The Graduate Business Student Association (GBSA) Executive Board is made up of graduate students who are dedicated to providing their peers engaging opportunities to improve leadership skills and create a sense of community amoung all graduate students.
We're putting a face to the names of the individuals who make up the 2021 GBSA Board. In their own words, learn about their diverse backgrounds and the exciting opportunities they hope to bring Weatherhead students this year and beyond.
Name: Ekta Khurana, President, MBA
What are you looking forward to this particular year: I am looking forward to a lot of excitement and energy at the campus with a lot of fun-filled events.
What do you hope to do as part of the GBSA Board: As the GBSA President, I hope to provide an open forum for students to share their ideas and discuss industrial topics of concern. I aim to use this platform to connect with industry leaders to gain from their learning and experience and create numerous networking opportunities for the students. I hope to make GBSA engaging and accessible to the students.
Favorite thing to do in Cleveland: Go hiking!
Name: Joseph Stoffer, Executive Vice President / Vice President, Social, MBA
Hometown: Louisville, Ohio
What you are looking forward to this school year: In-person class and events with classmates and faculty
What you hope to do as a part of the GBSA board: I want to have the opportunity to contribute to the revitalization of in-person social and networking events. In addition, I personally want the opportunity to further engage and network with students, classmates, and faculty at the Weatherhead School of Management. I intend to be a cross-functional resource for the GBSA to help bring value to our team in order to reach more students and drive participation in networking events. Specifically, I want to better understand what events students within each of the programs are interested in attending over the next year, and then I want to contribute to the development, operation, and execution of these events.
Fun fact: Competed against Case Western in football for the College of Wooster
Favorite thing to do in Cleveland: Grab dinner and drinks at the various restaurants downtown
Name: Liwei Su, Vice President of Finance, Master of Finance
Where did you attend for as an undergraduate?: I graduated from Rutgers University in New Jersey, majored in Statistics and Human Resource Management. I came from China and had study abroad in US for almost six years.
What are you most excited for this year? This year make me feel so excited and hopeful, I haven't been to the campus for almost a whole year! I just simply want everybody to stay safe and try to have more memorable moment in CWRU and Cleveland.
What is your favorite part about Cleveland? Cleveland impressed me every time when I go to the Downtown on Gamedays, try the Mable BBQ in 2050 E 4th St and watch a sport game! You would love this city!
Name: Eric Novak, Working Professional Rep, MBA
Hometown: Strongsville, OH
What are you looking forward to this school year?: I'm looking forward to returning to in-person classes and concluding my MBA with some interesting and value-added electives.
What do you hope to do as a part of the GBSA board: I hope to strengthen the connection between the PMBA student body and the executive board by reinforcing communication of upcoming events and increasing student engagement across cohorts. Additionally, I plan to collect student feedback through cohort surveys & individual interviews in order to identify opportunities for improvement and generate actionable solutions to present to the GBSA.
Favorite thing to do in CLE: My favorite things to do it Cleveland are boating on Lake Erie and enjoying the food and nightlife the city has to offer.
Name: Ali Asghar Azeem, Master of Supply Chain Management, VP Operations
Hometown: Islamabad, Pakistan
What you are looking forward to this school year: With classes back to normal, I am excited to finally meet the cohort as well as expand my network and knowledge.
What you hope to do as a part of the GBSA board: I hope to provide opportunities for fellow grad students to develop their skills and best utilize assets accessible to them at Weatherhead to succeed in their future endeavors.
Favorite thing to do in Cleveland: I enjoy meeting individuals from diverse social foundation and learn about their culture
Name: Colin Basinski, VP of Academic Affairs, Master of Finance/MBA dual-degree
Hometown: Amherst, Ohio
What are you looking forward to most this year: I am excited to continue learning from my professors and classmates. During my time at Weatherhead, I have been exposed to a vast diversity of thought and experiences, which has taught tremendously about personal and professional development.
What do you hope to do as part of the GBSA board: As the VP of Academic Affairs, my goals are to maintain a high degree of academic integrity among students, identify and resolve any instances of inequitable learning, and ensure that Weatherhead curricula align with students/faculty expectations.
Favorite Cleveland activity: My favorite Cleveland activity is attending Browns games, especially when they win. I am a die-hard Cleveland sports fan and feel so connected to the city through our sports teams.