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It's spring here in Durham and just 2 weeks ago we welcomed the newest group of Team Fuqua members - welcome to our Round 2 admitted students! It's hard to believe that graduation is nearly a month away, and first-year students will soon be heading out for their summer internships. Time does fly, and we're sure that you're feeling it too. You'll be on campus and officially starting your MBA journey in 4 months! But we hope to see you before then at Fuqua Around The World, Blue Devil Weekend, or one of the many gatherings that will be coordinated from now until orientation. We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter, including the following features:
- Fuqua Faculty Spotlight
- Spring Break Spotlight
- Daytime MBA Student Blog
- Meet Your Classmates
- Save The Date
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Fuqua Faculty Spotlight – Professor Ryan McDevitt
Ryan McDevitt is an Associate Professor of Economics at The Fuqua School of Business. In 2017, he was named one of the Best 40 Under 40 Professors by Poets & Quants.
1) What do you enjoy most about being a business school professor? For me, the most enjoyable part of being a professor at Fuqua is getting to work with students who genuinely care about making an impact and helping others. I was initially very skeptical about the notion of Team Fuqua before arriving at Duke because it struck me as little more than a superficial tagline aimed at promoting the school’s brand. But now that I’ve experienced the sense of community here firsthand, I’ve come to appreciate that the culture surrounding Team Fuqua has real substance behind it and helps set the school apart. From sponsoring a refugee family to assisting professors as academic fellows to raising money for the Special Olympics, the students at Fuqua work selflessly to help others in a way I haven’t seen anywhere else.
2) What do you enjoy least about being a business school professor? 9 a.m. classes
3) What is your most memorable moment in the classroom as a professor? I enjoy teaching at Fuqua because although the students take their coursework very seriously, they find ways to have fun in class as well. Last fall, for example, I was teaching the core Managerial Economics course to Section 6 and it somehow became a running joke during the term that all the “best material” would be covered in class 6. When I arrived for that class, the section presented me with a bunch of balloons and Red Bull to commemorate the special occasion (see picture). Spoiler alert: we cover cost curves in class 6, which actually aren’t all that exciting.
4) What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you've made from it? My current research focuses on the economics of health care. In a recent paper, my coauthors and I studied how Medicare’s reimbursement policies affect the treatment of patients at long-term care hospitals. We found that hospitals strategically time the discharges of patients so that they occur during the most profitable window for payments, and patients have worse outcomes as a result. Our analysis shows that Medicare could save tens of millions of dollars each year simply by removing hospitals’ incentives to game this reimbursement scheme, which would make patients better off as well.
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Spring Break Spotlight - Thailand-Japan Trek
Every March, many of our students take advantage of the spring break period to travel, and a number of students participate in international treks. Treks are student-led exursions planned by current members of the class. Earlier this month, three of our current students (Sam Ekaratcharoenchai, Nat Akaraupaphan, and Yoshinori Negishi) planned the first ever Thailand-Japan Trek. We asked them to share some additional information about their trip:
How long did it take you to plan the Thailand-Japan trek and where did you visit? Several months! We started planning in September of this past year. We visited 2 cities in Thailand (Phuket and Bangkok) and 4 cities in Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Osaka). It was a challenge to combine the two countries in a single trek, but we had a lot of fun on the trip.
How many students participated and what types of activities were included in the itinerary? We traveled with 43 classmates! We went snorkeling, bathed with elephants, visited UNESCO World Heritage Sites, introduced our classmates to local cuisine, wore traditional attire such as kimonos, hosted activities with Fuqua alumni, admitted students in the region, and prospective students!
What was your favorite thing about planning the trek? We were able to connect and spend quality time with new friends, all while touring our home countries. We really enjoyed the opportunity to offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience to our classmates.
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"If you’re making the move to the Tar Heel State, rest assured that it’s a friendly place with tasty food, mild winters, and the greatest college basketball teams in the country." Kelly Chtchprov, native North Carolinian, explains the "things to know when you move to North Carolina."
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Meet Your Classmates
Catherine Sutcliff:
Although I was born in Atlanta, my family moved to London, England, when I was 7, and we lived there for 4 years. This experience profoundly impacted me and shaped my interest in other cultures, as I went to an international school and we often traveled to different countries on weekends and school breaks.
Meshack Nyaribo:
I love cars and together with some friends, we formed a social motoring community in Nairobi, Kenya, known as ‘Petrolholics Anonymous’ in late 2015. Since then, the community has since grown to have representation in all major cities in Kenya and is currently growing in Tanzania.
James Adams:
I love jumping out of airplanes! While at the Air Force Academy, I earned my jump wings. I was number one in my class, scoring perfect on all five jumps. The first jump was one of the scariest moments of my life, and one of the only times that I seriously considered not doing something due to fear. I'll never forget the moment the jump master called my name... I took a deep breath, cleared my mind and then jumped out... letting the training take over. I counted to 15 and pulled my ripcord! This is one moment where I confirmed that pressure and stressful situations hone my senses and that I’m able to keep a cool head.
Megan Lancaster:
In high school, I won a Junior Olympic Volleyball Championship, and this past year, I coached a team that won a Junior Olympic Volleyball Championship.
Don't forget to email us if you would like one of your 25 facts included in a future edition of FuquaBound!
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Stay Engaged
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Keep In Touch
Over the next several weeks and in the coming months, you are going to be hearing from a lot of members from the Fuqua community! But please do not hesitate to reach out to our Admissions team directly whenever you have questions.
We also invite you to join the Class of 2020 Facebook page, where you can meet your classmates, hear about events in your area, and network with other members of the Fuqua community! Enter password Team Fuqua 2020 at the prompt.
Save The Date
Blue Devil Weekend (BDW) –
April 6–8, 2018
Register by April 1! Check out the most updated agenda and logistical information on the Incoming Student Website!
Admitted Student Virtual Sessions –
May 9, 2018 at 2:00 PM
Additionally, our clubs are continuously adding open information sessions through this term. You can register for them on our virtual events page.
Fuqua Around the World –
March 29, 2018 (various cities around the world)
Register here! View the "locations" tab to search for the event near you!
Past FuquaBound Editions
October 2017
November 2017
December 2017
January 2018
February 2018
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Warm regards from Durham,
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