Our MBA program is approaching its 50th anniversary!
Established in 1974, the present-day MBA was known as interdisciplinary industrial administration sciences. The program continues to evolve in order to meet the needs of students and industry. Today, the Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business offers part-time, full-time, and executive MBA tracks. Our full-time MBA has ascended in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, currently perched at #51 overall and #25 among public institutions, placing it in the top 10 percent nationally.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary, the Ivy College of Business has partnered with the Iowa State University Foundation and representatives from each decade of the Ivy MBA to raise scholarship funds for future MBA students. The MBA program will receive matching funds for up to $10,000 for each decade’s contribution.
Another 1990s MBA champion is Brad Shafer (’92 MBA). Prior to his recent retirement, Shafer had a diverse career in the technology industry, working all over the world. From Oregon to China, he worked in an array of areas, including marketing, event management, and business development. Reflecting on his time in the MBA program, Shafer notes the global nature of the student body and their infectious enthusiasm as a difference maker. Shafer stays busy providing career coaching services, volunteering for an animal rescue league with his wife, and is an avid hiker. He’s set a goal to complete the 2,650-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail by 2025.
Get to know more about Shafer and his continuous involvement and support of the Ivy MBA.
Q: Why is it important to support students through scholarships?
Scholarships help attract great graduate students who have a passion to learn, grow, and make a difference. They also improve the diversity of students from across the United States and abroad by reducing the barriers to entry and the burden of long-term debt. I encourage people to contribute to the scholarship fund for the Ivy MBA program. It will really make a difference.
Q: Did you receive any support (scholarships) while getting your master’s?
Working as a graduate assistant in the Study Abroad Center helped cover a good part of the costs of attending the MBA program, while also helping to further develop my leadership skills
Q: Did you receive any support (scholarships) while getting your master’s?
I was awarded a few scholarships in my first year, which enabled me to reduce my working hours and really focus on the program and projects while in the MBA program.
Q: What would you like people to know about you?
International business. Technology. Leadership. These were my north stars when I graduated from the Iowa State MBA program in 1992. My career started at a fast-growing software startup called Engineering Animation Inc (EAI) in the Iowa State University Research Park. As an early employee, I wore many hats, from outbound and product marketing to managing events, sales development, and growing the international distribution channel. 
From that foundation, I took a job at Intel in Portland, Oregon, where I held many roles in marketing and business development, including as a global marketing director. A career highlight was working and living in China for four years where I managed a team growing a key business for the company.
After over 27 years in high tech, I retired a few years ago, enabling me to support my elderly mother who sadly recently passed. I’ve been fortunate to travel extensively worldwide from China, Tibet, Mongolia, Africa, and Europe to South America. In 2024, my wife, Amanda, and I will walk 500 miles on the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
Q: What’s one of your favorite memories from attending Iowa State?
I have fond memories as a graduate assistant in the Study Abroad Center. Students from all over the world came through the doors for help and opportunities in a quaint two-story building that is no longer on campus. Part of my job was managing a summer work exchange program for students from the United Kingdom and Germany. At the time, East and West Germany were reunited after the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. As part of the program, we hosted students from the former East Germany and opened new doors through interning in the United States. It was super rewarding.
Q: Describe your experience in the MBA program. How has it impacted your career?
The faculty were great, sharing insights from their real-world experience in industry. The MBA program was pivotal in creating a strong foundation in business to pursue my career dreams. What really made a difference was the global nature of the student body, with students from Korea, Germany, Romania, Japan, Taiwan, and others. There was an infectious enthusiasm among my classmates about the program and opportunities that led to lifelong friendships.
Q: How else do you stay involved with Ivy? What motivates you to continue to stay involved?
I was part of the Greek system as an undergraduate student at Iowa State and have lifelong friends who have kept in touch, often visiting Ames, Iowa, on return trips. Recently, I partnered with a fellow MBA student, and we held a 30-year reunion for MBA students from the classes of 1992-1993. (Associate Dean) Valentina Salotti delivered a great presentation on the fantastic developments of the program in the past three decades, and there was an insightful MBA student panel discussion. It’s reignited my interest in providing ongoing support and advocacy for the Ivy MBA program.
Q: What makes Iowa State and the Ivy College of Business stand out from other schools?
Ames, Iowa, is full of cultural opportunities. Iowa State is a great place to learn and grow. As the #25 MBA program in the country, there are outstanding facilities and faculty to help create the leaders of tomorrow. On a recent visit, I was impressed by the amazing opportunities for MBA students on campus. The quality and diversity of students from all over the world make a difference. Those connections and networks last a lifetime. Go Ivy College of Business and go Cyclones!
