Three graduates from the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, Bishal Dasgupta (MBA/MS ’24), Abdoulai Jobe (MBA & MHA ’24), and Kelly Lu (MBA/MS ’24), were named MBAs to Watch by Poets&Quants. This feature highlights some of the outstanding MBA students from schools around the world.
A Commitment to Community Service and Leadership
While earning their graduate degrees, all three volunteered for numerous programs that benefited their fellow students and the community.
Dasgupta volunteered at the Southwestern Veterans Center, chaired the Generative AI Conference, and was a fellow at the Center for Sustainable Business and the Center for Ethics & Leadership.
Jobe volunteered with Junior Achievement, Global Links, and NASHknowledge and served as president of the Student Executive Board (SEB) for the graduate school.
Lu organized events as a member of SEB that benefited students and local charities. She was most proud of her work as a student sustainability consultant with Lawyers for Net Zero where she enhanced their project management system.
All three were also rewarded with awards and scholarships for their efforts and contributions and now have full-time positions where they previously interned. What differentiates them from each other, is their personal goals and how their graduate degrees accelerated their careers.
Here is a brief overview of these individuals.
Bishal Dasgupta, McKinsey & Company, Product Manager
Dasgupta earned his undergraduate degree in computer science and engineering at Symbiosis International University in his native India. He decided to enroll in the MBA and MS programs at Katz because he was interested in collaborating with the university’s faculty.
His favorite professor was John C. Camillus, Donald R. Beall Professor of Strategic Management. “His humility, encouragement, and investment into a student’s aspirations motivates me to emulate his values,” says Dasgupta.
This recent graduate was impressed with the number of experiential learning opportunities available to him. “In my time, I consulted Africa’s largest healthcare provider, a natural gas utility provider, a manufacturing SME, a multi-holdings bank, and more,” says Dasgupta.
Learn more about Dasgupta by reading his complete profile in Poets&Quants.
Abdoulai Jobe, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Commercial Leadership Development Program
Intending to become a physician, Jobe earned his undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Pittsburgh. His career goals changed when he spent his winter break as an undergraduate volunteering in a hospital system in The Gambia, West Africa and he saw how the system was not operating well. He was a medical assistant at Global Pain Management in Glen Burnie, Maryland, before enrolling in graduate school.
“My goal was to help my community through business, and Katz was the obvious next step because of the school’s dedication to creating a collaborative environment that combines academic rigor with practical application,” says Jobe.
He enjoyed the sense of community he found with his classmates, saying, “It was more important to lift everyone up than it was to outperform one another. A common appreciation of the value of networking and the realization that the connections we make while here may be just as important as the knowledge we acquire academically served to highlight this sense of community.”
Learn more about Jobe by reading his complete profile in Poets&Quants.
Kelly Lu, Aspirant, Strategy and Delivery Consultant
Lu earned her undergraduate degree in architecture and business administration from Carnegie Mellon University. Having an entrepreneurial spirit, she previously owned her own company, importing and selling plants from South America. She enrolled in Katz because of the opportunities provided for students and the commitment to attracting top talent to the MBA cohort.
“The school’s proactive approach in facilitating networking events, social gatherings, and post-graduation prospects aligned perfectly with my career aspirations,” says Lu. “I saw Katz as not just a place to earn a degree, but as a vibrant community where I could thrive professionally and personally.”
Her favorite course in the MBA program was Negotiations, Teamwork, and Change. “This course not only broadened my perspective on negotiation but also left a lasting impression on my approach to teamwork and managing change in diverse settings.”
Learn more about Lu by reading her complete profile in Poets&Quants.
MBA Options
Realizing students have different needs, we offer the 18-month Signature MBA, the 12-month Accelerated MBA, and part-time MBA programs. Business analytics can be added to the MBA programs which makes it a STEM degree. If you are interested in admissions information, have your questions answered by reading this page or write to admissions@katz.pitt.edu. To discover all the business graduate degree options, visit our website. Pitt Business, which includes the Katz Graduate School, is among only 5% of business schools accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).