Graduate & Executive Degree Programs Admissions Team

The Graduate & Executive Degree Programs Admissions team is available to answer any questions you might have about applying to Georgetown’s graduate programs and will serve as a resource to you throughout the process. We look forward to getting to know you.

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Associate Dean and Managing Director, Graduate and Executive Degree Programs McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University

Nita Swinsick

Associate Dean and Managing Director

Associate Dean and Managing Director Nita Swinsick leads admissions, recruitment, and marketing for the Graduate & Executive Degree Programs Admissions team at Georgetown McDonough. Swinsick has over 16 years of experience in higher education and the private sector. Prior to joining Georgetown in 2015, she worked at IE Business School in Madrid, Spain, and as a recruitment consultant in the London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong investment banking sectors. Her experience includes admissions operations, recruitment, marketing, business development, strategic planning, and university partnerships.

Swinsick holds an MBA from IE Business School (Spain) and a bachelor’s degree in European politics from the University of Nottingham (UK). She has served as co-chair and task force member of GMAC’s GME Admissions Reporting Standards.

Molly Scott

Assistant Dean

As assistant dean, Molly Scott works on recruitment and admissions across all degree programs within the Graduate & Executive Degree Programs Admissions portfolio. Scott also specializes in events strategy and admissions operations. Molly holds her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and her B.A. in history, Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, from Williams College.

Prior to joining admissions at the McDonough School of Business, Scott spent over 11 years working at Georgetown University Law Center, where she served as a career advisor for LL.M. students and as a senior member of the Continuing Legal Education team. Across all roles, Molly has enjoyed building strong relationships with Georgetown students and alumni, as well as external university partners. She also loves to swim!

Brent Upham

Senior Director

As senior director, Brent Upham manages the recruitment and admissions efforts for the Executive MBA program while also specializing in the development of recruitment strategies across all Graduate & Executive Degree Programs. Brent has over 15 years of higher education experience across multiple universities and functions such as college athletics, student services, and graduate business school admissions.

Prior to joining the admissions team at McDonough School of Business, Upham worked in graduate admissions at the Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business and the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School. Brent holds his Ed.D. in higher education from Southern Methodist University and both his M.Ed in adult and higher education and B.A. in letters from the University of Oklahoma.

Tiffany Cochran

Director of Marketing Strategy

As Director of Marketing Strategy, Tiffany Cochran leads the marketing efforts for Georgetown McDonough’s Graduate & Executive Degree Programs Admissions and MBA Admissions teams. Cochran has over 13 years of experience in higher education and the private sector. Prior to joining Georgetown, she worked at Oregon State University to strategize and lead all marketing efforts for the opening of the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts (PRAx). Her experience includes project management, communication design, customer engagement, paid digital and paid media, traditional marketing, online enrollment, social media marketing, strategic planning, and university partnerships.

Cochran holds a postgraduate degree from Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand), and a dual bachelor’s degree in journalism and communication design with a minor in art history from Southern Illinois University.

Marina Lant

Director

As director, Marina Lant primarily supports recruitment and admissions for the Master’s in Management program. She also provide assistance and leads the marketing automation efforts across all programs within the Graduate & Executive Degree Programs Admissions team.

Prior to joining Georgetown, Lant worked in undergraduate admissions at Marymount University as an admissions counselor. She holds a M.S. in history from the University of Edinburgh as well as a B.A. in history and political science from Goucher College.

Danielle Balsamo

Associate Director

As associate director, Danielle Balsamo manages the recruitment and admissions for the Master of Science in Global Real Assets (MS-GRA) program and provides support for recruitment and admissions activities for all programs within the Graduate & Executive Degree Programs Admissions office. Balsamo also works with operations for Graduate & Executive Degree Programs Admissions.

Prior to joining admissions at McDonough School of Business, Balsamo worked as assistant director of undergraduate and transfer admissions at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She holds her Ed.D. in higher education from Fairleigh Dickinson University, her M.A. in organizational Leadership from Rider University, as well as her B.S. in neuroscience from Muhlenberg College.

Abby Bruns

Associate Director

Abby Bruns, associate director, oversees recruitment for the Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability Management program. Prior to her current role, she spent a year working with the Master of Science in Management program.

Abby earned her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Dayton and is currently pursuing her MBA through the part-time Flex MBA program at the McDonough School of Business.

Ari W. Toles

Associate Director

As associate director, Ari Toles leads the recruitment and admissions for the full-time Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program and provides support for recruitment and admissions activities for all programs within the Graduate & Executive Degree Programs Admissions office. Toles also works with operations for Graduate & Executive Degree Programs Admissions.

Prior to joining admissions at McDonough School of Business, Toles oversaw the national outreach and recruitment efforts at Thrive Scholars. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The Ohio State University.

Jackson Wu-Pong

Associate Director

Jackson Wu-Pong serves as Associate Director of Admissions, overseeing recruitment and admissions for the Master of Arts in International Business and Policy (IBP) program. He also supports admissions initiatives across Georgetown McDonough’s portfolio of graduate and executive programs.

Before joining Georgetown in 2025, Jackson managed international development education programs at a federal contractor and led international admissions and recruitment efforts at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He holds a Master’s in International Development from American University and a Bachelor’s in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Denison University.

Brooke Battle

Assistant Director

As Assistant Director of Admissions, Brooke assists in leading recruitment efforts for the Master of Science in Management (MiM) program. She also contributes to broader strategic initiatives across the Graduate & Executive Degree Programs Admissions team.

Prior to coming to the McDonough School of Business, Brooke managed admissions operations at Georgetown Law and also supported admissions data and recruitment efforts. Brooke earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Virginia Tech and her Master’s degree in Education Policy from American University.

Nestor Labastida

Assistant Director

Nestor Labastida serves as Assistant Director of Admissions, leading recruitment efforts for the Master of Science in Management (MiM) program. He also supports operations and strategic initiatives across the Graduate & Executive Degree Programs Admissions team.

Prior to returning to Georgetown, Nestor worked as an Analyst at McKinsey & Company, where he advised clients on operational enhancements and led projects focused on data strategy and technology enablement. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Government and Theology from Georgetown University.

Sophia Ryan

Admissions Manager

As admissions manager, Sophia Ryan primarily supports the Executive MBA and Master of Science in Business Analytics admissions efforts while also supporting all additional programs within the Graduate & Executive Degree Programs Admissions office.

Prior to joining admissions at the McDonough School of Business, Ryan worked as an undergraduate academic advisor at The State University of New York at Binghamton. She holds an M.S. in Student Affairs Administration from SUNY Binghamton, as well as a B.A. in English Teaching from the University of Utah.