This is the first installment in a series highlighting the Class of 2018 recipients of the 1898 Scholarship—exceptional MBA candidates who exemplify our unique community. Through the continued generous support of alumni and friends of Booth, we are able to help our students unlock their true potential, thereby propelling future leaders to confidently navigate the uncertainties of a rapidly changing world.
Sooner or later, everyone experiences it—that moment in life when you decide to do an about-face. For current Booth student Rob Weir, his life-changing moment came during Special Forces Assessment Selection—Green Beret tryouts.
A West Point graduate and platoon leader who commanded 42 soldiers in the mountains of Afghanistan, Weir is no stranger to profound challenges. But in the midst of the selection process, and, Weir says, “on the cusp of living every soldier’s dream,” the future Booth student realized he was at a pivotal moment in his life: He could continue down his current path, or set a new course.
After considering his options, Weir decided to apply to business school. He chose Booth in order to acquire a new toolkit of skills and refine his analytical, leadership, and decision-making abilities. “I have a lot of leadership experience in building teams and solving problems in complex and ambiguous environments,” Weir says. “What I don’t have experience in is solving business problems.”
As a student at Booth, Weir is highly active in the Booth community. He was elected president of his cohort, and he’s active in a number of student groups, including the African American MBA Association.
After graduating from Booth, Weir has short-term goals of being a consultant. Long term, Weir wants to combine his past experiences and research with his new business skills in the realm of international development. Specifically, he wants to provide business solutions to nonprofits and organizations that aim to alleviate the suffering that people experience because of civil war. “Because I’ve seen a lot of it,” Weir says.
Armed with the Booth network and their military expertise, veterans Katy Ganguli, ’12, and John Taplett, ’12, teamed up to help companies protect their hardware from cyberattacks.
A Better Solution for Cybersecurity
In the course Hacking for Defense, service-member students take a leading role in solving entrepreneurial problems.
A Shared Language between Military and Business
A new summer program at UChicago aims to increase diversity in the field of economics by supporting talented undergraduate students from a wide range of backgrounds.
Expanding Diversity in Economics
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