A Year in Review: Georgetown McDonough’s Top Moments of 2022
Maria Camila Gutierrez
December 21, 2022
As the calendar year comes to a close, Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business is celebrating the successes, milestones, and accomplishments of 2022. We advanced key strategic initiatives, announced new programs, came together as a community, and took important strides in our mission to prepare global-ready leaders to make a difference in the world.
These moments would not be possible without the support of our entire community of students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends who continue to embody the school’s mission as a leading Jesuit business school that inspires ethical leaders to serve the common good.
Explore some of our top moments from 2022:
We took international perspectives to new heights, leveraging our local connections in Washington, D.C., exploring global value chains across the United States, and traveling all over the world for immersion experiences, global consulting projects, and new degree experiences.
Alumnus Gift Establishes Joint Program to Prepare Future Global Business Leaders
The Dikran Izmirlian Program in Business and Global Affairs (BGA) – created by Georgetown McDonough and the Walsh School of Foreign Service and recently named and transformed with a gift from Georgetown alumnus Sarkis Izmirlian (B’94, Parent’25, ’26) – draws from the strengths of both schools to prepare business and policy leaders to tackle the most complex global problems.
Joint Degree Prioritizes Internationalism, Interculturalism Alongside Business Savvy
Georgetown McDonough partnered with the College of Arts and Sciences to launch a new joint undergraduate degree in International Business, Language, and Culture to deepen the cultural understanding of a region while navigating the complexities of international business.
BGA Undergraduates Embark on Immersion Experiences Across the United States and Dominican Republic
Georgetown’s inaugural cohort of the Izmirlian Program traveled to California, North Carolina, the Dominican Republic, and Tennessee this past year to examine the impact of global value chains through the lens of both lower- and higher-income countries and to explore issues related to sustainable development at the intersection of business and international affairs.
Signature Global Travel Returns to McDonough Programs
Students in the Full-time and Flex MBA, Executive MBA, M.S. in Management, M.S. in Finance, and Undergraduate Program traveled to countries across the globe for their global consulting and capstone projects to address complex business challenges for international and multinational companies.
We launched innovative business programs, fostered important conversations, and advanced our focus on fields of the future – tackling issues in sustainability, real estate, public policy, and entrepreneurship.
Meet the First Cohort of the M.S. in Environmental Sustainability Management Program
The inaugural class of the M.S. in Environment and Sustainability Management program joined Georgetown this fall, coming from a diverse range of experiences and backgrounds and all sharing a common theme: the desire to make an impact and improve sustainability issues on a global scale.
Georgetown McDonough Announces M.S. in Global Real Assets
Starting in fall 2023, the new M.S. in Global Real Assets will offer students a real estate degree that expands the traditional definition of this asset class to include infrastructure and incorporates the seismic issues of environment, society, and governance.
Georgetown Entrepreneurship Advances Purpose-driven Innovation Through Programming and Competitions
Over the past year, Georgetown Entrepreneurship championed the notion of entrepreneurship for the common good across the university through various student and alumni events, including the Bark Tank Pitch Competition, Rocket Pitch, mentorship opportunities, the Venture Lab’s Georgetown Startup Accelerator, ongoing research and thought leadership to inform business innovation, and more.
The Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy Celebrates 20 Influential Years at McDonough
After two decades of engaging business and public policy leaders, scholars, industry experts, and students, the Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy is commemorating a major milestone as a premiere establishment in Washington, D.C., at the intersection of business, economics, and public policy.
We kept our Jesuit values in focus and supported our community.
Georgetown McDonough Students Use Ethics Project to Launch The Inspiration Collection
Georgetown McDonough MBA students launched the Inspiration Collection – a compilation of illuminating books recommended by students, alumni, staff, and faculty – with the goal of generating conversations that inspire people within the McDonough community and encourage Hoyas to live by the Jesuit value of cura personalis.
Leadership That Empowers: A Partnership Program Between McDonough and the Jesuit Curia
The Discerning Leadership Certificate offers an executive-level curriculum for senior leaders within the Catholic Church that focuses on discernment, adaptive leadership, strategy, and communication.
Georgetown Hosts 27th Annual International Association of Jesuit Business Schools World Forum to Discuss the Future of Work and the Common Good
A community of Jesuit educators – dedicated to the Future of Work and the Common Good – gathered at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business in Washington, D.C., to discuss the future of a rapidly evolving work environment and professional landscape.
We elevated faculty research and thought leadership on critical issues in business.
Alumnus and Mentor Collaborate to Build Pre-eminent Center on Financial Markets and Policy
More than a decade after providing seed capital to establish a financial markets and policy center at the McDonough School of Business, Michael G. (B’89) and Robin Psaros (Parents’21) are committing $11 million to build the newly renamed Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy into the preeminent destination for unbiased expertise at the intersection of finance and policy.
Family of Henry J. Blommer (C’26) Donates $3M to Support Sustainable Business Education
The extended family of Henry J. Blommer—a 1926 graduate of Georgetown College, former member of the Board of Directors, and recipient of both a John Carroll Award and the John Carroll Medal of Merit—honored his memory by establishing the Henry J. Blommer Family Endowed Chair in Sustainable Business at the McDonough School of Business.
$3.25M Gift Empowers Entrepreneurship for Social Good
We recognized the power of our diverse community, welcomed new faces, and celebrated the return of familiar faces to the Hilltop.
Graduate Alumni Reunite on the Hilltop to Connect and Celebrate Accomplishments
Over 250 Georgetown McDonough alumni, family, and friends gathered to celebrate the MBA, Executive MBA, Global Executive MBA, Corporate International Master’s in Business, Executive Master’s in Leadership, M.S. in Finance, M.A. in International Business and Policy, and M.S. in Accounting classes of 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017 for the 2022 Graduate Alumni Reunion.
McDonough Honors Classes of 2022 and 2020 in Back-to-Back Commencement Ceremonies
Over 1,100 graduates in the Class of 2022 came together to reflect on their academic achievements and look ahead to the next chapter of their lives beyond the Hilltop during Commencement. The students were addressed by Mohammed Dewji (B’98), CEO of MeTL. The following weekend, more than 2,000 alumni from the Class of 2020 – of all programs and schools – gathered together to celebrate their in-person graduation on the Hilltop. To commemorate a moment two years in the making, Georgetown McDonough partnered with two MBA students to deliver a first-of-its-kind NFT coin to the Class of 2020.
19 New Faculty Members Join Georgetown McDonough in Fall 2022
Georgetown McDonough welcomed 19 new faculty members during the fall academic year who each bring unique teaching experience and research expertise in their respective fields. Meet a few of our new McDonough faculty:
Aishwarrya Deore, assistant professor of accounting Ziwei Cong, assistant professor of marketing Francesco D’Acunto, A. James Clark Chair and associate professor of finance Yunan Ji, assistant professor of strategy Renee Kathawalla, visiting assistant professor of management Rachel Pacheco, assistant teaching professor of management Anita Rao, associate professor of marketing Yifang Xie, assistant professor of accounting Quiping Yu, associate professor of operations management and business analytics Babak Zafari, associate professor of the practice in operations and information management
Georgetown McDonough Relaunches and Redesigns the Georgetown Business Magazine to Bring Alumni and Faculty Research to the Forefront
With input from alumni, Georgetown McDonough relaunched and redesigned its Georgetown Business alumni magazine, which features a fresh new look, original columns and features, and a new perspective on changing trends in business as told by Hoyas and professors.
Spring 2022 Georgetown Business Magazine
In this issue: Faculty and alumni explore the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion, McDonough partners with the Jesuit Curia to launch a program focused on balance, decision-making, and discernment in leadership, and alumni find volunteer opportunities tailored to their skills through the PILLARS program.
Fall 2022 Georgetown Business Magazine (Redesigned)
In this issue: Igor Smelyanski (MBA’05) navigates Ukraine’s national postal service during the chaos of war, Angel Dotomain (B’99) combines her Cup’ik and Inupiaq heritage and her business degree to lead the Indian Health Services Alaska Area, and alumni lead the way for sustainable business practices.