Ethics and Leadership alumni have gone on to serve in the Peace Corps, to work in consulting, education, public service, non-profit organizations, business, and in a range of other roles. They have also enrolled in a variety of graduate and professional school programs, including programs in Law, Peace Studies, Public Affairs, and Public Health. If you are an Ethics and Leadership alum, we would love to hear what you’re doing and share your news with other alumni. Please contact us at bdp@austin.utexas.edu any time!
Spotlight
Lily Morse
Graduated Spring 2011
Undergraduate Major: Psychology
BDP Strand: Business Ethics
Favorite BDP course: BDP 101: Lessons in Ethical Leadership Studies
Current graduate program: Organizational Behavior and Theory, PhD candidate at Carnegie Mellon University
How did your Bridging Disciplines Program influence your educational path and interests?
The BDP program encouraged me to get involved in research with a professor who shared my interests. This gave me the chance to understand what it would be like to do research in graduate school. I found that I enjoyed the research process and was excited to conduct more studies. In summary, the BDP program helped me choose to continue my education in graduate school.
In what ways did an interdisciplinary education prepare you for what you are currently doing?
An interdisciplinary education was essential to move forward in Organizational Behavior because the field itself is a bridge between psychology and business. I would not have been prepared to continue with graduate education without an interdisciplinary foundation.
What advice would you give to current BDP students?
Don’t be afraid to get involved in research! Professors are here to add to your education and are happy to help you with a research project. All you have to do is ask. If you are afraid that you won’t enjoy research, you will never know the answer to that until you try it!
Read on to learn about what other Ethics and Leadership alumni have been doing since they graduated.
Heather Holloway
Journalism, Graduated Spring 2007
Heather’s interest in the role of the news media in promoting social justice led her to pursue an Ethics and Leadership BDP. As an intern for the non-profit organization Soulforce, Heather investigated the group’s media coverage. She also researched ethical issues in print design at Brilliant Magazine. After graduation, Heather traveled to Israel and Palestine for a mission trip, then moved to Togo in West Africa to serve in the Peace Corps as a community health volunteer. She believes that her Ethics & Leadership certificate helped her execute the “training of trainers” model that is widely used in international development work. Because of this experience, Heather decided to pursue a Bachelor of Nursing degree and is currently a Peace Corps Fellow at Johns Hopkins University.
Albert Hicks
Finance, Graduated Spring 2005
Albert used the Ethics and Leadership BDP to explore his interests in international finance and public policy. The BDP gave him the opportunity to participate in research with Dr. Robert Duvic in finance to explore the effectiveness of the World Bank and IMF in alleviating poverty worldwide, and to intern in Washington D.C. as part of the Bill Archer Fellowship Program, where he worked at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). Following graduation, Albert worked as an investment banking analyst at Lehman Brothers and as a distressed and special situations investment research analyst with Highland Capital Management and Beal Bank. Albert is currently an MBA candidate at New York University’s Stern School of Business, and he plans to pursue a career in investment management.
Mohan Rajagopalan
Government, Graduated Spring 2005
Mohan is a business strategist with experiences in consulting, social media engagement, product strategy, and advertising technology. While in the BDP, he interned with State Representative Michael U. Villarreal, performing research and policy analysis. Mohan also participated in the Bill Archer Fellowship Program and interned for a public opinion and market research firm. After graduating, Mohan worked for Accenture within the government and high tech operating groups. He worked on projects including the development of technology systems to register voters and the modernziation of welfare benefit distribution. Mohan went on to earn an MBA at Georgetown University in the Spring of 2011. While at Georgetown he worked with a range of clients including the Huffington Post, Rosetta Stone, and a non-profit organization in South Africa. Currently, Mohan works in product marketing for a high tech company in San Francisco.
Charlotte Simpson
Sociology, Graduated Fall 2004
While she was a BDP student, Charlotte assisted Clifford Antone in creating a course called, “Blues, Race, and Social Change” which he co-taught with Dr. Lester Kurtz, and she participated in research and a practicum on conflict mediation with Dr. Madeline Maxwell. After she graduated from UT, Charlotte went on to the European Peace University to study International Peace Studies. She was only there for one month, when her father was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and she moved back home to Houston to be with her family. In Houston, Charlotte enrolled in an MBA program at Jones International University to focus on Conflict Resolution and Negotiation, and she is also working as the Director of a social day program for blind and disabled adults at the Lighthouse of Houston for the Blind. Charlotte has also had the opportunity to travel to South Africa and Namibia since she left UT. In her words, “My father and I were planning a trip to Botswana before he was diagnosed with cancer. I knew I had to fulfill my dreams while he was still alive so that he could be a part of them by at least sharing the photos afterward. I traveled to Namibia and South Africa September 2006, and I was able to represent the University of Texas at the Satyagraha Conference in Durban celebrating the 100th year anniversary of Gandhi’s movement. I met Ela Gandhi and felt honoured to be in the presence of such amazing people from around the world.”