Meet Students and Alumni

Get to know our Master of Management, Risk and Analytics (MRA) students and alumni through their stories below, or contact one of our student ambassadors directly.

Jen Gunter, Senior Vice President of Compliance and Risk Management at Civic Federal Credit Union

According to Jen Gunter, the real-world curriculum in the Master of Management, Risk and Analytics (MRA) program helps her build a more robust enterprise risk management program to advance her organization’s philanthropic, community-driven goals.

Tamara Nelson, VP and Lead Operational Risk Officer at Wells Fargo

According to Tamara Nelson, the MRA program’s one-of-a-kind, real-world curriculum has made an immediate impact on her career – and the flexible format allows her to pursue her career goals without pressing pause on her professional and family responsibilities.

Courtny Boldt, Aspiring Organizational Change Manager

With nine years of experience in the U.S. Army under her belt, Boldt hopes to leverage her knowledge of organizational change in the civilian sector – and says the MRA program will give her the business acumen and analytical tools needed to maximize her impact.

Mindy Cine, Internal Auditor at PNC Bank

According to Mindy Cine, finding the Master of Management, Risk and Analytics (MRA) program was like “finding the golden ticket in a chocolate bar.” She says the unique program will help her develop in-demand analytics skills and prepare for a role focused on credit risk and compliance.

Mark Fang, Risk Coordinator at UNC Health

Student Mark Fang shares his passion for risk analytics and how competitive chess and box car racing prepared him for a career in the industry – and how the MRA program will advance his analytics skills to help him be a better advocate for patient care at UNC Health Johnston.

Emily Perzanoski, VP of Global Commercial Resource Management at Exiger

Incoming Risk and Analytics graduate student Emily Perzanoski shares about her passions for culture and data, her future career goals and what she looks forward to most about joining the MRA program.

Zach Kraszeski, Senior Data Specialist at Caterpillar

Master of Management, Risk and Analytics (MRA) student Zach Kraszeski shares about problem-solving with analytics and how the foundation he’s building in the MRA program led to a new opportunity with Caterpillar Digital.

Georgianna Sow, Accounting Operations Manager at Red Hat

Master’s of Management, Risk and Analytics student Georgianna Sow shares why she came back to NC State for a second master’s degree, how the MRA curriculum adds value to her role at Red Hat and her appreciation for the ERM Initiative.

Tiffany Fragoso, Senior Analyst, Customer Service at Collins Aerospace

For Risk and Analytics student Tiffany Fragoso, data analytics is an opportunity to protect and save lives – and enhancing her skills in the MRA program allows her to be even more effective.

George Earhart, Strategic Projects Director at Two Six Technologies

George Earhart is a new student in the Master of Management, Risk and Analytics (MRA) program at NC State’s Poole College of Management. Learn more about him in this brief Q&A.

Ekta Mishra, Financial Associate at Fidelity Investments

In order to gain a competitive edge in today’s market, Ekta Mishra boosts her analytics and risk management skills through Poole College of Management’s MRA program.

Nhung Truong, Business Analyst at LPL Financial

Nhung Truong is building risk management foundations to gain a competitive edge and help her analytics skills pack even more punch.

Emily Morford, Senior Director of ERM at Gartner

Throughout her career, Emily Morford has looked to NC State as a trusted resource and thought leader for enterprise risk management. So, when Poole College of Management launched the MRA program, she saw it as the perfect opportunity to advance her career.

Amanda Blackmon, HR Specialist at NC State College of Education

Mandy Blackmon, who completed her bachelor’s degree at 37 and recently began her graduate studies at 43, aims to help organizations better manage risks brought on by seemingly overwhelming amounts of data.

Amy Bandy, Business Analyst at Allscripts

In her current role, Amy Bandy uses analytics to optimize digital tools that improve experiences for doctors and patients. After discovering how many factors go into making important decisions, coupled with a drive to become a more effective leader, she decided to enroll in the Master of Management, Risk and Analytics program.

Pete VanGraafeiland, Senior VP of Member Services and Digital Banking, Civic FCU

New MRA student Pete VanGraafeiland aims to acquire expertise in risk management and analytics to improve customer experiences at Civic FCU, an innovative digital-only (branch-less) credit union.

Tracy Edwards, Manager, PV Risk Management at Johnson & Johnson

A Raleigh native and NC State alumna, Tracy Edwards has accomplished a lot during her 23-year career – most of which has been in the pharmaceutical industry based in Durham, N.C. And as she looks ahead to the future, she still has a few tricks up her sleeve – which is what led her to Poole College of Management’s Master of Management, Risk and Analytics (MRA) program.