Meet Jake Feldman,
Associate Professor in the SCOT group
Q: Where is your hometown? How long have you been in St. Louis? At WashU?
A: My hometown is Oakland, California. This is my ninth year in STL and at WashU.
Q: What do you do here at Olin?
A: I am an Associate Professor in the SCOT (Supply Chain, Operations, and Technology) group.
Q: What is something that you’ve done/accomplished in your time at WashU/Olin that you are most proud of?
A: From the teaching side of things, I’m proud of how I’ve brought courses with a “computer science flavor” into the Olin undergraduate curriculum. Specifically, I teach an introductory data analytics course in Python and an elective optimization course. From a research perspective, I’m proud of my commitment to producing well-written and technically rigorous papers, which offer a nice balance between theory and practice.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work?
A: I am an avid rower (only on the machine, not actually on the water), I love to play golf (shout out to my playing partner Zach Kaplan in Accounting), and I am my family’s chef at home.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do/place to go in St. Louis?
A: I generally start my day at one of many STL coffee shops. My favorites these days are Quarrelsome, Coma, and Comet. I also love the food scene here – Indo, Union Loafers, and Louie are some of my favorites. My wife and I also love to walk the many amazing neighborhoods in STL.
Meet Spencer Morgan,
Academic & Student Affairs Advisor in the BSBA Office
Q: Where is your hometown? How long have you been in St. Louis? At WashU?
A: I am from Appleton, WI, and have been at WashU/St. Louis for two and a half years.
Q: What do you do here at Olin?
A: I am an Academic and Student Affairs Advisor. I also coordinate the Olin Student Ambassadors program, plan Olin’s first-year student Fall Welcome programming, and support various other academic and scholarship initiatives.
Q: What is something that you’ve done/accomplished in your time at WashU/Olin that you are most proud of?
A: I’ve helped to re-focus the Olin Distinguished Dean’s Scholars cohorts, providing a more engaging and community-based program experience for the Scholars.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work?
A: I enjoy being outdoors in St. Louis’ beautiful public parks, biking, cooking, going to concerts, and exploring the local food and drink scene.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do/place to go in St. Louis?
A: Tower Grove Park and the Missouri Botanical Gardens! Both are extraordinarily beautiful places to watch the Midwest seasons change, and they always have events to check out.
Meet Samira Fazel,
teaching faculty in the Data Analytics group
Q: Where is your hometown? How long have you been in St. Louis? At WashU?
A: My hometown is Isfahan, Iran. I’ve been in STL and at WashU for 4-5 years.
Q: What do you do here at Olin?
A: I am teaching faculty in the Data Analytics group.
Q: What is something that you’ve done/accomplished in your time at WashU/Olin that you are most proud of?
A: One of the most rewarding achievements during my time at WashU/Olin was spearheading a collaborative research project with my colleagues at Olin as well as the Medical School. I’m proud that our work has contributed meaningfully to the healthcare resource allocation domain and led to the publication of a peer-reviewed article, aligning with my broader goal of bridging the gap between academia and real-world solutions which underscored the importance of collaboration and innovative thinking in addressing complex challenges with experts from diverse backgrounds, fostering a rich exchange of ideas and methodologies. Moreover, I am proud of teaching to many talented students at WashU/Olin during my time here.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work?
A: I enjoy watercolor painting, hiking, practicing my skills in piano and travelling.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do/place to go in St. Louis?
A: Forest Park, hiking trails, Saint Charles and trying different restaurants. Listening to audio books.
Meet Annie Hyde,
Assistant Director of Undergraduate Global Programs
Q: Where is your hometown? How long have you been in St. Louis? At WashU?
A: I grew up in a small Illinois farming community of approximately 2,500 people. I initially came to St. Louis to pursue my bachelor’s degree at Saint Louis University, and I’ve been in the city on-and-off since then. This is my first semester at WashU!
Q: What do you do here at Olin?
A: I serve as the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Programs at Olin, where I work primarily with students interested in participating on one (or more!) of Olin’s international study opportunities.
Q: What is something that you’ve done/accomplished in your time at WashU/Olin that you are most proud of?
A: Since I’m new to Olin, I’m sure the best is yet to come.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work?
A: On the weekends, I like to attend local festivals and events, explore new restaurants, and catch a Cardinals game (or two). But my biggest passion is travel- I love exploring beautiful places around the world!
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do/place to go in St. Louis?
A: My favorite place in St. Louis is the Missouri Botanical Garden. It’s lovely, and they have a lot of really great events each season.
Q: Anything else about yourself you’d like to share about yourself?
A: I’m definitely always looking for new travel recommendations. I love it when people stop by the share their amazing study and travel abroad stories!
Meet Jalen Bogard,
Class of 2024
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
Major: double major in Organizational & Strategic Management and Marketing with a minor in African & African American Studies.
Q: What organizations/activities are you involved in here at Olin? Any outside of Olin?
A: In Olin, I am a part of the business fraternity, Phi Gamma Nu, where I have held the D&I Chair and the Wellness Chair roles. I have recently joined the Black Student Business Network as well! Outside of Olin, I am part of a few organizations like Association of Black Students, Taylor Stars, and Quest Bridge Scholars. I also was a WUSA in 2021-2022!
Q: What is something that you’ve done/accomplished in your time at WashU/Olin that you are most proud of?
A: Something that I am proud of in my time at Olin is being able to mentor students interested in going into Human Resources. I was terrified of switching from consulting to HR but with an amazing mentor, I knew I had to do the same. Changing the narrative that HR is just hiring and firing and just a back office role is my goal as graduation approaches. I have had the opportunity to start helping students look for internships and go through the niche recruitment process for it!
Q: What are your favorite things to do outside of school?
A: One of my favorite activities (at least in the warmer months) is going to different parks and sketching fashion ideas based on the scenery. I try to relax by playing Pokemon Go or Smash Bros with friends.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do/place to go in St. Louis?
A: My favorite thing to do in St. Louis is exploring new restaurants with friends. I think Thai Country Cafe is still one of my favorites to this day!
Q: If you could give one piece of advice to the incoming first-year students, what would it be?
A: I know it may be daring but don’t be afraid to connect with upperclassman, faculty, or alumni! I would not have found my career path if it wasn’t for the hundreds of conversations I have had within my four years at WashU. These can be people connected to your clubs, classes, or mutual friends.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share about yourself?
A: If you are interested in studying OSM, going into Human Resources/People Operations, or studying abroad in Sydney, please reach out!