McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin

09/28/2026

Still smiling about Homecoming! 🤘 Thank you to everyone who came back to McCombs to reconnect, celebrate, make new memories, and help welcome Dean Staats to his first Homecoming.

Read the recap: https://news.mccombs.utexas.edu/faculty-news/dean-staats-attends-homecoming-tailgate/

09/22/2026

The Texas McCombs BBA ranked No. 6 in U.S. News & World Report's 2027 undergraduate business rankings 🤘

10 specialties landed in the top 10 nationally:

Accounting: No. 3
Management Information Systems: No. 4
Finance: No. 5
Marketing: No. 5
Entrepreneurship: No. 6
Management: No. 6
Production/Operations Management: No. 7
Real Estate: No. 8
Insurance: No. 8
Quantitative Analysis: No. 8

Congratulations, Longhorns 🎊

09/17/2026

Our Full-Time MBA rose to No. 16 among U.S. programs in the 2027 QS Global MBA Rankings 🤘

Among public schools, McCombs ranks No. 4 out of 132 U.S. schools ranked this year. The program has held a top 20 ranking for 10 consecutive years.

The program also earned its highest marks for return on investment, landing as the third-highest U.S. school in the top 25 for this measure.

Read more: https://news.mccombs.utexas.edu/rankings/mccombs-mba-programs-takes-sweet-16-in-ranking/

09/16/2026

One of our own just made a $1.2 million impact, on and off the field. 🤘

Connor Kacena-Merrell plans to use his College GameDay winnings to support his education and donate to Building Tomorrow, a nonprofit that builds schools in Africa. He's pursuing dual degrees in the electrical and computer engineering honors program and business administration, balancing coursework in both colleges at UT Austin.

Freshman Connor Kacena-Merrell took home the cash prize from Pat McAfee’s “College GameDay” kicking contest.

09/03/2026

Students are back on the Forty Acres, and in just two weeks, McCombs alumni will come home for Homecoming. Join us at the Texas McCombs Homecoming Tailgate to hear from and connect with our new dean, Brad Staats, as we celebrate the start of an exciting new chapter for McCombs.

Saturday's family-friendly tailgate features:
- BBQ buffet and open bar
- Family activities and plenty of Longhorn spirit
- Alumni-connected brands, including All Día and Frönen

Homecoming Weekend also includes Friday's Reunion Reception, celebrating milestone classes. All alumni are welcome.

September 18-19, 2026. Register now:

09/02/2026

Jenny Koehler, MPA '02, has spent nearly 25 years at one of the Big Four accounting firms. Today, as U.S. chief operating officer of PwC's advisory business, she oversees a $12 billion operation and about 40,000 people, and she's leading the firm through one of the biggest shifts in the profession's history.

Part of that shift is a tech-forward strategy that puts AI to work for clients, including an expanded partnership with Anthropic. PwC will train and certify 30,000 professionals on Claude Code and Cowork, giving them hands-on experience before they help set up applications for clients.

"We are at a bit of an inflection point with AI in terms of reshaping work and what we do," Koehler says. "It can have enormous potential to separate the routine activities from the more judgmental ones."

Read more about Koehler's path and leadership philosophy: https://news.mccombs.utexas.edu/magazine/the-executive-leading-the-ledge-forward-list-of-people/

08/31/2026

We are so proud of Victoria Hunter, B.S. '26, MSF Class of '27, who closed out her final year as a Longhorn softball player in the best way possible: a national championship and a trip to the ESPYs.

In June, Hunter helped our softball team win back-to-back Women's College World Series titles. Last month, ESPN invited her and nine teammates to represent Texas at the 2026 ESPYs at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Before pivoting to finance at McCombs, Hunter earned her bachelor's in public relations from Moody College of Communication. She said the confidence she built through McCombs coursework and alumni connections helped her make the most of the event, from the private athlete lounge to her red carpet moment.

"Say yes to opportunities, even when they're outside your comfort zone," Hunter said. "Build genuine relationships instead of networking only when you need something."

Walking the red carpet, Hunter said, felt like a full-circle moment and the perfect way to celebrate the end of her collegiate career.

Read more:

Longhorn Softball infielder and McCombs MSF student connects her ESPYs experience to her future in business

08/24/2026

Welcome back, Longhorns 🤘

08/20/2026

Calling all McCombs alumni: whether you're actively involved with us or haven't connected in a while, we want to hear from you. Take our short survey to help shape how we support you throughout your life and career, from programs and communications to career resources, events and volunteer opportunities.

It takes less than eight minutes, and everyone who completes it by Sept. 11 is eligible to win one of five McCombs swag giveaways 🤘

Take the survey here: https://mccombs.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0ig6FPktcWCyuY6?Source=Facebook

08/18/2026

Congratulations to Sarah Prescott, MBA '26, on being named a 2026 Best & Brightest Executive MBA by Poets&Quants 🤘

Sarah balanced a VP role at American Campus Communities, EMBA coursework, and parenting twin daughters through their senior year of high school, all while building the skills to land her next role in agentic AI. On why she chose McCombs: "The program combines academic rigor and real-world application, which allowed me to immediately apply what I was learning in my role."

Read her full feature:

Sarah Prescott, a graduate of the University of Texas, has been named a Poets&Quants Best & Brightest Executive MBA of 2026