The MBA Association (MBAA)

The MBA Association (MBAA) is the largest student-run organization in the MBA Program. The MBAA works closely with the administration to represent the student body and enhance life both inside and outside the classroom. In addition to this student government role, the MBAA is dedicated to building and maintaining a sense of community in the program through sponsorship of a number of events.

MBAA Newsletter

See what the MBAA has been doing this year.

• January 2008
  
• November 2007
• October 2007
• September 2007
  

Officer Bios
	Mike Waldhier, President Mike Waldhier is the 2009 president of the MBA Association. In this role he works to identify the needs of the student body and to put forward initiatives to recognize those needs. Additionally, he acts as a liaison between the diverse groups both inside and outside of the program – students, faculty, staff, alumni, and corporate sponsors. Having graduated with a degree in information sciences and technology from Penn State, Mike worked as an IT manager and network engineer for eight years before coming to Smeal. He also currently works for a local non-profit adult literacy organization and teaches English as a Second Language. Mike chose Smeal based on the strength of the supply chain management and strategic leadership programs, and also because of the personal nature of the program. As such, he will be pursuing both of these portfolios in his second year. He also belongs to the Supply Chain Association and Net Impact. In his free time Mike is an actor and singer, and performs locally in stage plays and musicals. He also enjoys tinkering with electronics and technology. waldhier@psu.edu
	Tai Parks, VP of Academic Affairs & Student Relations Tai Parks is the 2009 vice president of academic affairs and student relations. In this role she serves as the primary liaison between the faculty and the student body on all academic matters. Tai is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She earned a bachelor's degree in health studies from Georgetown University and an MPH from Temple University. Prior to her admission to Smeal, Tai served as an assistant professor at Temple University in the Department of Public Health teaching courses in nutrition and health, human sexuality, and HIV/AIDS in society. Additionally, she worked for Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a small non-profit organization, conducting educational programs for African American and Latina women and administering a grant for underserved women affected by breast cancer. After her graduation from Smeal, Tai plans to merge her MPH and MBA and work in the health care industry. Tai chose Smeal for the strength of the MBA program’s curriculum, the world-class faculty, and the close-knit community. She is focusing on finance and strategic leadership at Smeal and is also a member of the Minority MBA Association, Net Impact, and the WMBA. tdp151@psu.edu
	Jenny Moerschbacher, VP of Corporate & Alumni Relations Jenny Moerschbacher is the 2009 vice president of corporate & alumni relations. In this role, she is responsible for establishing, promoting, and supporting a strong network between students, alumni, and corporate partners as well as focusing on student professional development opportunities. Prior to coming to Smeal, Jenny was an operations manager in Phoenix, Arizona for a large private label food company. Jenny earned a bachelor's degree in engineering policy from Lafayette College where she was also the captain of the women’s swimming team. Jenny chose to pursue her MBA at the Smeal College of Business because of the high degree of individual attention from faculty and staff and the strong sense of Penn State community. Her areas of concentration include strategic leadership and product & market development. In addition to her MBAA VP role, Jenny is also a graduate assistant in the MBA Office of Corporate & Alumni Relations and a member of the WMBA, Net Impact, and the Consulting Focus Group. jdm444@psu.edu
	Ramkumar Kasimani, VP of International Affairs Ramkumar Kasimani is the 2009 vice president of international affairs. In this role, he works to bring students from diverse backgrounds together to create a unique learning environment that values diversity. He also works with the other MBAA officers to make the transition easier for the incoming international students. Prior to joining Smeal, Ram worked as a project manager devising and implementing product launch strategies for a UK-based telecom firm. Ram has a bachelor’s degree in automobile engineering and over four years of experience in the IT services industry. Smeal’s strength in supply chain education is one of the major reasons Ram chose to come to Smeal. At Smeal, he is focusing on supply chain management and corporate finance. He is also a member of the Consulting Focus Group and Smeal’s Supply Chain Management Association. rxk269@psu.edu
	Raman Deep S. Hanjra, VP of Marketing Raman Deep S. Hanjra is the 2009 vice president of marketing. In his role, he is responsible for forming a strong bond between students, faculty staff, alumni and the corporate world. Raman will be working with students and committee chairs to organize social, philanthropic, sports and other MBAA sponsored events to enhance the Smeal brand and build the Smeal community. Prior to Smeal, Raman worked in various sales, marketing, and business development roles in the B2B market. In his recent position, he worked with Polaris Software Labs India, as a sales and marketing manager for Enterprise Resource Planning software. He earned a mechanical engineering degree from the National Institute of Technology in Kurukshetra, India. Raman was attracted to Smeal because of the leading B2B marketing research at Smeal’s Institute for the Study of Business Markets (ISBM). He is a research assistant at ISBM and he is focusing on product and market development & corporate financial analysis & planning portfolios. He enjoys cooking and running and wants to compete in the Boston Marathon one day. rds961@psu.edu
	Dave Noreen, VP of Recruitment Dave Noreen is the 2009 vice president of recruitment. In this role, his responsibility is to establish, promote, maintain and support a viable network between students, alumni and corporate partners in the efforts to recruit future Smeal MBA students. Prior to coming to Smeal, Dave worked for F5 Networks, a manufacturer of Application Delivery Networking equipment; ShareBuilder Securities Corporation, where he helped launch ShareBuilder 401(k); and Expeditors International, a Seattle-based transportation company. Dave graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor's degree in business administration with concentrations in management information systems and decision sciences. Dave chose Smeal because of the highly ranked faculty, unparalleled business facilities, and world-renowned reputation as one of the nation’s leading business schools. He is currently focusing on entrepreneurial studies and corporate financial analysis and planning. Dave is a member of The Finance Association, The Penn State Entrepreneurial Network, Net Impact, and The Nittany Lion Fund. daven@psu.edu
	James Brennan, VP of Communications James Brennan is the 2009 vice president of communications. In this role, he works to facilitate communication between members of the Smeal community through the use of media such as the school’s intranet Web site, the MBAA newsletter, and student blogs. Before coming to Smeal, James worked as an attorney in the New York and New Jersey area. He received his bachelor's degree from The College of New Jersey in English and professional writing and his JD at the Quinnipiac University School of Law. James chose to come to the Smeal College of Business because he was attracted to the school’s tremendous facilities and small class sizes. When he’s not serving as vice president, James participates in the Smeal community through the Marketing Association, Net Impact, and as a teaching assistant for the BA303 undergraduate marketing course. jjb456@psu.edu
	Donna Fuller, VP of Finance Donna Fuller is the 2009 vice president of finance. In this role, she manages and administers the MBA Association’s funds, coordinates the budget, and maintains the bookkeeping for all association expenditures and income. Prior to Smeal, Donna worked in the restaurant industry in various accounting roles. Her most recent position was as controller for a catering and restaurant management company in California. Donna earned a business administration degree with an emphasis in accounting from Biola University in Los Angeles, California. Donna chose Smeal because of the personal focus students receive coupled with the vast resources of Penn State. Penn State football weekends are a plus as well. Her primary portfolio is corporate finance with a secondary of strategic leadership. Donna is also involved in the Women’s MBA and Finance Associations. donnafuller@psu.edu

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