before enrolling in business school?

World Resources Institute – I was a Senior Project Associate with the Energy and Governance teams

Planning Commission of India – Legal Consultant to PPP & Infrastructure team

Amarchand & Mangaldas – Attorney in Project Finance & Infrastructure practice

Where did you intern during the summer of 2017?

Allotrope Partners’ new Microgrid Investment Accelerator, Oakland CA

Where will you be working after graduation? TBD – something at the intersection of business, policy, and cleantech/urbantech

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: (Include school awards and honors)

• Co-chair, Chicago Women in Business
• Co-chair, Booth Energy Group
• Awarded 2-year Tobaccowala Merit-based Fellowship – Given to 1 Indian student each year
• Semi-finalist at MIINT (MBA Impact Investing Networking Challenge)
• Finalist at Ross Renewable Energy Case Competition
• Selected to intern at a leading urban focused VC fund, through school’s PE/VC Lab
• 1 of 27 people selected globally for a Global Governance Fellowship on Cities and Urbanization organized by Robert Bosch Foundation

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Securing a VC internship over the summer with no prior background in investing. This required me to hone up on my financial modelling skills and be able to effectively demonstrate this to interviewers, leverage all my past work – as a lawyer and as a policy analyst at a non-profit – and the strategic skills acquired at Booth, and leverage my network (both through Booth and my last workplace, the World Resources Institute).

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Designing and executing a household energy efficiency and conservation project in collaboration with a technical partner and the local utility in Bengaluru, India. Despite not having a background in engineering, I got up to speed with the technical nuances of energy efficiency and played a leadership role in this project. What really excited me about this about project was getting into the shoes of the consumer and devising creative methods to incentivize behavior change. We showed 17% savings’ potential through no-cost and low-cost measures – huge for cities with electricity shortage. I continued to track developments on this project even after coming to Booth and it’s now been scaled to one more city in India – I couldn’t be prouder!

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Professor James Schraeger. In the first class, he told us he didn’t allow laptops and we had to take hand-written notes – the thought of sitting through 3 hours of afternoon class without being able to take a sneak peek at social media was terrifying. Little did I know how quickly his classes would go by! His classes gave me strong frameworks to evaluate new business ideas that I went on to apply in my VC internship. What I particularly admired about Prof. Schrager was his humility, openness to ideas, sense of humor, and ability to call out bullshit in the nicest possible way. Several alumni I’ve interacted with also speak very fondly of him and are still in touch with him.

What was your favorite MBA Course? International Corporate Finance by Prof. Rajan. As an Indian student, the chance to take Prof. Rajan’s course was a big selling point for Booth and this course more than exceeded by expectations. My three key takeaways from this course were: (1) the ability to see and make financial decisions in a larger, more strategic context; (2) the importance of considering every stakeholder in the decision-making process and considering their interests and motivations; and (3) the importance of considering social, political, and even public perception related impacts of international businesses.

Why did you choose this business school? First, for its academic rigor, amazing faculty (9 Nobel laureates – who can beat that?!), and strong reputation.

Second, at my last job at WRI, I used bottom up data to help feed the top down policy process – so Booth’s data driven, analytical approach to management education strongly resonated with me.

And third, two alumni from my law school in India also went to Booth and had great things to say!

What is your best piece advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s MBA program? Be yourself in the application process and visit the school before applying or joining (even if it means flying in from overseas)! Ultimately, fit with the school is very important – this will be your home and life for the next two years and your professional and personal network for much, much longer.

What is the biggest myth about your school? I’d heard a lot about the ‘pay it forward’ culture at Booth before coming here but didn’t think too much about it – it seemed like it was one of those things people just said. Little did I realize how true and real the pay it forward culture at Booth is. People at Booth (my classmates, second years, and alumni) have been exceptional. As a career changer especially, I’ve reached out to people for help and guidance innumerable times and every single time, the Booth community has been there to support me. Not just have people responded to my requests for help, they have gone out of their way to help me!

What was your biggest regret in business school? Not working on my own or someone else’s entrepreneurial idea through New Venture Challenge / Social New Venture Challenge. Booth offers so many opportunities to explore entrepreneurial ideas. While I have started to explore new business ideas through lab classes, the chance to build out a business in a risk-free, classroom setting and benefit from regular constructive feedback from peers and judges is unparalleled.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I admire so many of my classmates! In particular, I really admire mothers at Booth – balancing academics, recruiting, and socializing while putting your child’s needs ahead of yours and still remaining sane must need superhu(wo)man effort!

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? Cliched as it sounds – my mother! She was one the first few Indian women to go to business school in the 1970s. She went on to join the top rungs of Indian government and really showed me how business education can enable you to effectively work in so many different spheres.

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…working at the policy team of a tech company.”

If you were a dean for a day, what one thing would you change about the MBA experience? Encourage MBA students to step out of the business school and draw upon the amazing resources offered at the rest of UChicago – this could be through classes, attending events, connecting with other grad students, or library (or even food truck) hopping!

What are the top two items on your bucket list? My life bucket list is very long! Two things on my Chicago bucket list are – a meal at the three Michelin-starred Alinea and overcoming my fear of heights to check out the tilting 360-degree John Hancock observatory

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? As someone who worked hard, showed humility, was there for them when they needed help, and provided a different perspective in class!

What is your favorite movie about business? I love Jerry Maguire – it taught me the importance of working hard, staying true to my principles, being patient, and cultivating strong and lasting relationships.

What would your theme song be? Can’t call it my theme song but one song that I can never resist singing along to is ‘Walking on Sunshine’ by Katrina & the Waves.

Favorite vacation spot: Kraabi, Thailand – pristine beach + sunshine + amazing food

Hobbies?

• Exploring new cities – I’m an urban creature and I love checking out new restaurants, bars, live music gigs.
• Reading – business school hasn’t left me with much time for that though!
• Increasingly, ogling at luxury shoe designs on Instagram.

What made Anjana such an invaluable addition to the class of 2018?

“I’m so proud of Anjana. She is one of 27 fellows elected to the Global Governance Futures 2030 initiative that brings together exceptional young professionals to come up with better ways to address global challenges. She has been elected to the Cities in Global Governance subgroup, which falls in line with her previous work in infrastructure law and environmental non-profit. This is a great start to achieve her long-term goals of affecting infrastructure change in underdeveloped economies.”

Stacey Kole
Deputy Dean for Alumni, Corporate Relations and Full-Time MBA Program, Chicago Booth

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2018 MBAs To Watch: Jingjia Zang, University of Chicago (Booth) - Poets&Quants

Jingjia Zang

The University of Chicago, Booth School of Business

“American-educated Chinese leader seeking to change the world through the energy industry.”

Age: 29

Hometown: Zhengzhou, China

Fun fact about yourself: I spent my spare time in my first two years out of college learning how to ride a horse.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Tulane University, B.S. Finance and B.A Political Economy

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Trader at Phillips 66

Where did you intern during the summer of 2017? Chevron in San Ramon, California

Where will you be working after graduation? Chevron’s Finance MBA Development Program

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

Admission Fellow – Interviewing Team

Booth Energy Group – Co-chair and marketing lead for Energy Forward Conference

Houston Career Trek Co-organizer in 2016

Chicago Booth First Day Neighborhood Captain

Random Walk Austria Hungary Leader

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Receiving a thank you note from a first year Boothie that I helped to coach through the recruitment process is my proudest extracurricular achievement at business school. As a second-year student and an Energy Group co-chair at Booth, one of my most important jobs is to help and guide the first-year students as the second- years before me have done for my class. Her note made me feel like I have continued the pay-it-forward culture and made a positive impact on her time at Booth.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am most proud of becoming the youngest trader at Phillips 66’s trading team in Houston at the time. As a minority female trader, I shared my experiences with and encouraged other young professionals I met to pursue trading as a career.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Professor Ozan Candogan. His energy is contagious. He makes operations management fun and easy to follow.

What was your favorite MBA Course? My favorite MBA course is Taxes and Business Strategy with Professor Ira Weiss. It opened my eyes to a whole new world of taxes.  I used to think taxes are black and white, but this course made me understand that there is a lot of planning behind the taxes paid by corporations every year.  Effective tax planning is as critical as having efficient operations within a business unit. Suddenly, there are more things to consider in making business decisions and taxes could make or break a deal.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Booth because of the community.  Booth students and alums showed me the pay-it-forward culture during my application year as I was exploring different schools. They made every effort to make sure I was knowledgeable and comfortable during the process. The best thing from my six years of experiences at ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66 is the people, and the people are the single most important criteria in my career search. After experiencing the pay-it-forward culture from Boothies, it was easy for me to decide the best school for me.

What is your best piece advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s MBA program? Reach out to Boothies at information sessions, on-campus visits, or via Linkedin requests. We are as excited about you as you are about us. Making the connections will not only help you to learn about Booth, but also get you an early start in networking for your MBA career.

What is the biggest myth about your school? The biggest myth is that we are a finance school. I have definitely taken more finance classes than most, but I have so many friends who never want to do anything finance-related. They spend their quarters taking marketing, entrepreneurship, or economics classes. You could have a variety of interest completely unrelated to finance and still find yourself having an amazing time at Booth.

What was your biggest regret in business school? My biggest regret in business school was not taking part in Random Walk as a first year. I was admitted in Round 3 and had missed the deadline for Random Walk application, so I decided to do something on my own. I realized what an amazing bonding experience it was during orientation as people talked about their trips. I made sure I applied to be a second year Random Walk trip leader halfway through my first year just so I will have an opportunity to experience it before I graduate.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? My fellow second year student Ariel Patton. She always has a smile on her face whenever I see her and is one of the most genuine and kind people at Booth. She is passionate about the food and agriculture industry. I hope as the world population continues to grow, we will have people like Ariel to help us find a way to feed the world sustainably.

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? One of my mother’s high school friends inspired me to pursue business in college. I was 9 years old when I met her, but I knew I wanted to study business and become someone like her when I grow up. She was the CEO of a state-owned company in China. She was confident, successful, and outspoken. As a little girl growing up in China, I struggled with idea that girls should strive to be lady-like – soft spoken and unambitious. My mother’s friend inspired me to be more and I followed her footsteps into pursuing business in college.

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…helping my mother to plan her next business venture.”

If you were a dean for a day, what one thing would you change about the MBA experience? I would ask professors to host quarterly small group dinners with students, so the students would have a chance to get to know the professors outside of the classroom in a comfortable and familiar setting. I love the alum dinners, first year/second year mixers, and Booth Insights gatherings because they bring the Booth community closer. I think having small group dinners with the professors would help to further build our community.

What are the top two items on your bucket list? Go on an African safari and live in a Mongolian ger for a week.

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? I would like my peers to remember me as someone who is loyal and kind.

What is your favorite movie about business? The Big Short. I learned that sometimes even if you are right, it might take the world a long time to come to your conclusion and you have to be really determined to hold on to your position until they do.

What would your theme song be? “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel. It is a classic and upbeat. It makes me smile every time I hear it.

Favorite vacation spot: Meteora, Greece

Hobbies? Cooking, hiking, travel, walking dogs

What made Jingjia such an invaluable addition to the class of 2018?

“What impresses me the most about Jingjia is the comfort with which she walks toward really difficult challenges that lie in front of her. Before Booth, Jingjia was a trader on one of the largest oil trading floors in the US. She has a deep background in the petroleum industry, yet she sees her Booth MBA as the opportunity to continue building her career within the energy value chain. Jingjia has said how much versatility and culture matter to her, and I’m so pleased she’s found that here at Booth.”

Stacey Kole
Deputy Dean for Alumni, Corporate Relations and Full-Time MBA Program, Chicago Booth

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2018 Best MBAs: Rodrigo Studart, University of Chicago (Booth) - Poets&Quants

Rodrigo Studart

The University of Chicago, Booth School of Business

“Always looking for what I believe will make me a happier and better person.”

Age: 30

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Hometown: Hard question! I grew up in Valença, a small town in the State of Rio de Janeiro countryside. I moved out to Volta Redonda and Rio de Janeiro for high school and college and, then, Belo Horizonte and São Paulo for work.

Fun fact about yourself: I’m Brazilian, but not a soccer fan.

Undergraduate School and Degree:

Industrial Engineering – PUC-Rio – Brazil

Specialization Program in Management and Finance – FDC – Brazil

Where did you work before enrolling in business school?

New Business Manager at BRMalls, the largest mall company in Latin America. I was responsible for developing new malls, from after the land acquisition to the opening.

New Business Manager at International Meal Company, a food-retail company with roughly 20 different brands in the Americas. I had a short pre-MBA experience there, helping them to structure the New Business Area.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2017? I was a Strategy Associate at Handvaerk, an e-commerce of luxury basics located in Southampton – NY. I developed a business plan with the founders to raise company’s first round of funding.

A fun fact about my summer was that I lived with the founders, as the cost of accommodation in Southampton over the summer was prohibitive. The good side of it was that I could closely observe and experience how hard, passionate and exciting the entrepreneurial life can be.

Where will you be working after graduation? I am founding Muu in Brazil. Muu is a low-calorie and amazingly great-tasting ice cream. Brazil is the second largest ice cream market in the world and Brazilians are very health conscious. There are no other companies with this concept in the market. I am super confident Muu is going to be a big success!

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

Dean’s List

Brazilian Country Captain – Supporting Brazilian prospective students to learn more about the school

Admissions Fellow – Global Booth Ambassador – part of a team that helps to improve Booth’s brand awareness globally. I also interview applicants to the Full Time MBA program

Board Fellow – Served on the board of Forward Momentum Chicago, a non-profit institution that provides dance classes to underprivileged children

Volunteer at Chicago Good Food Business Accelerator 2017, participating on a consulting project for the food start-up Pleasant House.

Innovation and Design Club Co-chair – Responsible for partnerships and events

Very active member of Fead (Food and Agriculture business club) and member of other 5 professional and 5 social clubs.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I started to work on Muu after my summer internship. The combination of starting a new business and striving to excel in classes at the same time is challenging, but very rewarding. I can put into practice everything I am learning. I am really proud of Muu being ranked 1st (out of 8) in our Building the New Venture class, which simulates the first 18 months of a new business. I’m also very  excited to be one of the 30 companies accepted to the Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge, the best university accelerator programs in the US (out of 65 companies).

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I worked for six years at the largest mall company in Latin America and had a very fast-paced career. I’m really proud of my first project there, the development of a 250 stores mall, built over a train and bus station. The mall was a public concession from the federal government. This project was very complex in both business and technical terms, involving a budget of roughly $133 million dollars for which I was accountable. I started the project when I was 22 years old and, after its completion, I was promoted to a manager position and invited to become partner of the company, receiving stock options. I was the youngest manager and partner in BRMalls’ history.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Jamie Schrager. He teaches New Venture Strategy class, in which we learn a clear framework of how to analyze strategy for startups. While teaching the framework, he uses personal stories and cases and teaches us how to interpret the strategies behind the news we read daily at the WSJ. Finally, in the last class, student groups have to pitch ideas. The whole process of pitching and getting feedback takes almost 6 hours and is very enriching. I haven’t seen in my whole life a professor that keeps a class engaged for such a long time.

Why did you choose this business school? When I visited Booth, I was impressed with how I related to everything: the community, the classes, the campus and the city. While attending to classes, I saw how students were impressively smart. At the same time, they were very friendly, and invited me for a blues concert and dinners, as I was spending the weekend in town. Also, the fact that Booth’s building itself is the second largest modern art gallery in Chicago subtly showed me how the school cares about a MBA experience beyond the classroom. Finally, I believe Chicago is the best place to spend two years abroad. The city offers great food, friendly people, impressive cultural scene and amazing parks.

What is your best piece advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s MBA program? Don’t be afraid to show your personality and soft skills in the application. Some people think they should focus only on their successful achievements and career goals. Booth cares a lot about you as a person and how you will get involved with the community.

What is the biggest myth about your school? “Booth is for people who want to work in finance.” I had the opportunity to take many classes in marketing and entrepreneurship and was impressed by the quality of professors and classes. They actually were the best classes I had. There is a lot of flexibility in the curriculum and a vast offering in marketing and entrepreneurship, so you can frame your experience with both soft and quant courses.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I can’t decide between two. Agustin Peirano and Wenting Xi are also entrepreneurs and we created (after they took the initiative) a support group among us three, in which we share our hurdles and victories. The best thing about this group is that we do not let the others give up over the course of this hard journey. Agustin is a smart student, who excels in his classes, manages his startup company and still can find time to paint and experience Chicago’s art scene. He recently donated his art to a Booth charity auction. Wenting challenges me all the time. She is candid and criticizes my ideas, taking me out of my comfort zone. I love how she always thinks from a different perspective and comes up with great ideas. She also finds time to host weekly dinners and get to know other students better. I don’t know how many hours their days have, but certainly more than 24!

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? My parents. I was five when I convinced my father to let me sell some packages of his hand-harvested black beans production in our neighborhood, getting the first “wage” of my life. Later on, my parents opened an ice cream shop and I not only helped them there, but I also sold some of the shop’s products at school. One day, the school called my parents and asked them to stop letting me sell, as the school’s cafeteria was complaining. My parents always incentivized me in those and other situations and supported me while leaving our small town to study.

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…probably working for a big corporation and not pursuing my entrepreneurial dream.”

What are the top two items on your bucket list?

– Visit the Atacama Desert

– Learn more about coffee

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? The guy who is always in a good mood.

What is your favorite movie about business? 12 Angry Man. An amazing movie about how to understand the audience and frame your ideas in a very persuasive way

What would your theme song be? “Beautiful Day” – U2

Favorite vacation spot:Greece. The perfect combination of nature and fun.

Hobbies? Running and trying new restaurants

What made Rodrigosuch an invaluable addition to the class of 2018?

“Stu is a great example of the supportive and collaborative community we have here at Booth. Coming from the real estate industry and transitioning into retail/CPG, he has a unique perspective to share with classmates, including his work on a low-calorie ice cream venture in Latin America, called Moo! Stu also pays it forward as a Country Captain for Brazil, bringing that inherently welcoming nature to prospective international students who want to learn more about Booth.”

Stacey Kole
Deputy Dean for Alumni, Corporate Relations and Full-Time MBA Program
Chicago Booth:

 

 

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2018 Best 40 Under 40 Professors: Anuj Shah, University of Chicago (Booth) - Poets&Quants

Anuj Shah

Associate Professor of Behavioral Science

University of Chicago, Booth School of Business

Everything is negotiable. That’s why it pays for business students to learn how to barter. At Booth, Anuj Shah is the master of teaching MBAs how to get theirs. From a pay raise to vendor terms, high stakes haggling is never pleasant. That’s why he takes a more “down-to-earth” approach, says Donnie Phillips (’13), one that relies heavily on memorable assignments, personal examples, and – of course – Shah’s trademark self-deprecating humor.

“In one exercise, he gave students a paper clip to see how well they could negotiate and ‘trade up’ for other items,” he reminisces. “Students engaged more than any other project and proudly brought back items as diverse as basketball jerseys, large potted plants, and customized beer glasses.”

Shah’s passions, however, are no laughing matter. Recently, he completed groundbreaking study with the University of Chicago Crime Lab that showed how intervention at various points could reduce crime rates and increase graduation rates among disadvantaged youth. It is this sense of empathy, coupled with a commitment to excellence, that has made Shah such a vital part of the Booth experience.

“Anuj clearly is a professor that puts attention and effort into every detail of his lesson; his comedic timing, examples in class, and graphics in materials are so well-selected and thoughtful,” writes Tracey Rubinoff (’18). “He shares sticky examples of his own life that are applicable to our lesson, ensuring his point is made and is one we will not forget.  He’s not afraid to be bold, vulnerable, and accepting of criticism.  He’s truly a world class professor and person.”

Age: 34

At current institution since what year? 2012

Education: Ph.D., Psychology, Princeton University, 2010

List of courses you currently teach: Negotiations

Twitter handle: N/A

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LIFE AS A PROFESSOR

“I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when…at our elementary school graduation, we were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. For me, the answer was obvious: Pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles. When everyone in the room laughed, I knew I needed a different career. I always admired my teachers and professors, and having the chance to follow their example has been far better than spending my prime in the bottom of the AL East.

What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it?

I try to use behavioral science, and cognitive psychology in particular, as a lens into social problems such as poverty, crime, and violence. In some recent work, done in collaboration with the University of Chicago Crime Lab, we studied programs for disadvantaged youth in Chicago that dramatically reduced arrests for violent crime and recidivism. And in another project, with ideas42, we designed interventions to help people remember to show up for their court dates in New York City (and to thus avoid having arrest warrants opened).

“If I weren’t a business school professor…Well, my second major was in English Literature, so what do you do with a B.A. in English?”

What do you think makes you stand out as a professor?

On the teaching side, I hope what comes through is simply how much I care. I enjoy getting to know my students, hearing their stories, and hopefully each week teaching them a few things they didn’t know.

“One word that describes my first time teaching”: TerrifiedButWaitThisIsFun (I believe it’s a German word)

If your teaching style/classroom experience had a theme song, what would it be?

I just hope it’s not elevator music.

As a b-school professor, what motivates you?

I’d like for at least some of my research to meaningfully inform public policy. In the classroom, I’d like for at least some of my lectures to meaningfully inform my students.

Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor:

Get to the seminar room early if you want one of the decent boxed lunch options.

Professor you most admire and why:

I’m lucky to have five such people: Sendhil Mullainathan, Jens Ludwig, Eldar Shafir, Danny Oppenheimer, and Len Green. They’ve all shaped the questions I ask, given me the tools to answer them, and have been incredible mentors, collaborators, and friends.

STUDENTS

What do you enjoy most about teaching business students?

They’re not a passive audience, they’re willing to have a conversation, and that conversation sometimes highlights some of my own blind spots.

What is most challenging?

Because the class is a conversation, I can’t be on autopilot, and need to be locked in, alert, and engaged.

Using just one word, describe your favorite type of student:

Curious

Using just one word, describe your least favorite type of student:

Absent

What is the most impressive thing one of your students has done?

As a negotiations exercise, I asked my students to get a reservation at a restaurant that doesn’t take reservations. Of course, I imagined them trying to get reservations at hipster spots with long waits. But one of my students instead got a reservation at Chick-fil-A. You see, she often took clients there for lunch, but they spent much of their meeting waiting in line during the lunch rush. So, she called Chick-fil-A and asked if she could make a reservation. They explained that they did not take reservations because that’s not how fast food restaurants work. So she offered to have them do a catering order at a later date if they agreed to reserve a table for her at lunch the following day. They agreed. She and her client walked in and did not wait in the long line. There was a hand-made “Reserved” sign waiting for them at a table. Someone came out from behind the counter and took their order tableside. She had somebody taking her order tableside at Chick-fil-A!

What is the least favorite thing one has done?

Each time a student thinks they are the first person to make a joke about negotiating their grade. It’s just so disappointing that they think they’re the first person to make that pun.

What does a student need to do to get an A in your class?

“It’s in the syllabus.”

“When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as…Fair, I hope.”

“But I would describe myself as…Fair.”

Fill in the blank: “If my students can navigate conflict and negotiate more effectively, then I’ve done my job as their professor.”

LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

Fun fact about yourself: For the past 13 years, I’ve written a weekly email to my closest friends from college (including Willie Choi, who was previously on P&Q’s 40 under 40 list). So far, none have unsubscribed. I think.

What are your hobbies? Mostly, eating. I also enjoy home brewing beer, although haven’t been as consistent about it as I once was.

How will you spend your summer? In Chicago as much as possible. Summers in Chicago are the whole point of living in Chicago.

Favorite place to vacation: Silver Spring, Maryland

Favorite book: Right now, thanks to my 11-week-old daughter, it’s Time for a Hug by Phillis Gershator and Mim Green, illustrated by David Walker.

What is your favorite movie and/or television show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? The Shawshank Redemption is objectively the greatest movie of all time. And so, it’s my favorite.

Favorite type of music and/or favorite artist: Radiohead, The National, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars. There is no other music.

Bucket list item #1: To spend a few weeks going through Glacier National Park, Banff, and Jasper. I saw a mountain once, off in the distance. I’m intrigued. I’d like to see more.

THOUGHTS OF REFLECTION

What professional achievement are you most proud of?

I was part of an incredible team of researchers and program providers who studied youth anti-violence programs that reduced arrests and recidivism and increased schooling outcomes for disadvantaged youth in Chicago. It was a chance to try to use what we know from the psychology of decision-making to develop a theory that will hopefully make such interventions more scalable and translatable to other settings.

What is your most memorable moment as a professor?

I taught an evening class the night of Game 7 in the 2016 World Series. That section had an exceptional group of students in it, and nearly all of them actually showed up (I’m still not entirely sure why). It was the night of our biggest negotiation, and the night of the Cubs’ biggest game. I’m pretty sure it felt just like playing in the World Series.

If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this…

I’m still new enough to this that I don’t think I can make any wise prescriptions for what business schools should look like in the future.

And much less of this… (See above)

In your opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at doing what?

It’s been exciting to see how companies and organizations have become so open to using ideas from behavioral science to improve their policies and practices. But often, this means drawing on a fairly limited bag of tricks from the field. Ideally, we’d see greater experimentation with an expanded bag of tricks. Of course, this means we behavioral scientists need to expand our set of robust tools for behavior change. Ideally, we’ll develop this by collaborating with companies and orgs to do rigorous evaluations of these tools. I’m not the first person to say this. I’m just joining the chorus of far smarter people who said it first.

Looking ahead 10 years from now, describe what “success” would like for you

Having a portfolio of research that has generated actionable policy insights on a few different fronts.

What faculty and students say…

“Shah is an excellent educator and produces groundbreaking research. Recent research of Shah’s measures the impact of Chicago’s Becoming a Man (BAM) program offered by nonprofit Youth Guidance. Shah’s research found BAM reduces violence and arrests among program participants, while increasing high school graduation rates. At a time when Chicago is often in the news for violence, Shah’s research offers proof that interventions can work—and inspired Chicago policymakers and the Chicago Public Schools to scale BAM as part of the city’s violence reduction strategy. With support from Booth’s Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation, Shah is currently exploring the impact of pain reduction on wellbeing and productivity among low-income workers. These are just two examples of Shah’s groundbreaking research and its potential social impact.”

Salma Nassar
Associate Director, Research Initiatives
Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation
The University of Chicago
Booth School of Business

“Anuj Shah has done the impossible. He’s turned us into skilled negotiators, yes, but against greater odds he’s made Booth students funny. His lectures are like SNL Digital Shorts except with more celebrities. He got us to understand integrative issues by referencing Ryan Gosling, a gluten-free museum, and POGS all in one breath. We were habitually enthralled, not because 90% of his negotiation anecdotes involve a pro athlete or Nicholas Cage, but because Professor Shah is authentic and memorable. He allows us to learn from failure (both his and our own). He would begin each class asking about our personal negotiation stories (it’s okay to negotiate for questionably-old salmon if it teaches us a lesson), and ends each class with his own negotiation story where we “critique his life”. Because of Professor Shah, will never forget our reservation price, we will always know our BATNA, and we’ll grow the pie.”

Jenny Spiel
MBA Candidate | Class of 2018
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business

“I was in his Strategies and Processes of Negotiations class in Autumn 2017, and I absolutely loved his class. He truly cares about his students, and he is one of the most engaging, humble, and funny professors I’ve had – I literally laughed out loud during every single class. His class is very hands-on, and I’ve already applied the very tangible skills he taught to my everyday life. At the end of each class, he asked us to “critique his life,” during which time he was open about situations where he’s had to negotiate (e.g. when he and his wife bought a house), allowing us to openly discuss how to approach real-life negotiation scenarios. He’s a true gem and I learned so much in his class.”

Helen Bogen
MBA Candidate | Class of 2018

“I took Negotiations with Anuj and enjoyed every minute of the class. Within the first 3 hours of the quarter, he had memorized every students name in the class. He taught interesting- and very funny- lectures, which included detailed content and hilarious jokes that would keep everyone engaged throughout. He ended each class with personal negotiation stories from all walks of his life and let us critique his approaches honestly and with recommendations of what we would do differently based on our class learnings. Overall, he was truly an incredible professor and I wish I could take his class every quarter!”

Elizabeth Gannett
Chicago Booth
Class of 2018

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