Haslam College of Business - UT Haslam MBA Graduate Earns Major Recognition with Support from Faculty, Staff and Classmates

Recent University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business MBA graduate Savannah Brown awoke one morning this spring to a text from a friend congratulating her on being named a Poets & Quants (P&Q) 2025 Best and Brightest MBA. The McKinney, Texas, native was surprised because, although she had been nominated, she had not received any official notification of her status from P&Q.

“I was ecstatic,” she says. “I jumped out of bed and ran to my mom and said, ‘Look at this!’ I couldn’t drop the smile. I sent it to all my family and friends.”

Passionate Faculty Provide Guidance

Brown credits, in part, the Haslam Full-Time MBA program faculty mentors for this prestigious recognition. They inspired her work ethic and provided her assignments that stimulated her thinking and changed the way she approaches problems and presents herself.

“I think they played a huge role in my earning this,” Brown says. “I’m very appreciative and grateful to have the opportunity to experience their passion for their work and have that rub off on me.”

Lance Saunders, Jerry and Suzanne Ratledge Professor of Supply Chain Management and Vallett Family Faculty Fellow, taught Brown during her MBA studies and, based on her performance, is confident she will excel in her career.

“It does not surprise me that Savannah has been named to P&Q’s Best and Brightest MBA list,” Saunders says. “She is a natural problem solver, and I fully expect that her combination of drive and intellect will lead to great things in her career.”

Another faculty member who made an impression on Brown was David Gras, Dr. Ed Boling Business Faculty Fellow and co-director of the Consortium for Social Enterprise Effectiveness. Gras taught a course on nonprofit leadership that was particularly impactful on Brown.

“I work for a nonprofit, and I want to expand on that,” she explains. “The course gave me the next steps to take when I am ready to move forward.”

Gras says Brown’s interest in nonprofit leadership was clear from her performance in the class.

“Savannah was a true torchbearer in my course on nonprofit leadership,” Gras says. “I could always depend on her to guide and advance class discussions through profound ideas and insights. Moreover, she radiated a social orientation. It’s clear that she wants to use her career to not only better herself, but the world around her!”

Social Service in Haslam’s MBA Program

While in Haslam’s Full-Time MBA program, Brown worked as a graduate research assistant in the Office of Multicultural Student Life, helping support cultural awareness and increasing engagement. She also founded Diverse Organization Propelling Excellence, a student organization intended to connect Haslam’s master’s students, support their professional growth, build mentorships with industry leaders and strengthen bonds among all MBA students.

Creating the organization was one of the most consequential acts of Brown’s MBA experience. It took considerable effort to pull it together, and she says she used skills gained in the program to make the organization a success.

“That was a pivotal moment in my MBA career,” Brown explains. “It proved that I had the ability to build something meaningful. It demonstrated how, by applying the networking skills and other tools gained from the program, you can solve problems and bring together an organization that creates lasting impact.”

For these and other initiatives in the program, Brown received the MBA Program Service Award, recognizing her contributions to the MBA program through service to classmates, the program, the college and the university.

Leaning on a Strong Support System

Noting she is still in contact with faculty and staff of the program, Brown says Haslam’s Full-Time MBA program is highly supportive of its participants, both during their time in the program and as alumni moving through their careers.

“Having a support system in the college is vital during tough times when it is easy to feel isolated,” Brown says. “Haslam faculty and staff do an amazing job at staying in touch with cohort students during the program and helping them navigate life after graduation. Having those people you can rely on was my favorite aspect of the program.”

Being part of a cohort that truly supports one another is important to Brown, too. She credits her classmates’ encouragement and collaboration as key to the recognition she has received. In particular, she cites Kiki Robinson-Milloy, Antonio Terrell, Tony Gunn and Kevin Robinson as pillars of support.

“They were my backbone in the program,” Brown says.

Asked if she would recommend Haslam’s MBA to others considering MBA programs, Brown replies, “Absolutely. A thousand times, yes. I think the staff and faculty can really change how you approach your career.”

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CONTACT: Scott McNutt, senior business writer/publicist, rmcnutt4@utk.edu