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Forty one students received their Master of Business Administration degrees, conferred by SDSU President Dr. Stephen Weber and Dr. Gail Naughton, Dean of the College of Business Administration. The Padres organization graciously hosted the program commencement for the fourth consecutive year. Padres Executive Vice President and General Counsel Katie Pothier welcomed students and their families. Executive Vice President Paul DePodesta delivered a stellar commencement address commending the students for pursuing a sports-focused MBA and encouraged them to continue to follow their passion in the sports industry during difficult economic times. Dr. Joe Belch, professor of Integrated Marketing Communications and Marketing Department Chair at SDSU, received his second Sports MBA Faculty Member of the Year award. Alumnus Kevin Doidge (SMBA ’07) was awarded with the Outstanding Alum of the Year award, a tribute to his ongoing commitment to the program as an alumnus working with IMG Consulting in San Francisco. Through his efforts, four students in the graduating class spent six months working with IMG on in-depth analytical projects on a major corporate account. The park’s first base dugout served at the stage for the ceremony, with dignitaries lined up along the roof of the dugout, graduates seated in the first two rows of section 107, and the expansive ballpark as the backdrop. As the graduates donned their hoods and crossed the dugout, a video of each student stating his/her name and hometown appeared on the park’s giant video board, a nod to the group’s chosen sports industry career path. The faculty and staff of the San Diego State University Sports MBA program wishes to congratulate the entire Class of 2009 on their graduation, and wishes each graduate the very best as they embark upon their career in the sports industry. |
