Alumni News
Stories from McCombs alumni. Search & filter these stories →
Entrepreneurial Journey
The Harkey Match invites alumni to inspire student innovators across campus. John D. Harkey, BBA ’83, and his wife, Peni Barfield John…
Enterprising Longhorns See Big Business in Little Hands
School spirit inspired Alex Bourdeau, BBA ’09, and Woody Apfel, BBA ’11, to launch line of college-themed baby apparel Samantha…
Career Success
Father-and-son duo Ron Kurtz, BBA ’64, and Jason Kurtz, BBA ’90, share their advice in new book Ron and Jason Kurtz…
Gift Advances McCombs Center for Leadership and Ethics
Houston energy finance leader Marshall Eubank gives $1 million for programming that affects every student at Texas McCombs Marshall Eubank,…
McCombs Alumni Dominate Longhorn 100 Awards
30 McCombs business leaders honored at inaugural Texas Exes celebration of business excellence. Left to right: Catherine Cruver; Longhorn 100…
The Kozmetsky Effect
How a tech visionary transformed McCombs and helped create the modern Austin By Steve Brooks To keep track of his…
Humble Beginnings, High Ideals
UT’s business school is born in a modest setting with a visionary dean In 1926, business faculty members with expertise…
A $1 Million Boost to UT’s Venture Culture
San Antonio entrepreneur and investor Billy Freed and family donate to support students’ business efforts at Texas McCombs William “Billy”…
Big Dreams and Red-Hot Connections
How 25 years of entrepreneurial energy changed the trajectory and brand of business at McCombs Fireworks light the sky over…
The Family Business
From Siete Family Foods to 7-Eleven, McCombs entrepreneurs create family legacies in the business world. Story by Sharon Jayson | Illustrations…
She Changed the World
Civic activist Shudde Bryson Fath, BBA ’37, was role model for leadership Shudde Bryson Fath, BBA ’37, legendary Austin activist,…
Sold on the Future
Serial entrepreneur Matt Chasen, MBA ’04, chases ‘flying cars’ with his startup, LIFT Aircraft As a lifelong fan of science fiction…
Recycling for Change
Haley Lowry, MBA ’13, directs global sustainability at Dow Haley Lowry’s focus at Dow is to help create a more…
Refining the Perfect Pitch
Rebecca Otis Leder, BBA ’07, wrote Knock and created The Knock Method Rebecca Otis Leder wrote a book on the…
Scouting Europe’s Scene for Startups
Alex von Frankenburg, MBA ’92 , directs High-Tech Gründerfonds Alex von Frankenberg funds innovative startups at a German venture capital…
Alumni Boom
New and revived alumni chapters ignited during pandemic By Gretchen M. Sanders McCombs’ Philadelphia alumni chapter met in September. Those…
Designing for Joy and Confidence
Saba Kamaras, MBA ’18, co-founded Spoonie Threads Saba Kamaras combined her business acumen and love of fashion to co-found an…
Investing in Students
UT System Regent and McCombs Hall of Famer Steve Hicks sees radio’s future—and social work’s power Steve Hicks, executive chairman,…
Disrupted New World
How the pandemic is altering the way we do business, the office culture, and our work lives. By Sharon Jayson |…
Embracing Change in Challenging Times
Letter from Dean Lillian Mills of the McCombs School of Business Dean Lillian Mills On June 1 I became the new…
Creating the Workplace of Tomorrow
Serial entrepreneur Brett Hurt, BBA ’94, sees flexible work environments and inclusivity as keys to success. A conversation with the…
Giving the Texas Challenge Twice the Impact
The memory of his first Texas friends moves one international alumnus to help future students By Judie Kinonen Chester Liu, MBA…
Alumni Profile: Life-Saving Messages
Terry Pence, BBA ’77, directed the Texas Department of Transportation’s Behavioral Traffic Safety Section By Sharon Jayson After nearly 40…
Alumni Profile: Helping Women Ascend
Melba Tellez, M.S. ’18, founded Mujeres on the Rise By Gretchen Sanders Melba Tellez, M.S. ’18, started Mujeres on the…
Alumni Profile: Heeding a Call for Libations
Quentin Cantu and Brian Murphy, both MBA ’18, founded Ranch Riders Spirits By Gretchen Sanders Brian Murphy and Quentin Cantu,…
Pandemic Pivots
How McCombs students, faculty, and alumni changed during uncertain times By Sharon Jayson and Matt W. Turner | Illustrations by…
World Traveler
Kelly Steckelberg, MPA ’91, has always looked for opportunities to learn something new. Here’s how the CFO managed Zoom’s whirlwind…
Women Who Mean Business
In a new leadership training program, veteran CEOs offer their entrepreneurial and corporate expertise to keep beleaguered career women from…
Poised Pioneer
First African-American BBA graduate recalls tougher times By Selah Maya Zighelboim Peggy Drake Holland, BBA ’63, says she stepped onto the…
Paying It Forward
McCombs alumni establish endowments for the school John C. Goff, BBA ’77, shared with Mark Roberts, the new executive director of…
A Season of Transformation
Letter from the dean of the McCombs School of Business In a year as unprecedented as this one, we at the…
Rising to the Challenge
The former dean and McCombs alum is UT Austin’s new president UT Austin president Jay Hartzell Jay Hartzell, who spent nearly…
The McCombs Legacy
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the transformational gift that inspired generations of Longhorns With their $50 million donation…
Entrepreneurial Thinking
K.K. Salem, lead donor of a newly named center, on the free market and making the world better By Mary Ann…
Trailblazers
Insights, challenges, and encouragement from Black entrepreneurs who charted their own paths after their time at McCombs By Alberta Phillips…
Passion and Purpose
Kevin Curry, BBA ’04, found his direction and destiny with his health and nutrition brand, FitMenCook By Alberta Phillips Photographs…
Straight Talk on Black Entrepreneurship
Alums Kevin Curry and Mandy Price trade stories about what it takes start your own business Kevin Curry, BBA ’04…
The Real You
McCombs alum and NFL veteran Sam Acho shares stories from his new book on bringing your authentic self to work…
Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly, BBA ’77, on navigating the company through the pandemic
Texas McCombs and The Texas Tribune sat down for a virtual conversation with Kelly to talk about the coronavirus outbreak’s…
New Salem Center for Policy
Houston real estate investor Khaled Salem, BBA ’05, spearheaded a generous new gift to promote innovation around free enterprise Khaled…
Alumnus and Founder of uShip Takes Next Business Venture to the Skies
Matt Chasen, MBA ‘04, launches new venture to make personal flight accessible to everyone Sixteen years after founding uShip and…
Leadership Lessons
McCombs alumni share insights about how participation in athletics helped prepare them for successful business careers Whitney Allison, BBA ’10 Cycling,…
The Accountant of the Future
Data analytics and artificial intelligence are redefining the profession and McCombs is keeping pace. By Judie Kinonen Nichole Jordan, BBA ’95,…
Working Professionals
McCombs’ flexible MBA options draw job enhancers, switchers, and explorers By Mary Ann Roser Opposite right, clockwise from upper left:…
Talent Pipeline
College path cleared for students in a partnership between Ernst & Young and the McCombs Department of Accounting By Judie…
Generation Gap
Speaker and researcher Jason Dorsey evangelizes to companies about the importance of understanding millennials and Gen Z By Megan Menchaca…
Hall of Famers
Distinguished alumni and supporters honored with prestigious McCombs designation Left to right: Phillip Canfield, BBA ’89, Antonio Garza, BBA ’80,…
Poised for the Future
Ray Nixon, BA ’74, MBA ’77, reflects on the perseverance of the American market — and the importance of equipping young leaders…