Gabelli School STEM MBA Program Focuses on Global Vision, Diversity, and Inclusion

| Mar 11, 2022 | Michael Benigno

By Claire Curry

The Gabelli School’s full-time MBA program recently achieved STEM certification and was also designated a “Reaching Out MBA” partner school. These developments, along with an intentional change to the Dean’s Premier Scholarship, aim to advance the MBA curricula, inspire innovation, and create new pathways to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the business world.

The Full-Time MBA degree became STEM-certified with the addition of STEM/analytics components to the first-year course curricula. These changes reinforce and broaden the application of technical skills, including data comprehension, quantitative analysis, and logic, to problem solving. The increasing emphasis on design thinking and innovation in developing business solutions calls for a deeper integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in business education, especially at the MBA level. STEM fluency not only enables business leaders to improve efficiencies and grow profits, but also devise entirely new approaches to solving problems with an eye toward sustainability.

The Gabelli School’s Full-Time MBA Program is now STEM designated.

“Future business leaders need to comprehend the competitive socioeconomic landscape through the lens of environmental, societal, and governance business models,” said Barbara Porco, PhD, associate dean of graduate studies at the Gabelli School. “Our new STEM designated Full-Time MBA program educates and prepares future executives to strategically anticipate risk and respond to environmental and social sustainability concerns to ensure the creation of long-term value.”

A STEM-designated program also allows international students on an F-1 visa to extend their optional practical training time in the U.S., making graduates more hirable and allowing them to gain valuable experience in their field of study.

The Gabelli School has also taken steps to affirm its commitment to diversity in business and business education, including its recent change to the Dean’s Premier Scholarship criteria which expands its focus to reach traditionally underrepresented populations.

Now in its sixth year, the merit-based scholarship offers full tuition to candidates who excel academically and professionally, and who demonstrate strong leadership skills and a commitment to service. What’s more, each recipient is assigned an executive mentor and receives an additional stipend for a global immersion experience in the second year.

Other MBA enhancements include new pathways to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the program forging a connection with Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA).

The Gabelli School was also recently designated as a Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) partner school for the Full-Time MBA Program. The Gabelli School is one of 70 business schools in the world that awards this competitive, merit-based fellowship program to MBA students who excel academically and who, through their leadership, support the LGBT+ community.

“Diversity is one of the Gabelli School’s greatest attributes,” said Lawrence Mur’ray, senior assistant dean of graduate admissions and advising. “We are excited to announce our status as a Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) partner school and to join their mission ‘to increase the influence of the LGBT+ community in business by educating, inspiring, and connecting MBA students and alumni.’ Building upon a holistic review process grounded in the Jesuit ideal of developing scholars and leaders who will share their talents with the world for the common good, we will leverage our ROMBA partnership to recruit high potential candidates who have an exemplary record of academic and professional achievement, strong leadership skills, the ability to put ideas into action, character and integrity that define their personal and professional lives, and a demonstrated commitment to service, community, and society.”

“Our new STEM designated Full-Time MBA program educates and prepares future executives to strategically anticipate risk and respond to environmental and social sustainability concerns to ensure the creation of long-term value,” said Barbara Porco, PhD, associate dean of graduate studies at the Gabelli School.

Each Fellow receives a $30,000 scholarship and access to exclusive leadership programming, including an all-expenses-paid weekend retreat in New York City in July 2022, and access to several other events throughout the year, such as the ROMBA and Out Women in Business Conferences.

“I have been very impressed by the work ROMBA does to promote LGBTQ representation in the business community,” said Thomas Story, one of the Gabelli School’s first two ROMBA Fellows. “After learning about the ROMBA Fellowship, I was particularly drawn to the program’s networking and career-building opportunities.”

Story, who worked in sales prior to enrolling in the MBA program, plans to continue his career in healthcare with an emphasis on marketing. He said he truly values “the steps Fordham University takes to promote diversity.”

Photos by Bruce Gilbert.