The MBA Association (MBAA)
Students in the Smeal College of Business MBA program enjoy access to a variety of activities and resources. The MBA Association is the largest of nine student run MBA organizations in Smeal.
The MBA Association (MBAA) is the largest student-run organization in the MBA Program. The MBAA works closely with the administration to represent the student body and enhance life both inside and outside the classroom. In addition to this student government role, the MBAA is dedicated to building and maintaining a sense of community in the program through sponsorship of a number of events.
Association Funding Request
November 10, 2009 Town Hall Presentation
September 29, 2009 Town Hall Presentation
Mod IV 2009 Town Hall Presentation
Mod III 2009 Town Hall Presentation
MBAA Newsletter
See what the MBAA has been doing this year.
2010 OFFICER BIOS
Ryan Sheetz, President
Ryan Sheetz is from Altoona, PA. He received his Bachelor's Degree from Penn State in 2005 with a Major in Marketing and Minor in Psychology. He started his career as the Director of Marketing at Galliker Dairy Company after which he took a role at Sheetz Convenience Stores as a District Manager in the central Pennsylvania region. He is currently focusing his MBA efforts in Brand Management and Corporate Finance.
Christina Conley, VP of Communications
Christina Conley is the 2009 Vice President of Communications. In this role, she works to facilitate communication between members of the Smeal community through the use of media such as the school’s intranet Web site, the MBAA newsletter, and student blogs.
Having graduated from Smeal in 2003 with a B.S. In Operations and Information Systems Management, Christy started her own company in the winter of 2003 and since then has worked for the past 5 years in IT and Marketing before returning to Smeal for her MBA. Christy decided to return to Smeal because of the program’s manifested dedication to excellence and strong sense of community. She hopes to take the program to the next level by utilizing various forms of new technology in order to better facilitate internal and external communications.
In her spare time, Christy enjoys Geocaching, reading, and watching Penn State football. Christy is also a member of the National Association of Professional Women, the WMBA, the Marketing Association, Net Impact, the Academic Integrity Committee, and is a TA for Professor Norm Aggon’s BA302 Supply Chain class.
Dave Hoover, VP Recruitment
Dave Hoover is the 2010 vice president of recruitment. In this role, his responsibility is to establish, promote, maintain, and support a viable network between students, alumni and corporate partners in the efforts to recruit future Smeal MBA students.
Prior to coming to Smeal, Dave worked as an Operations Supervisor for Exel Logistics in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Dave graduated from Shippensburg University with a bachelor's degree in business administration and served as president of an international fraternity.
Dave chose Smeal because of the highly ranked faculty, unparalleled business facilities, and world-renowned reputation as one of the nation’s leading supply chain business schools. He is currently focusing on two areas of study: supply chain management and strategic leadership. Dave is a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Penguins fan, while tolerating the Pittsburgh Pirates to the best of his ability.
Natasha Bansgopaul, VP Corporate Relations
Natasha Bansgopaul is the 2010 Vice President of Corporate & Alumni Relations. In this role, she is responsible for establishing, promoting, and supporting a strong network between students, alumni, and corporate partners as well as focusing on student professional development opportunities.
Prior to enrolling at Smeal, Natasha was a student at Binghamton University where she received her bachelor’s of science degree in Global Management and Marketing. While pursuing her undergraduate degree Natasha worked with the Executive Education Department as a marketing consultant and with the undergraduate School of Management as a peer advisor. She also had various internship opportunities focusing on corporate marketing, tradeshow management, and public relations.
Natasha chose to pursue her MBA at the Smeal College of Business because of the unique and encouraging community which values collective achievement and the caliber of faculty and staff. Her areas of concentration include marketing and entrepreneurship. In addition to her MBAA VP role, Natasha is also a Bunton-Waller Graduate Fellow, a graduate assistant in the Office of Diversity Enhancement, and a member of both the Minority MBA Association and Marketing Association.
Diana Cooper, VP Finance
Diana Cooper is the 2010 vice president of finance. In this role, she manages and administers the MBA Association’s funds, coordinates the budget, coordinates the Furniture Donation Program, and maintains the bookkeeping for all association expenditures and income.
Prior to Smeal, Diana received a business administration degree from Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia, and has worked with companies such as Prudential Financial and Ernst & Young in the Financial and Accounting areas.
Diana chose Smeal because of the rigorous and supportive environment, their world class faculty, and smaller class sizes. Her concentration will be in corporate finance and strategic leadership. In addition to the MBAA, Diana is also involved with the Women’s MBA, Minority MBA Associations, and is a GA in the office of the Assistant Dean of Diversity Enhancement.
Varun Abraham, VP International Affairs
Varun Abraham is the 2010 Vice President for International Affairs. In this role, he works mainly to help international students to transition into the new environment and also helps in cross cultural learning among the diverse Smeal MBA student community. Apart from this, he also coordinates with the V.P. of Recruitment in reaching out to international students to help them in the application process.
Prior to coming to Smeal, Varun has five years of work experience in supply chain management in diverse industries such as distribution, manufacturing, and infrastructure. In his most recent position, he worked as the Assistant Manager of the Commercial department at Aban Infrastructure, India. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Madras.
Varun chose Smeal because of the strength of its supply chain management program. The small class size and well qualified faculty were the other attractions of the program. At Smeal, Varun is focusing on supply chain management, and corporate finance. He is also a member of the Supply Chain Management Association.
Joshua V. Barr, VP Marketing
Joshua V. Barr is a native of Sumter, SC. He earned his Bachelor’s of Business Administration in the area of Management from Francis Marion University in Florence, SC in 2003. Upon obtaining his B.S. degree, Joshua went on to pursue his Juris Doctorate at the University of South Carolina School of Law. While in law school his area of concentration was Business & Corporate Law. Upon graduating and passing the South Carolina Bar Exam Joshua became a general practice attorney at the Barr Law Firm in Kingstree, SC. Joshua decided to further his education and business knowledge by joining the Smeal College of Business at Pennsylvania State University in the fall of 2008. Joshua is involved in several extracurricular activities including but not limited to the Minority MBA Association, the National Association of Black Accountants, Women’s MBA Association and the Vice President of Marketing for the MBA Association.
Ron Fresta, VP of Academic Affairs & Student Relations
Ron Fresta is the 2010 vice president of academic affairs and student relations. In this role he serves as the primary liaison between the faculty and the student body on all academic matters.
Ron is a native of West Chester, Pennsylvania and graduated from Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in Information Science in 2007. Prior to his admission to Smeal, Ron worked as systems analyst at Siemens Medical Solutions where he designed and tested Customer Relationship Management software for the company’s sales force. In addition to pursuing his MBA at Smeal, Ron works extensively with Boy Scout organizations in his hometown where he has served as a mentor for aspiring youth leaders for over six years. After graduating from Smeal, he plans to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry.
Ron chose Smeal for the strength and flexibility of the MBA program’s curriculum, its rapidly expanding philanthropy initiatives, and its powerful commitment to ethical leadership and integrity. He is focusing on operations management and finance at Smeal and is also a member of the Supply Chain Management Association and Net Impact.
Kacey Barnes, VP of Philanthropy
Kacey is the 2009-2010 vice president of philanthropy. In this role, she is responsible for handling all of the volunteer and philanthropic efforts within the MBA program. She acts as THON chairperson and liaison.
Prior to enrolling at Smeal, Kacey worked in sales and marketing with the Philadelphia Phillies from 2005 to 2008. Kacey earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from McDaniel College, where she was also a captain of the women’s basketball team.
Kacey chose to pursue her MBA at the Smeal College of Business because of the small class sizes, individual attention from the faculty and staff and the overall sense of community within the school. Her area of concentration is marketing, with a specific focus in sports marketing.
