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Customizable Degrees for Future Careers: Revised Academic Areas of Emphasis

Jane Majkiewicz — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:00:30 +0000

Customizable Degrees for Future Careers: Revised Academic Areas of Emphasis Jane Majkiewicz Thu, 09/04/2025 - 08:00

Jane Majkiewicz

Leeds has expanded its academic areas of emphasis to help students tailor their business degrees, align with industry expectations and prepare for dynamic career paths. An updated structure enhances clarity, advising, mentorship and career readiness.

At Leeds, all undergraduate students earn a Bachelor of Science in business administration. Within that degree, students can personalize their academic journey by selecting from a list of areas of emphasis that supplement the core curriculum. In addition, three tracks and certificate programs can be paired with an area of emphasis to let students further enhance and specialize their experience.

Starting fall 2025

Previously, Leeds offered six academic areas of emphasis and seven tracks. Recent updates have elevated four of those tracks to full areas of emphasis, giving students more clarity and flexibility. Students can now choose from 10 areas:

Each area of emphasis requires 18 semester hours beyond the core business courses. Three tracks remain: Leadership and Human Resources Management are two tracks under the Management area of emphasis, and Personal Financial Planning is under the Finance area of emphasis.

Why the change matters

Choosing an academic area of emphasis deepens students’ expertise in a specific business domain—enhancing their marketability and preparing them to make an immediate impact in the workplace, explained Jennifer Bone, assistant dean of undergraduate programs. “It’s really all about career outcomes.”

“This shift will make a huge impact on the student experience and their job prospects,” she said, outlining four key reasons behind the reclassification.

1. Clarity for students and employers

The previous structure was often confusing, said Bone. “Recruiters weren’t always sure what our programs entailed.” The new terminology aligns better with the industry and helps students and employers understand a degree’s focus at a glance.

For example, a student interested in supply chain might have previously been categorized under management and entrepreneurship, which didn’t clearly signal their specialization. “Now students don’t have to explain that their ‘management’ emphasis was really ‘information systems,’” added Russell Cropanzano, professor and chair of the Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics Division, who played a key role in the redesign.

2. Targeted advising and experiential learning

The new structure enables more tailored advising and opens doors to experiential learning opportunities specific to each emphasis. “It helps students better figure out who to network with and which forums and conferences to attend,” said Bone.

3. Stronger mentorship connections

“We can’t emphasize enough how important mentors are,” said Bone. Leeds mentors are deeply invested in helping students build relationships, expand their networks and connect with industry partners, she explained. “Their passion for supporting students is truly inspiring.”

4. Differentiating Leeds

Leeds continues to stand out among undergraduate business schools through its comprehensive ecosystem: high-quality mentoring, innovative faculty research, cutting-edge technology integration, effective advising, career coaching and robust experiential learning.

Faculty members have worked diligently to update the curriculum, including integrating AI into the core business classes, said Bone. She noted that course updates have been made strategically to avoid disrupting current students.

“This shift will make a huge impact on the student experience and their job prospects."

Jennifer Bone, assistant dean of undergraduate programs

Designing degrees for career impact

Students are encouraged to meet with academic advisors to explore their options. “Students can really customize their degree in a way that suits their interests,” said Bone.

“We know students will need to pivot in their careers. The world is changing so fast, and we can’t predict future job titles. But we can prepare students to be resilient and adaptable.”

Leeds’ first-year Mods courses expose students to a broad foundation across business disciplines. In sophomore year, students take the Business Core Applied Semester Experience (BASE), which offers practical, hands-on experiential learning with real-world businesses.

To further support students' career outcomes, Leeds is rolling out a three-part series called Designing Your Leeds for Career Impact. Currently, all first-year students take Designing Your Leeds, which is also open to direct-admit transfer students. This career exploration course lets students:

Learn about areas of emphasis
Build LinkedIn profiles
Interview senior students and industry professionals
Attend weekly presentations from faculty and business leaders

This fall, Bone is also piloting a sophomore course called Designing Your Leeds for Career Preparation, which is focused on internship readiness.

The BASE course and Designing Your Leeds programs equip students with the durable skills necessary for a rapidly changing business environment, explained Bone.

“I’m just so excited and proud of all the work we’re doing,” she said.

Ready to personalize your path?

Leeds’ retention rates reflect the school's success in providing a world-class business education. Students arrive, thrive, graduate, and remain connected as engaged alumni who go on to lead in the workplace—a testament to the school’s commitment to preparing resilient, adaptable graduates.

Undergraduate students: Be sure to talk with your advisor to explore your emphasis options and design your Leeds experience.

Meet with Your Advisor

Leeds has expanded its academic areas of emphasis to help students tailor their business degrees, align with industry expectations and prepare for dynamic career paths.

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AI Is Headed Back to School

Kelsey Cipolla — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 17:50:01 +0000

AI Is Headed Back to School Kelsey Cipolla Mon, 08/25/2025 - 11:50

Leeds professor and AI-in-education expert Jeremiah Contreras explains how classrooms are using artificial intelligence and what the rest of us can learn from it.

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Career Paths: Finding Rewards in the Peace Corps

Jane Majkiewicz — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 17:21:06 +0000

Career Paths: Finding Rewards in the Peace Corps Jane Majkiewicz Mon, 08/25/2025 - 11:21

Jane Majkiewicz

In 2025, 91ɫ�� ranked second nationally for Peace Corps volunteers. Among them are Leeds graduates who are turning global service into a launchpad for meaningful careers.

One of Ben Dant's roles in Paraguay was teaching entrepreneurship to high school students.

Kathryn Wendell, executive director of the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility (CESR), believes Leeds students are especially well-prepared for Peace Corps roles. “Any student coming from Leeds has great hard skills and collaborative teamwork experience that they can apply,” she said.

Wendell speaks from experience. She served in Ecuador, helping women entrepreneurs access microloans and business training. While her degrees in cultural anthropology and Spanish were valuable, she had to learn business skills on the job. That's not the case for Leeds students, she noted.

“Leeds students come in with relevant skills already developed. Whether it’s finance, strategy, marketing or operations, these are all transferable to local community members aspiring to strengthen their businesses and access new economic opportunities.”

From 91ɫ�� to Paraguay: Ben Dant’s journey

Ben Dant (Mgmt’17) was inspired by a great uncle who served in the Peace Corps, seeing the opportunity as a way to combine his interests in service, sustainability and global learning.

When Dant applied after several years of work in the music business post-graduation, he noted that he was willing to be stationed anywhere. He was initially assigned to Colombia in 2020—plans that were derailed by COVID-19. That didn’t deter him from keeping his application active, ultimately landing him in Paraguay in 2023.

“I’ve always been interested in the service angle and sustainability, and I have a real passion for learning about the world,” he said.

Dant has worked in economic development, co-teaching entrepreneurship and business planning to high school students. In Paraguay, students choose majors in high school in the same way college students do in the U.S. His school focused on technology, offering marketing, accounting and business administration topics.

Kathryn Wendell, executive director of CESR

“We helped students create business plans, in addition to forming savings groups to fund real projects. The goal was to work with government agencies to build a culture of localized entrepreneurship and financial literacy."

Outside the classroom, Dant found a deep, special connection with the community. “Paraguayans are so inviting. I was a stranger who showed up, and I got to know everyone in town over two years”—something that would be rare in the U.S., he believes.

He credits the Peace Corps with helping him build resilience and integrity. On a LinkedIn post, Dant applauded a Peace Corps friend who noted: "You show up because you gave your word,” and “You do the hard things, even when no one is watching."

“Those are two things that I could never had said better myself about how Peace Corps service has taught me about integrity and doing the work to reach the bigger goal,” said Dant. He has found the experience so rewarding that he’s serving for another year in Paraguay, working as an extension volunteer for an NGO.

Empowering youth in Thailand: Kiera Hurley’s impact

Kiera Hurley with her tourism group at a local temple.

Kiera Hurley (Mktg’23), who earned certificates in Social Responsibility and Ethics and Global Business, is serving in Thailand in the Youth in Development sector. Her decision to join the Peace Corps was driven by a desire to make a difference and immerse herself in a new culture.

“The Peace Corps has a strong legacy of developing impactful leaders across diverse fields, and I aspire to be one of them,” she said. Leeds helped propel that mindset.

“Leeds is a community full of adventurous, good-spirited and forward-thinking students, professors and staff,” she said. “My professors shared a wealth of experience and wisdom while giving us the space to form our own opinions and values. CESR curated an environment where all students felt drawn to sustainability, not just as a concept, but as a way of living.”

Hurley’s work focuses on building leadership, confidence and global awareness among youth. She teaches in classrooms, runs an afterschool volleyball club, and led a Self-Love English Camp. One of her proudest achievements is creating a world map mural that will live on in the school, opening students’ minds to international cultures and traditions.

Her most memorable project to date was launching a tourism club at a local school. The club taught public speaking, video creation and sustainable tourism, culminating in student-led video tours of a local temple. “This project was a win for everyone involved. The temple has since asked the students to continue serving as tour guides and continue promoting its cultural significance.”

"CESR curated an environment where all students felt drawn to sustainability, not just as a concept, but as a way of living.”

Kiera Hurley (Mktg’23)

Hurley also serves as multimedia director for  Sticky Rice, an online magazine that shares stories from Peace Corps volunteers in Thailand. She also regularly posts dispatches on her personal blog. “I want people back home to see the kind, generous spirit of the Thai people and the deep sense of community I feel here.”

Business skills in action

Both Dant and Hurley emphasized how their Leeds education prepared them for Peace Corps service. Hurley applied her SRE certificate experience directly to her work in Thailand.

“As a student consultant, I learned problem-solving, creative thinking and how to focus on long-term impact,” she said. Early in her service, she conducted a SWOT analysis with local leaders to identify community strengths and challenges.

Dant echoed the importance of adaptability and strategic thinking. “It’s a sink-or-swim environment. You learn how to adapt, persist and work across cultures."

For Wendell (pictured right), Peace Corps service is more than a personal journey—it’s a professional springboard. “It helped me get my job at the World Bank and later at Chevron working on corporate responsibility,” she said. “Companies value people who’ve worked abroad, who can navigate diverse teams and lead with integrity.”

As an example, she pointed to Noel Kinder, who spoke at Leeds in 2023, mentioning that his Peace Corps work in Honduras shaped his career, leading him to the chief sustainability officer role at Nike (he is now the vice president of sustainability at Lululemon).

Hurley hopes to continue working at the intersection of values-driven business and humanitarian work. “I’m drawn to roles that advocate for ESG change, ethical supply chains and environmental education,” she said. “I want to empower girls and women in meaningful ways.”

Dant is keeping an open mind about specific roles, but he knows whatever he does, he wants it to be purpose-driven. “I’d love to continue working internationally, whether through nonprofits, sustainable businesses or NGOs,” he said.

A path worth considering

Would they recommend the Peace Corps to others? Absolutely.

“It builds skills you wouldn’t be pushed to develop otherwise,” said Dant. “If you have any interest in international work, I’m not sure there’s a better way to learn.”

Hurley would agree. “It’s easy to follow the roadmap we’ve been given and go straight from college into a job, but this experience will open your mind and heart. It’s extremely challenging in many different ways. Peace Corps volunteers learn a new language, adapt to a new culture and are away from friends and family. But as we all know, growth often comes from discomfort,” she said.

Wendell, Dant and Hurley all agreed: overcoming obstacles and navigating setbacks is an essential part of the experience. Wendell summed it up: “The Peace Corps made me a much more appreciative and resilient individual."

Whether teaching entrepreneurship in Paraguay or uplifting youth in Thailand, Leeds’ Peace Corps volunteers are applying their business skills to empower communities and redefine what it means to lead with purpose.

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Your Next Airline Ticket Could Be Priced by AI

Kelsey Cipolla — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 19:43:02 +0000

Your Next Airline Ticket Could Be Priced by AI Kelsey Cipolla Wed, 08/20/2025 - 13:43

Delta is testing an AI-powered pricing system that could charge two travelers different fares even if they are purchasing at the same moment. Pricing strategy expert Övünç Yılmaz explains what this shift means for consumers—and why we should expect more of it.

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Leeds Community Celebrates 60 Years of MBA Programming

Erik William Jeffries — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 18:59:09 +0000

Leeds Community Celebrates 60 Years of MBA Programming Erik William J… Thu, 08/07/2025 - 12:59

Alumni, students, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Leeds School of Business MBA program on Thursday, July 31, and Friday, August 1, 2025.

The festivities began with a reception at Folsom Field's Byron R. White Club, where guests toured athletic facilities, heard from Tandean Rustandy Endowed Dean Vijay Khatri and Director of Alumni Engagement John Helmers (MBA'07) and connected with fellow MBAs.

"This extraordinary milestone reflects not only the strength of our academic legacy but also our unwavering dedication to preparing the next generation of visionary business leaders. Celebrating 60 years of the Leeds MBA is a testament to our enduring commitment to excellence and remarkable momentum," said Khatri.

Attendees returned to the classroom on Friday for sessions at the Koelbel Building, featuring a keynote by Sean Tufts (MBA'11), a former NFL linebacker and current chief technology officer. Associate Dean for Graduate Programs Kristi Ryujin provide opening remarks and faculty along with alumni speakers also provided insights on topics like conscious leadership, entrepreneurship, and the future of Leeds—and the MBA program.

"Commemorating 60 years of the Leeds MBA marks a significant milestone in our legacy of excellence. It was truly inspiring to convene distinguished alumni, esteemed faculty, dedicated staff and ambitious students—each united by a shared passion for Leeds," said Ryujin.

In honor of this milestone, Leeds announced the MBA 60th Anniversary Fund, with a goal of creating 60 new scholarships this year to attract highly talented MBA students. Learn more here.

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‘Selling Anger’: How Cable News Profits from Outrage

Kelsey Cipolla — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 19:34:08 +0000

‘Selling Anger’: How Cable News Profits from Outrage Kelsey Cipolla Wed, 07/30/2025 - 13:34

Major networks increasingly focus on criticizing the opposing party–fueling division to boost ratings, according to a 12-year study of TV news.

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Should You Be Worried About the National Debt?

Kelsey Cipolla — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 16:16:08 +0000

Should You Be Worried About the National Debt? Kelsey Cipolla Tue, 07/29/2025 - 10:16

From inflated interest rates to future tax hikes, 91ɫ�� finance expert Shaun Davies explains what today’s debt levels could mean for tomorrow’s economy—and your wallet.

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Leeds Welcomes Dynamic New Faculty Across Divisions, Expanding Academic Excellence

Jane Majkiewicz — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 16:05:13 +0000

Leeds Welcomes Dynamic New Faculty Across Divisions, Expanding Academic Excellence Jane Majkiewicz Tue, 07/08/2025 - 10:05

Jane Majkiewicz

Leeds continues to strengthen its reputation for academic excellence with an impressive cohort of new faculty members starting this fall.

Tenure-track faculty bring cutting-edge research and global expertise

Danielle Bovenberg, assistant professor of SEO, joins Leeds from the Yale School of Management, where she was a postdoctoral associate. She earned her PhD at UC Santa Barbara in 2023, focusing on technology management. Leeds’ “unique position at the intersection of innovation and entrepreneurship” drew her to the school.

“The Strategy and Entrepreneurship faculty bring diverse perspectives to studying innovation, creating an intellectually rich environment that really excites me,” Bovenberg said. “These strengths are further enhanced by our location in 91ɫ��’s Front Range, where we're surrounded by world-class research institutions like NREL and NIST, alongside a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Bovenberg sees these factors perfectly aligned with her research, which explores how innovation happens at the frontiers of science and technology. She focuses on how skilled professionals collaborate to solve complex technical challenges.

Sebastian Schuetz, assistant professor of OLIA, was similarly drawn to Leeds by the opportunity to collaborate with “exceptional faculty” whose work he has long admired. He holds a PhD in information systems from the City University of Hong Kong.

Schuetz’s research centers on cybersecurity, particularly how leadership and management influence cybersecurity outcomes at both individual and organizational levels. He has designed curriculum on cybersecurity leadership, digital transformation, data visualization, and enterprise resource planning.

In 2023, he received the Best Reviewer Award from MIS Quarterly, the leading journal in the field. He also developed a research-backed education app that helps students retain course concepts—which he describes as “Duolingo for college courses.”

Mu-Jeung (MJ) Yang, assistant professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy, left a tenured position at the University of Oklahoma to join Leeds. He earned his PhD in economics from UC Berkeley and cited the collegial atmosphere and strong scholarship in entrepreneurship and strategy at 91ɫ�� as key motivators for him to come to Leeds.

Yang’s research interests include scientific approaches to entrepreneurship and venture capital, AI and data-driven decision-making, and transformative innovations. His co-authored research work includes interviews with CEOs of major corporations and startups, and collaborations with the state of Utah on COVID-19 recovery and entrepreneurship field experiments.

“Outside of Leeds, I was very much attracted to the opportunities of understanding the local quantum computing ecosystem,” he added.

Chenshan Hu, assistant professor of operations management, earned her PhD in supply chain, operations, and technology from the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. Her research focuses on data-driven problems in platform operations, environmental sustainability and healthcare operations. She said she was “drawn to Leeds by the exceptional research being conducted by faculty in the department and their incredibly welcoming, collaborative spirit.” She added, “The school’s strong commitment to sustainability perfectly aligns with my research interests in sustainable operations and environmental impact of business practices.”

Hu’s research focuses on sustainable operations, platform operations, healthcare operations, causal inference and structural estimation. Her teaching spans machine learning, operations management, data analytics and programming.

She was the winner of the 2024 INFORMS BOM Best Working Paper Award.

New teaching faculty enrich Leeds with industry experience and academic rigor

An robust group of assistant teaching professors and lecturers will round out Leeds’ academic offerings this year, bringing deep industry expertise and diverse academic backgrounds. Here is a snapshot of the new faculty, organized by division.

Accounting

Christine Kuglin, assistant teaching professor, is the director of the Truth in Accounting Program and adjunct professor at the University of Denver Daniels College of Business. She is an attorney and CPA.

Erik Olson, visiting assistant professor, earned his PhD in management from Yale University. His teaching interests center on financial accounting and real effects of accounting and disclosure.

Jason Patrick (Fin, MAcct’05), lecturer, is a CPA with 20 years of experience in corporate accounting, public accounting, tax, audit and consulting. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Denver Daniels College of Business.

Finance

Cari Clayton, assistant teaching professor, brings 25 years of commercial banking experience, with a primary focus on commercial real estate lending. She is the director of sponsor finance at Cross First Bank in Arizona and Colorado markets.

Maryls Raycraft, assistant teaching professor, is the managing director of Matter Family Office in Denver and is a licensed attorney, with extensive experience working with multigenerational family offices.

Peter Thrasher, associate teaching professor, is a real estate expert and educator. He also teaches at Colorado State University’s College of Business.

Marketing

Jason Dana is a visiting associate professor from Yale, where he teaches management and marketing.

Fiorentia Anglou, postdoctoral associate, focuses on environmental policy, food waste and empirical operations management. 

Pablo Slough, assistant teaching professor, is a digital economy entrepreneur and former Google executive.

Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics

Ellie Gates, assistant teaching professor, received her PhD in strategic leadership and foresight from Regent University. She was an associate professor of business at Nelson University.

Fairy Gandhi, assistant teaching professor, is a PhD candidate at Leeds. She earned her MS in business analytics at Leeds.

Manny Ramos, assistant teaching professor, has been a lecturer at Leeds and has held leadership roles in the US Army, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and GE Renewable Energy.

Professional Effectiveness

Audra Barber, assistant teaching professor, is a speech coach and program coordinator at the University of Colorado Josephine Jones Speaking Lab.

Wei (Julia) Cui, assistant teaching professor, earned her PhD in media and communication at Texas Tech University. She teaches business and public communication.

Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Operations

Yuchen Lu, assistant teaching professor, holds a PhD in applied mathematics and statistics from the University of Maryland. He was a lead data scientist at Bain & Company.

Celebrating Excellence: Leeds Announces New and Renewed Faculty Appointments

Leeds proudly announced a new round of named faculty appointments and renewals, honoring outstanding academic leaders whose work exemplifies excellence in research, teaching and service. This reflects the faculty’s continued commitment to innovation, scholarly impact and the enrichment of the Leeds community. Find their faculty bios in the Leeds Faculty Directory.

New Appointments

EKS&H Plante Moran-Dave Steiner Accounting Fellowship: Bryce Schonberger
KPMG Accounting Faculty Fellowship: Nikki Skinner
KPMG Accounting Faculty Fellowship: Andrea Pawliczek 
MediaOne Professorship: Dan Zhang
Michael A. Klump Chair: Christophe Spaenjers
Michael A. Klump Professorship: Tony Cookson
Myrtle and Tony Tisone Chair: Sarah Zechman
Salim Family Professorship: Phil Fernbach
Tony Tisone Estate Memorial Business Fellowship: Clare Wang

Renewals

Burridge Endowed Chair in Finance: Diego Garcia
Robert H. and Beverly A. Deming Professorship in Entrepreneurship: Janet Berkovitz
Ted Anderson Professor of Free Enterprise: Russell Cropanzano
Tony Tisone Estate Memorial Business Fellowship: Nathan Marshall

Leeds continues to strengthen its reputation for academic excellence with an impressive cohort of new faculty members starting this fall.

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Market Mood Swings: How Fear Spreads Online—And What It Means for Investors

Kelsey Cipolla — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 17:49:31 +0000

Market Mood Swings: How Fear Spreads Online—And What It Means for Investors Kelsey Cipolla Wed, 06/18/2025 - 11:49

New research shows how online sentiment and attention predict trading patterns and returns during volatile markets.

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After the Layoffs, What Does Trust Mean at Work?

Kelsey Cipolla — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 14:58:54 +0000

After the Layoffs, What Does Trust Mean at Work? Kelsey Cipolla Wed, 06/11/2025 - 08:58

Supervisors often see trust as a motivator—but in a workplace shaken by layoffs, it can create stress instead of stability, according to new Leeds research.

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News

Customizable Degrees for Future Careers: Revised Academic Areas of Emphasis

Starting fall 2025

Why the change matters

Designing degrees for career impact

Ready to personalize your path?

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AI Is Headed Back to School

Related Articles

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From 91ɫ�� to Paraguay: Ben Dant’s journey

Empowering youth in Thailand: Kiera Hurley’s impact

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Leeds Welcomes Dynamic New Faculty Across Divisions, Expanding Academic Excellence

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New teaching faculty enrich Leeds with industry experience and academic rigor

Accounting

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Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics

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Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Operations

Celebrating Excellence: Leeds Announces New and Renewed Faculty Appointments

New Appointments

Renewals

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