What Haas Makes Possible
I recently had the pleasure of engaging with a variety of Haas staffers, each of whom took a few minutes to reflect on what Haas has made possible in their lives and in the lives of others.
When Lo Aucoin, an Instructional Support Administrator, reflected on what Haas has made possible for her, she first mentioned how her employment had enabled her to purchase a home for her family, a life-changing opportunity for her and her children.
Lo works with both faculty and staff and expressed appreciation for the relationships she’s formed, for example, getting to know Jo Mackness, former Haas COO and Chief Strategy Officer and now Interim Assistant Chancellor for HR, who she sees as a role model, and serving as Treasurer for UC Berkeley’s Black Staff & Faculty Organization (BSFO).
Lo previously worked for an Aspire Public School located in Berkeley whose motto is “College for Certain.” She spoke with pride of one of her former students who was admitted to the highly competitive Haas undergrad program, served on the board of the Haas Undergraduate Black Business Association—and who Lo got to see graduate from Haas in 2017.
Bob Bazydlo is a member of the Haas Media Services team. For him, it’s a privilege to work alongside and learn from talented and dedicated colleagues at such a prestigious higher education institution that has such a positive effect on so many.
He enjoys learning from the complex challenges of serving a diverse clients—students, faculty and staff. Bob is proud to be part of shaping tomorrow’s leaders by providing students with an engaging and effective learning environment.
Career Management Group Operations Manager Christine Blaine finds it easy to be a student always at Haas because there are so many formal and informal learning opportunities—the Dean’s Speaker Series, Diversity Equity & Inclusion practices, and Design Thinking as well as leadership and technology workshops. She also appreciates opportunities to learn from colleagues through collaboration with other Haas departments such as Development & Alumni Relations, Haas Technology Solutions, Center for Social Responsibility, and the MBA Program Offices.
In thinking about Haas’ impact on others, Christine observed that members of the Haas community—alumni, staff, faculty, and students—support one another in career and personal development, enabling growth and development in careers and professions people truly believe in.
Miguel Rivas from Haas Technology Solutions said he’s seen the business school prepare and transform students for the “real” world and has seen them go on to be part of all types of business ventures. He volunteered that he gives back to Berkeley Haas because he feels part of a community that he wants to see thrive.
Drew Ollero serves as Interim Director of Diversity Admissions for the Full-time MBA Program, after having worked in Development & Alumni Relations, MBA Admissions for Working Professionals, and the EWMBA Program Office. He thrives in changing environments where there are opportunities to build new structures and processes and appreciates the opportunities Haas provides for questioning the status quo and trying new things.
For instance, Drew worked with a colleague in the Berkeley Business Academy for Youth, or B-BAY, in forming a staff meditation group. He’s been impressed that, in all roles he’s played at Haas, he’s seen people connect to try new things. According to Drew, Haas is a special slice of Cal where the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit motivates and inspires.
