UHD was featured in the US Department of Education HSI Winter 2014 Bulletin.

The MBA program at the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD), funded by a Title V, Part B (PPOHA) grant, launched a Professional Development Series (PDS). Through PDS, MBA students and invited guests participate in four annual professional development events to network with local community professionals and sharpen their business skills. The series, which hosts executive speakers and workshops, allows MBA students and College of Business administrators to invite colleagues, supervisors, and guests to participate in a sampling of the UHD MBA program's benefits with with current MBA students.

With more than 100 MBA students and guests in attendance, the inaugural speaking event featured Laura Lopez, who shared her insights on "Developing Brand You." Laura's humor, insights and advice were acquired through 20 years' experience in professional roles, including corporate success as a senior executive at the Coca-Cola Company. She is a sought-after speaker for many Fortune 100 companies and has been a guest on the Today Show and Fox News.

To drive home the objectives in Laura's presentation, MBA students were tasked with creating an action plan detailing how they intend to develop, practice and evaluate their own "Brand You". Craig D. Vershon, an MBA student, commented: "Laura Lopez helped me to realize that the foundation for my development as a business leader is to understand my 'core brilliance.' This starts by looking inward to self-evaluate and identifying what I do exceptionally well. This becomes the platform for describing myself and explaining my 'core brilliance' to others."

Other executive speakers in the Series have included Steve Antry, CEO and chairman of the board, Eagle Energy Company of Oklahoma, LLC, and Larry Magee, president, Consumer Tire U.S. & Canada, for Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations.

For more information about this grant, contact Whitney Morgan, Project Director, at MorganW@uhd.edu.