Academic Year of Firsts
Bauer College Celebrates a Year of Accomplishments
The C. T. Bauer College of Business is jumping into summer after a successful school year full of firsts.
From new academic offerings to record-shattering rankings, Bauer College has rapidly grown, while continuing to celebrate time-honored traditions.
Take a walk down memory lane as we recap just some of the high points of the 2025-2026 academic year.
August
Last fall, Bauer College expanded its geographic footprint by offering a range of courses at the Katy campus for the first time. With a presence in the booming area west of Houston, Bauer is now part of UH's professional workforce pipeline in Katy and also allows students from the area to take popular business courses without the commute into Houston.
Just a few months after earning BBAs from Bauer, Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship alumni DJ Buenaventura and Samantha Maldonado received global recognition for their carbon capture startup, CarbonX Solutions. The team won first place at the International Competition for Entrepreneurs in Jamaica.
Bauer College Dean Xianjun Geng reflected on his first 100 days on the job and shared his visions for the future of the college. Whether it be his first day or his 100th day, Geng’s priority remains in creating a positive learning environment where students can achieve their academic dreams, and where the faculty and staff can be strongly supported by their leadership.
Bauer MBA and MS students rose to meet C-suite level challenges at the 2025 Graduate Crisis Case Competition. Organized by Rockwell Career Center, this annual competition tests a student's critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration skills. The teams had to present their solutions to a Board of Directors, made up of members of the Bauer College Board. Later they were grilled in a mock press conference where journalists and reporters from publications like The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg were present.
September
More than 2,000 Bauer College students suited up and met with recruiters at the Fall Business Career Fair. Organized by the Rockwell Career Center, the biannual event gives students an opportunity to refine their networking skills and land professional work opportunities. The fall event brought representatives from ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, H-E-B and more to campus to recruit Bauer students
The Power of Sustainable Energy
The Gutierrez Energy Management Institute introduced a new program track this year: the Energy Commercial Track and Certificate Program. Designed in collaboration with industry partners, the program prepares Bauer undergraduates to take on a broader range of roles in energy.
Bauer alumnus and banking executive Samuel Schreiber stepped into the role of Chair for the Bauer College Board. After more than 10 years of dedicated service as a board member, he says his main goal is to work with Dean Xianjun Geng to support student success and to have an engaged and active Board that helps to expand the college's network in the Houston business community.
The Office of Global Initiatives and partner program the Asian Institute of Management in the Philippines welcomed 55 new students to Bauer’s dual degree program in management information systems and data science. Other global outreach initiatives such as the annual EMBA International Business Residency and study abroad opportunities available for undergraduate and graduate students throughout the year help expand the college’s reputation as an international business school.
October
Students in the 2026 Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship cohort each walked away with at least $10,000 in scholarships after the program’s Donor Appreciation Night. The event celebrated the generosity of donors and mentors who continue to invest in the future of entrepreneurship.
Top-Tier Research, Top-Tier City
The Bauer Department of Finance was ranked No. 19 by the W.P. Carey School of Business, placing it on the same level as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Washington University in St. Louis, Yale University and other elite institutions, nationally and globally.
Dell Connects with Bauer Talent
Dell representative and Bauer alumna Gira Gomez (BBA ‘23) returned to her alma mater to recruit from a talented pool of students at the Dell AI Day. She shared how her experience in the Stephen Stagner Sales Excellence Institute helped lead her to a successful career at Dell.
Fueling Futures at Phillips 66
Graduate students visited the Phillips 66 headquarters in Houston to tour the property, learn more about the company culture and show employers exactly what Bauer students are made of. The trip was sponsored thanks to efforts made by Bauer alumnus and Phillips 66 Enterprise Planning Consultant Pace Murphy (MBA ‘23).
November
The Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship made history in 2025 after being named the No. 1 undergraduate entrepreneurship program for the seventh year in a row. Bauer College is the first to hold The Princeton Review's top spot for more than six consecutive years.
UH welcomed delegates from the United Arab Emirates University Leadership Council, Abu Dhabi University and the UAE Ministry of Education to establish a collaboration built on discovery and mutual learning, with many Bauer leaders on hand to meet the delegation to discuss future endeavors involving entrepreneurship, energy, healthcare and artificial intelligence.
Awan Ali (MBA ‘25) and Abels Koshy (MBA ‘25) returned to Bauer to take on the role of Senior Portfolio Managers, a title for Cougar Investment Fund (CIF) alumni who help mentor the next generation of investors who participate in the program. CIF is an exclusive, experiential learning opportunity that only accepts up to 18 MBA and MS finance students a year who have to manage a multi-million-dollar account with the money of real investors.
The Inclusive Leadership Institute hosted the conference “Psychological Safety as a Foundation for Positive Business Environments” and brought leaders and academics from across the country to explore the impact of psychological safety as a foundation of positive business environments.
December
Bauer College undergraduate students caught a glimpse of where their future could take them at the annual Bauer Leadership Night. After a round of networking and mingling, student heard from keynote speaker Houston Exponential CEO Natara Branch (BBA ‘98), who is a Bauer alumna and former NFL vice president.
Maritime Innovations, Global Recognition
Chief Operating Officer for UTC Overseas Marco Poisler, who is now an alumnus of the college’s inaugural Executive DBA program cohort, won the 2025 Power Move: Ocean Transport award for a “groundbreaking maritime transport project.” With this recognition, UTC proves itself to be a leader in digital and AI technology in maritime.
The Musa and Khaleda Dakri Center for Economic Inclusion was recognized as a finalist for the 2025 Entrepreneurship Center Global Impact Award. The honor of being named a finalist for this award shows the Dakri Center’s commitment to nurturing the growth and advancement of small businesses on a local and global level.
Inspiring Industrial Innovation
Executive DBA student Nicolaus Radford was awarded the Deep Tech Business of the Year by the Houston Innovation Awards. With his company, Persona AI, he is ushering in a new age of advanced robotic technologies that will work alongside humans in industries like shipbuilding, energy and manufacturing.
Students in the Program for Excellence in Selling took their learning to Chicago as they booked and conducted meetings with high-ranking executives. As a part of the program’s Key Accounts class, students met with companies like CBS, the Chicago Cubs and more.
Bauer College went into Fall 2025 Commencement on a high note, seeing a 5.2 percent increase in the four-year graduation rate compared to the prior year. Six-year graduation rates also had a slight uptick.
January
The Rockwell Career Center launched a new and improved mission statement that emphasizes long-term success for Bauer students.
For the first time this school year, Bauer launched a living learning community designated for first-year business students. Located in Cougar Village I, student-residents receive custom programming and build a peer community.
Bauer undergraduate students traded skyscrapers for oak trees as they traveled to New Ulm for the LeaderShape Institute. While in the woods, students identified their values and how to be better leaders.
Bauer Climbs U.S. News Ranking
The U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Online Business Masters ranked Bauer’s online MS programs at No. 42 (tied) among public institutions and No. 59 overall, jumping up several spots from the previous year’s ranking. Included in the 2026 ranking, Bauer earned its best peer assessment and student excellence rank in the last five years.
Mastering Academic Effectiveness
Long-serving staff member Todd Chaykosky stepped into a new leadership position as Executive Director of Academic Effectiveness. In this role, he continues the work he’s done for the past two decades on a larger scale by ensuring Bauer delivers the best possible experience for students, faculty and staff.
February
Breaking Barriers, Doctorate Achieved
The Executive DBA program saw the successful completion of their first student dissertation defense in XBox Senior Manager Royce Weatherspoon. Surrounded by the support of his friends, families and mentors, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room as he was the first Executive DBA student at Bauer to complete the necessary final step to be called “doctor.”
This spring, the Bauer in D.C. cohort headed to the nation’s capital to live, study and work for a semester. Prior to leaving, all students secured their own internships in government, think tanks and other industries.
With a semester of experience under their belt, new and returning Bauer students attended the Spring Business Career Fair. Students shared how the Rockwell Career Center prepared them for professional success. Some companies that students met with were Insperity, Mattress Firm, Dell and others.
March
Executive Education Launches in Katy
Bauer College’s Office of Executive Education launched new offerings in Katy this spring, starting with a free introductory event that explained how executive education can help employees and companies advance. Katy area business professionals networked and previewed upcoming offerings, all located west of Houston.
PES Alumni Partner with Adidas
Program for Excellence in Selling (PES) alumni and sisters Madhavi and Divvya Seernani celebrated the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ season through a partnership with Adidas, releasing an exclusive Western inspired sneaker. The sisters help operate Active Athlete, a business that’s been in their family for decades. Both sisters said the confidence and presentation skills they gained from Bauer helped them advance their business forward.
Speaker Highlight: Bauer EMBA Alumna Turned Senator
The Executive MBA program welcomed distinguished guest and Bauer alumna Sen. Carol Alvarado (EMBA ‘08) to cap off the annual EMBA Speaker Series. The series invites alumni back to share their experience in the program and how it shaped them to take on successful leadership roles. Alvarado said she found her confidence at Bauer.
April
Butler Plaza transformed into a culinary hotspot this April as entrepreneurship students put on Wolffest. The three-day food festival brought several food vendors to campus and gave students hands-on experience of how to run a food business.
Faculty Research Ranking Best in a Decade
Bauer faculty ranked top 50 in the nation in the 2026 UT Dallas Top 100 Business School Research Rankings, achieving the college highest research ranking in a decade. Additionally, two programs were prominently featured, with marketing & entrepreneurship faculty at No. 23 and management information systems faculty at No. 18.
SURE℠ Earns International Honor
The Stimulating Urban Renewal through Entrepreneurship (SURE℠) Program was internationally recognized for setting a new standard for what experiential learning can accomplish. The program was awarded the Global Impact Award by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, an accredited organization that sets the precedent for business schools across the world. As of December 2025, SURE℠’s total economic impact across Houston is over $501 million USD — the highest impact of all submissions received for this award.
The Musa and Khaleda Dakri Center for Economic Inclusion and its flagship program, SURE℠, was awarded the Community Leadership Award for their long-standing impact on small business owners and entrepreneurs by the Houston Business Journal.
Think Tank Business Plan Competition
Houston-area high school students participated in Bauer’s take on “Shark Tank” during the Think Tank Business Plan Competition. Hosted by Bauer Undergraduate Business Programs and the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship, 22 teams set up booths to display their businesses. The top five teams presented on stage to a panel of judges, and the top three teams received a cash prize.
Efforts are underway to develop Bauer College’s latest strategic plan. This spring, task forces made up of faculty, staff, alumni, students and the business community met to bring forward their recommendations as the college plans for its future.
In the six years since she graduated, young finance alumna Anysha Trevino (BBA ‘20) has stayed true to her University of Houston roots. After receiving Bauer scholarships that funded her education, Trevino worked with Associate Director of Advancement Diana Pineda to financially support current students for years to come.
In a tear-jerking ceremony, graduating Ted Bauer Undergraduate Business Scholars received their graduation cords in front of their loved ones as finished out their college chapters. Supported by the C. T. Bauer Foundation, the scholarship helps students graduate with reduced financial burden.
May
More than 1,600 Bauer students celebrated completing their academic requirements during two spring commencement ceremonies. The University of Houston’s youngest and oldest Spring 2026 graduates both earned Bauer degrees.
Cohort One Earns DBA
The Executive Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) program celebrated the graduation of its inaugural cohort at the second annual Executive DBA Symposium. With the successful completion and defense of their dissertations, 25 graduates were appointed the title of “doctor” in front of an audience of their friends, family, colleagues and mentors.
Bauer seniors Valeria Serenil and Alexander Lammayot finished their undergraduate careers with a win, being named on the Poets&Quants 100 Best & Brightest Undergraduate Business Majors of 2026 list. In addition to their academic accomplishments, the list celebrated their extracurricular achievements.
Four graduate students made history as the first team from Bauer College to win the 2026 Big XII MBA Case Competition. They competed against 11 other teams from top-tier business schools to solve a mock case that they would have encountered in the real world. They brought their best selves and came out victorious, and one of the students, Subhecha Niraula, won Best Presenter overall.
A team of BBA students and one MS Finance candidate were the first team from University of Houston to win the Southeastern Hedge Fund Competition. The annual challenge welcomes students from around the world to pitch to some of the top investment professionals in the industry.
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