Chief Strategy and Corporate Development at HAVI, Class of '90
Why do you believe an English degree is relevent today?
Being an English major with some philosophy classes thrown in was vital to developing an ability to think critically about different situations and consider multiple points of view. In an ever changing business environment that ability has helped me to pivot and
adapt and be much more open to various ways of problem solving. Beyond the thinking piece, having the ability to effectively articulate a position and use language and writing to easily communicate difficult concepts has been a huge value in my career.
Who were some of your favorite professors/classes and why?
I can’t recall my professors names but I can tell you that my English classes were always filled with active debate and discussion and were never boring. Compared to most other courses where the focus was on the raw transfer of information to students, English was much more geared toward challenging students to not just think, but to
learn how to think.
Any indelible Michigan memories?
Greatest memory from Michigan is the first week of April 1989 when Michigan won the National Championship in Hoops and the Grateful Dead followed with 2 shows at Crisler later that week. Maybe not as educationally oriented an answer as would’ve been expected from the question but certainly honest.
