Change drives innovation, and in the midst of a global pandemic, the Merage School community is experiencing innovative leadership in many different forms. The School quickly implemented flexible course delivery to its student body and alumni continued to shape change within their own organizations and communities.
Landing that first job – during a pandemic
Charlene Ruan, MBA ’20, had her job search plans and timelines all set.
Very organized and determined, she would apply the same strategies that had secured her internship at Mattel in the summer of 2019—connecting with previous interns, networking with current employees, attending company-sponsored events held on campus and visiting corporate headquarters – to achieve her goal of getting a job at Niagara Bottling after graduation in June.
Before she had the chance, the pandemic hit.
Eitan Ron MBA ’94 Develops COVID-19 Diagnosis Tool for Physicians
Founded by Eitan Ron MBA ’94, Dr. Michael Tzuchman Katz and Tal Goldberg, Kahun is an Israel-based start-up that uses “knowledge graphs” to visualize relevant medical research. It’s designed to help physicians with differential diagnosis, the process of differentiating between two or more conditions which share similar signs or symptoms.
Matthew Littman MSBA ’20 Creates COVID-19 Dashboard
Like many of us, Matthew Littman MSBA ’20 found himself with some extra time during quarantine. Though his classes in the Master of Science in Business Analytics program at The UCI Paul Merage School of Business continued remotely, he knew he wanted to apply what he was learning to the current crisis.
Protect the People, Preserve the Business: United Biologics
Sometimes strong leadership means admitting you don’t have all the answers. During the first days of California’s stay-at-home order, the team at United Biologics in Santa Ana, led by president John Barnhill FEMBA ’07, took the time to ask the right questions. The result was the production and donation of over 2,000 face shields and a congressional letter of support from Congressman Lou Correa.
Rotarians Donate 56,000 Face Shields to OC First Responders
Members of the Newport-Irvine Rotary Club, including Robert Motoshige EMBA ’05, worked with volunteers to make over 56,000 face shields for first responders over the course of three weekends. Beneficiaries included the Kaiser Permanente Irvine Medical Center, the City of Irvine, St. Jude Medical Center, the nonprofit organization Share Ourselves and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.