On March 3, 2016, the Business & Entrepreneurship Department hosted a Project Management (PM) Networking Mixer. The event provided an opportunity for students, faculty and local professionals to connect and discuss the current state of Project Management. Industry professionals in attendance included:
- Fred Koos, President of PMI Pittsburgh Chapter, Project Director of PMO at UPMC and Program/Portfolio Manager of StepsToGoals.
- Kent Podvin, Sr. Director, IMS PMO at Management Science Associates, Inc.
- Debbie Brown, PMP at BNY Mellon. Chatham Alumna and Business and Entrepreneurship department advisory board member.
- David Laird, Information Technology Project Manager at Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc.
- Christopher Mensah, Industrial Engineer, Veterans Engineering Resource Center
- Ginger Ellis-Polozoff, PMP, Program Assistant for Chatham’s Business & Entrepreneurship Department
“I took Chatham’s Foundations of Project Management and Complex Issues in Project Management courses in 2015 and used them as a springboard in my preparation for the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam, which I successfully passed in January, 2016,” notes Ginger Ellis-Polozoff. “I enjoyed networking with other project management professionals at the PM-themed mixer! They definitely speak a different language, and I appreciated being able to converse with them—thanks to my coursework and exam preparation! I also have joined the Project Management Institute (PMI)-Pittsburgh chapter to keep abreast of the latest PM trends. All Master of Business Administration (MBA) students with a concentration in Project Management should take advantage of Chatham’s Business Department’s generous reimbursement for student-level membership for PMI-Pgh, then come to the chapter meetings with me!”
Claudia Rojas-Romero, a recent MBA graduate and Graduate Assistant for the department, also had the opportunity to attend: “This event gave me the opportunity to interact with excellent professionals in the industry. I had the chance to talk with several of them, listen to their experiences, and ask for helpful career advice. I was able to ask about the different types of jobs Project Managers can do and the special certifications they need. Since I am a MBA student with a concentration in Project Management, attending this Mixer was very beneficial. Overall, I really enjoy participating in all of the Business & Entrepreneurship Department Mixers. They are all hosted in an amazing environment and students always have the opportunity of meeting admirable professionals.”
This event was one of many networking and professional development opportunities provided to students by Chatham’s Business and Entrepreneurship Department. Every month, the Department organizes a career-themed mixer based on business topics such as Project Management, Innovation and Commercialization, Supply Chain Management, Marketing, Accounting and more. Students have the chance to meet outstanding and skilled professionals at these events that lead to potential internship and future career opportunities.
