CBUS is wrapping up another incredible semester and reflecting on the highlights that shaped it.
July 14, 2026
Welcome to the College of Business at MSU Denver’s Spring 2026 Semester Wrapped. As our semester comes to an end, we are reminiscing on an incredible season filled with new opportunities, meaningful achievements, and continued growth. While we are wrapping up this spring semester, the momentum continues, and the highlights ahead are only the beginning. Our dedicated faculty and staff, loyal industry partners, and hardworking students are the driving force behind all of our success this semester and beyond. Thank you to everyone who played a role in shaping this spring semester, one that has become another milestone in CBUS’s ongoing journey of excellence and innovation.
This semester highlighted two important leadership transitions that shaped the colleges continued momentum and direction.
Dr. Ethan Waples was named Dean of the College of Business.
Dr. Rey Hernández-Julián was appointed Associate Dean of the College of Business and Director of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.
The College of Business’s business and accounting programs received a six-year extension of accreditation from AACSB International, one of the most prestigious recognitions in business education. This reaccreditation affirms the continued strength, relevance, and excellence of the College’s academic programs. Learn more, here.
The College of Business introduced its new Master of Science in Business Intelligence (MSBI) program, expanding graduate opportunities in data analytics and strategic decision-making. The program is now accepting students for the 2026/27 school year. Learn more, here.
The College of Business was recognized as a Top University for Sales Education by the Sales Education Foundation (SEF), highlighting the strength of its sales program and commitment to preparing students for successful careers in professional selling. Read more in the SEF Annual Magazine.
The College of Business hosted over 50 events during the Spring 2026. From panels, to networking and community building events, to celebrations and award ceremonies. There truly was an incredible amount of connections made between potential students, current students, alumni, faculty and staff, industry partners, and community members.
Magatte Wade Brought a Global Lens to Economic Freedom – Magatte Wade, a globally recognized entrepreneur and advocate for economic freedom, joined the Exploring Economic Freedom Speaker Series for a discussion on entrepreneurship, opportunity, and global markets. Read more, here.
A New Faculty Onboarding Program – This program was designed to support and integrate new faculty (first and second year) through structured engagement, collaboration, and professional development. Read more, here.
CBUS Outstanding Students Awards – The Spring 2026 Outstanding Student Awards recognized students who demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, leadership, and dedication to their programs and communities. Meet our Spring 2026 Outstanding Students, here.
Professional Selling Etiquette Dinner – Over 125 students learned from Susan Ellis of Good Manners Consulting, gaining practical guidance on dining etiquette, communication, and professional presence, while also connecting with industry partners in a meaningful networking environment. The event was made possible through the support of corporate partners. Read more, here.
Financial Services Career Seminar – The Department of Finance hosted these three expert-led panels for students to explore career paths and hear directly from professionals across wealth management, investment, and advisory services. Read more, here.
Connect Week – Connect Week 2026 brought together faculty, staff, and student leaders to encourage and support students as they approached the end of the semester. With a race-themed celebration, more than 500 students stopped by over two days to enjoy snacks, connect with the College of Business community, and receive words of encouragement. See highlights from Connect Week 2026, here.
Business Pitch & Poster Competition – The Spring 2026 Business Pitch & Poster Competition, brought together students, faculty, alumni, mentors, and community supporters to celebrate student innovation and entrepreneurship. Seventeen students submitted pitch videos, with five finalists presenting live and additional students competing in the poster competition. Meet the finalists and winner of the Spring 2026 Business Pitch & Poster Competition, here.
We wanted to give a special shoutout to all our incredible business clubs! They represent all the great qualities we value in students as a college and we are very proud to have them as business students. All of our clubs continue to blow us away with their talent, skills, and incredible work ethic. Special thanks to the leadership of each of these clubs as well as their respective faculty advisors who put in the extra work to keep these clubs up and running.
Finance Club – Founded by student leaders Diego Garcia, Madina Amiri, and Kiernan Byrne, and advised by Adam Schor, the club started off their first semester with a strong kickoff event and early student engagement. The club goes beyond the classroom by offering hands-on opportunities such as workshops, guest speakers, and competitions, while also helping students connect with internships, scholarships, and career opportunities in the finance field. Read more, here.
Pi Sigma Epsilon Eta Upsilon – A group of 19 students represented the College of Business, advancing through multiple rounds of competition and earning national recognition across several categories, including a Top Silver Chapter Award, 1st Place in the Pro-Am Sell-a-Thon, Rookie of the Year honors, and over $3,700 in fundraising achievements. The group’s success reflected months of preparation and a strong culture of mentorship and collaboration within the organization, read more about PSE Eta Upsilon here.
Accounting Student Organization (ASO) – ASO continued to build momentum with strong attendance at weekly meetings and participation from firms such as AAFCPAs, Eide Bailly, Performance Food Group, and Embark. ASO provided students with exposure to topics ranging from audit transformation and forensic accounting to leadership development and corporate accounting roles. The organization hosted their signature Spring Banquet, bringing the accounting community together for networking, recognition, and celebration. Read more, here.
Rowdy Minds Marketing at Show Off Denver – Rowdy Minds Marketing continued to make its mark in Denver’s creative industry through a standout appearance at Indie Agency News’ Show Off Denver event, where students were invited to present alongside leading professional agencies. The team shared its branding process and showcased how students develop real, strategic marketing work, earning strong recognition from industry professionals and expanding its network across Denver’s advertising community, read more about Rowdy Minds Marketing here.
CBUS Student Ambassador Program – The CBUS Ambassadors program continued to grow this semester, building momentum from its launch in the fall and expanding opportunities for student engagement, leadership, and outreach across campus and local schools. The program launched “Pizza with Ambassadors,” an outreach initiative that brought college conversations directly into local high schools, here. The CBUS Ambassadors also hosted their first ever community building event “Coffee and Crafts with the Ambassadors,” which created a welcoming space for students to connect, get creative, and engage with the ambassadors in a relaxed campus environment, read more about Coffee and Crafts with the Ambassadors here.
Across all activities, ambassadors played an active role in representing the College of Business at events, supporting outreach efforts, and strengthening connections between students, faculty, and the broader MSU Denver community.
The YouScience program saw its highest participation rate ever this semester with approximately 70% of BUS 1850 students utilizing this insightful career exploration tool.
About 500 new students joined the career canvas shell this semester.
Thank you to our faculty partners, espeicaliist those who invited Clare Fidler, Career Planning Specialist, into their classrooms for career presentations: Kwabena Peprah, Lisa McVicker, Catherine Jackson, Apryl Broderson, Devika Banerji, Aaron Templer, Brian Lambert, Daphne Simmonds, and April Schofield. Bringing career guidance directly into the classroom helps make career services more approachable for our students. Thank you for a great semester!
215 College of Business Undergrad Graduates
62% of CBUS graduates were first-generation students
3.22 was the average GPA
128/215 were students of color
35 Master of Business Administration Graduates
13 Master of Professional Accountancy Graduates
As the Spring 2026 semester comes to a close, the College of Business at Metropolitan State University of Denver is proud of everything we have accomplished together. This semester was filled with growth, hard work, and meaningful experiences across our students, faculty, staff, and industry partners. From new leadership and academic achievements to student organizations making an impact on and off campus, each moment helped move the college forward. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this semester such a success. We cannot wait to continue to make more accomplishments together in the semesters ahead.
Support comes from MSU Denver’s College of Business, offering flexible programs with real‑world projects and support. Committed to empowering graduates to lead, solve, and inspire.
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