Community

Foster is widely known for its tight-knit and collaborative culture, where students help each other become better professionals. Outside of the classroom, passions and interests unite as students enjoy the region’s active lifestyle, program activities, like the Challenge for Charity, or the many MBA special interest clubs.

Together

We encourage every individual to bring their full self to all that we do, so that each unique member of the community can make meaningful contributions to supporting one another’s success.

Our cohort has been the most influential part of my MBA experience. Learning to work with others from a variety of backgrounds and styles has made me a better collaborator, team member, and leader

— Samantha Sangrey | Evening MBA Alumni

Evening MBA Alumni

I grew up in the Seattle area, and I pursued my Bachelor’s degree at UW after being a first-generation student. During undergrad, the UW helped connect me to my Native American culture, where I still continue to mentor Native students todayRead More

Meet Anthony Gasero, Class of 2024

I hail originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and I have live d in Seattle for eight years. I moved to Seattle for work as a business analyst, supporting development and acquisition efforts for my company, and I now oversee the departmentRead More

Meet Madisen Kovell, Class of 2023

I grew up in the coastal city Mombasa, Kenya with quite the itch for adventure and aviation. This had me roaming the east African country for the entirety of my teenage years and then some, as I started college at a University about 14 hours west of my hometownRead More

Meet Bob Agiro, Class of 2024

I was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ. I studied in Marketing and Economics in undergrad, then started my career in insightsRead More

Meet Sharyn Tom, Class of 2023

I was born and raised in the Philadelphia area. I’ve always had a passion for math and science and how things work. Read More

Meet Chris Hayes, Class of 2022

I’ve experienced a lot of career growth at my organization and I am someone who learns by doing. Because of this, it was important to me that I earn my MBA in an in-person and interactive environment while working full-time. Read More

Finding Balance at Foster: Q&A with Kelsi Ramirez, MBA 2022

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Foster

We hope that you will find the Foster School a welcoming place where you are challenged to learn and grow as a part of an inclusive and diverse community;

A community where all members feel seen, heard and supported and everyone experiences a sense of belonging. A community that strives to incorporate inclusion, diversity, and equity perspectives into every decision we make.

Foster’s Guiding Principles

DEI is everyone’s work
Listen First
Systemic over episodic change
Progress not perfection

Diversity in Business (DiBs) Club was formed to bring racial diversity to the forefront in the Foster community. From a career perspective, DiBs brings in companies to talk about DEI in the workplace. Within Foster, it creates spaces to support…Read More

UW Foster MBA Club Spotlight: Diversity in Business

Clubs and Associations

The MBA Association (MBAA) at the Foster School of Business offers a wide variety of opportunities to engage, from Diversity clubs to Professional Associations and Extracurricular activities. As a member, you will have a chance to take part in all of the student-run events and activities and make use of the countless resources that are made available by the MBAA to the Foster School of Business MBA Association.

The MBA Association (MBAA) of the University of Washington provides a platform for students to cultivate skills beyond academics, encompassing networking, social activities, leadership development, and community service projects.Read More

A Conversation With the Evening MBAA President

Foster Faculty

Our world-class faculty draw upon their cutting-edge research and current practices to create a relevant, engaging learning experience. When combined with on-campus visits from business leaders, study tours, and consulting projects, Foster students accelerate their learning by gaining real-world experience.

Our students get to know Foster’s MBA faculty

Get to know Cate Goethals — Affiliate Instructor of Marketing and International Business at the University of Washington’s Foster School of BusinessRead More

Foster Marketing Faculty Spotlight — Cate Goethals

Get to know Foster’s Associate Professor of Operations Management Masha Shunko , who teaches the core MBA course Operations and Supply Chain Management, as well as the elective courses Business Analytics — Tools for Big Data, and Sustainable Design of Global Supply Chains.Read More

Foster Operations Faculty Spotlight — Masha Shunko

Get to know Foster’s Associate Professor of Finance and Business Economics Thomas Gilbert, who teaches core MBA Finance and the elective course Machine Learning in Business.Read More

Foster Finance Faculty Spotlight — Thomas Gilbert

Connections to the business community

The Northwest is known for innovators and big thinkers—Amazon, Microsoft, PACCAR, Starbucks, Costco, Nordstrom—and is an incubation site for start-ups bound to be the next big thing. Regardless of the company size or sector, you can find Foster MBA graduates at the center of the action. Check out our Evening MBA class profile to get a sense of the firms represented in our community.

Frank Discussions

At the intersection of business and education, Frank Discussions is a series of brief executive interviews with the leaders defining innovation and industry today and tomorrow. Foster’s Dean, Frank Hodge, talks with leaders like former CEO and current Board Chair of Alaska Airlines, the President at Patagonia, a former Silicon Valley technology CEO, and others. These chats looks beyond the business decisions making headlines to shed light on how and why great leaders do what they do.

In this insightful edition of “Frank Discussions,” Dean Frank Hodge interviews Jason Child, Executive Vice President and CFO of Arm. Child delves into his experiences scaling disruptive technologies within various companies, drawing from his wealth of expertise. From his tenure…Read More

Frank Discussions with Jason Child

Student Life at Foster

Students are active both inside and outside the classroom, engaging in enriching experiences and making connections while pursuing both personal and professional growth.

My classmates have been amazing! During my first year in the program, I really leaned on my MBA team as I was navigating the challenges of balancing school and work. Not only have my classmates been great resources when I have questions about class material, they’ve also enriched my learning experience by sharing anecdotes from their careers and creating engaging classroom discussions.

— Jordan Mixsell | Evening MBA 2022

In this Foster MBA Association feature, the ex-presidents of Foster Creative Zharen Gonzales and shared details about the club, their involvement and tips for current and future leadership.Read More

UW Foster MBA Club Spotlight: Foster Creative

Foster MBA students explore and engage with the cross-border and cross-cultural business issues that are increasingly relevant in today’s worldRead More

UW Foster MBA Club Spotlight: Global Business Association

MBA Huddle — a social club of the Foster MBA (student) Association — has a focus on team building through sports.Read More