How My MBA Prepared Me for a Career in Tech and International Research

“UC Davis didn’t just give me a degree, it gave me a launchpad.” 

Ash

When I began my Full-Time MBA journey at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management (GSM) in September 2020, the world was still grappling with the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. As an international student, making that transition wasn’t easy, but the support I received from the GSM community made all the difference. 

Mentorship That Moved Me Forward From Student to Tech Leader 

Thanks to the school’s resources and mentorship, I didn’t just survive—I thrived. I was honored to receive the Dean’s Scholarship Award and the Newberry Leadership Award in 2022. During my time in the program, I served as both a research assistant and graduate student assistant under Professors Stephen Garcia and Greta Hsu, experiences that sharpened my academic focus and leadership skills. 
 
I even participated in equestrian therapy through the UC Davis Equestrian Center—a unique campus resource that helped me build emotional intelligence and manage stress during the MBA program. 

A group of eight international conference presenters and organizers standing in a classroom in front of a whiteboard and projector screen. They are wearing conference badges and formal or business casual attire.
Aishwarya Singh MBA 22 (third from left) with other presenters at the International Conference on Information and Computer Technologies (ICICT 2025) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Singh presented his research on enhancing federated learning security using a reputation-based phishing defense system. Other participants (from left to right): Sohaib Latif (Grand Asian University, Pakistan), an unidentified representative from HRL Laboratories, Ryan Alturki (Chair of ICICT 2025, Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia), Daniel Eckertz (Fraunhofer Institute, Germany),  Jophin John (Technical University of Munich, Germany), Kanta Okugawa (Ritsumeikan University, Japan) and an unidentified representative. 

One of the most impactful relationships I built at UC Davis was with former GSM Executive in Residence Paul Bianchi, who was assigned as my mentor by the dean’s office. His guidance helped me explore the intersection of business strategy and technology, particularly in the STEM-designated tracks of technology management, machine learning, data analytics and competitive strategy. These skills positioned me for success after graduation.  

Turning Research into Real Impact at ICICT 2025

I currently work as a Human Capital Management (HCM) IT manager at Pacific Coast Companies Inc. Since joining the company shortly after earning my degree in August 2022, my career has taken exciting turns. With a strong foundation from UC Davis, I’ve expanded my expertise into IT applications support, project management, cloud technology and cybersecurity.

Under the mentorship of Dean H. Rao Unnava and Brenda G. Ward, senior director of applications and analytics at Pacific Coast Companies, Inc., I’ve been encouraged to pursue my passion for research and innovation. 

Their support—and the company’s culture of continuous improvement—allowed me to present my research at three international technology conferences. The most recent was the International Conference on Information and Computer Technologies (ICICT 2025), held at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. 

I presented my paper titled “Enhancing Federated Learning Security with Reputation-Based Phishing Defense.” The study builds upon prior Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) research and addresses the urgent issue of cybersecurity threats in artificial intelligence systems. My paper proposed a Bayesian reputation-based system to better protect federated learning models from phishing and malicious actors. 

Among hundreds of presenters from countries including Germany, India, Spain and Japan, I was honored to receive the Best Presentation Award at the conference. That recognition affirmed how far I’ve come since my first day at UC Davis. 

I credit this achievement to the preparation and communication skills I developed in courses such as High-Impact Presentations with Lecturer Doy Charnsupharind and Analytics in Technology with Lecturer Daniel Kennedy. These classes helped me build the confidence to share complex research on a global stage. 

The Three Pillars of My MBA 

Ash
Aishwarya Singh MBA 22 received the Best Presentation Award at ICICT 2025. The award was presented by Dr. Ryan Alturki, Chair of ICICT 2025 and senior member of IEEE, who is affiliated with the Department of Software Engineering, College of Computing, Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia.

Today, whether I’m coordinating a cloud rollout or drafting my next conference submission, I continue to lean on the triad that defined my MBA experience: 

  1. Mentorship that multiplies potential 
  2. Curriculum that blends data science with strategy 
  3. A community that celebrates curiosity and grit 

If you’re considering an MBA and wondering whether those intangibles really matter—trust me, they do. The UC Davis Graduate School of Management didn’t just give me a degree. It gave me a launchpad. And from that launchpad, the sky—smoky or clear—has never looked wider. 

Ready to take your career to new heights? Learn more about the UC Davis Full-Time MBA program and how it can help you launch your own journey. 

Tags
Alumni / Alumni Award Recipient / Career

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