ALL POSTS BY: Blake Knight
What Does the Owen Student Body Really Look Like?
As a graduate student, you are constantly asked to fill out surveys. But most of these don’t get past GMAT scores, GPAs, or job offer details. What readers of this blog probably really want to know is: What does the personal or social life of a student look like? Do most people use a Mac or a PC? What is your favorite bar? What neighborhood do most people live in?
Well we’re here to show you. OwenBloggers recently worked with OSGA (Student Government) to survey our current student body to find out what it is like to be a graduate student at Vanderbilt Business.
How did you spend your spring break?
| Professionally (company visit, job search) | 24% | |
| Vacation | 69% | |
| Working | 12% | |
| Short Course | 6% | |
| Sitting at home watching Judge Judy | 16% |
Is your primary computer a Mac or PC?
What social media sites are you on?
HOP at Owen
The world of human resources is changing at a rapid pace. Companies are beginning to think more strategically about how they can align their people to achieve their overall business strategy. HR is no longer limited to handling employee complaints and administering benefits. Rather, it has evolved into the business of attracting, motivating and retaining top talent, and as the US shifts increasingly into a service-based economy (and, arguably, a brain-based economy), this is increasingly important.
When Clark asked me to write this piece for OwenBloggers, he admitted he still didn’t know what the acronym stood for, so let’s get this out of the way right off the bat. “HOP” stands for Human Organization and Performance, and the HOP concentration at Owen is among the top in the nation.
There are few schools that allow students to graduate with an MBA that includes a concentration in HR. Courses such as Strategic Alignment of Human Capital, Talent Sourcing & Acquisition, Compensation, Organization Design, and Leading Change are unique to the Owen MBA elective curriculum and are coveted by professionals in the HR industry.
Owen Podcast Series: Linus Hall, Yazoo Brewing Company
This edition of the Owen Podcast Series welcomes Linus Hall, Owen alum and founder of Yazoo Brewing Company. Yazoo has been a staple in Nashville draught houses since 2003 and has seen its distribution expand throughout the Southeast in recent years. The podcast touches on some of the parallels between independent craft breweries and the independent music industry, as well as Linus’ creative process, quick success and the challenges of scaling up their operations.
Owen By The Numbers
US News & World Report released its 2011 list of Best Business Schools today, with Vanderbilt . Outside of the regular rankings, however, there are some other interesting facts to note that lie hidden within the numbers:
- Owen ranks #19 among private U.S. graduate business schools, and is one of seven programs in the top-30 to focus only on full-time graduate management education (the others include Stanford, Harvard, Tuck, Columbia, Yale, and Duke). All of the others in the top-30 have robust undergraduate and part-time programs. Personally, I have found this to be an unexpected surprise of attending a private school. Coming from Texas A&M where there are 45,000 students, it has been great to be able to have access to the school’s resources without waiting in line. The professors, the printers, the library, the career center, the computer lab are all available at your disposal. This is not something that I necessarily took into consideration when looking at graduate schools, but it is definitely one of my favorite things about our program.
Owen Podcast Series: Michael Burcham, Entrepreneur Center
This edition of the Owen Podcast Series welcomes Michael Burcham, an Owen professor who happens to moonlight as the President and CEO of the Entrepreneur Center in Nashville. The Center operates as an incubator for the intrepid to flesh out their ideas, polish their business plan, prepare their pitch, and receive greater access to funding. The podcast discusses Mr. Burcham’s history as an entrepreneur, the common pitfalls of incubators, and the rising entrepreneurial class in Nashville.