HECA College Knowledge Major Talks: Business

Description

Join us as HECA member and business insider Rick Quon explores factors to consider when working with prospective business majors. Our additional guest presenters include Jerrod Ames of Fordham's Gabelli School of Business and Dr. Robert Penman of the University of California Davis. Each will share unique qualities associated with their perspective major programs.

UC Davis: The UC Davis Graduate School of Management and the majors of Economics and Managerial Economics are joining forces to launch a new Bachelor of Science in Business for the first time in fall 2025. The program offers a foundation anchored in math, statistics and economics while building competencies in business fundamentals as well as functional areas of business. In this session, you'll learn more about this exciting new offering at UC Davis. 

Fordham University: Our education goes beyond business fundamentals. We give you leadership training. We teach you problem-solving skills. We develop your ability to write and speak in ways that put CEOs, chief financial officers, and chief marketing officers on a higher plane.

You will learn all of these things in the middle of the business capital of the world—New York City—with access to global programs that introduce you to business on multiple continents and scores of countries.

Fordham will prepare you for a career that excites you to get up in the morning and where you can see the meaningful difference your work makes.

  Guest
  Rick Quon
  HECA Member, Independent Educational Consultant

Rick Quon has worked as a bi-vocational professional with 43 years in the Hi-Tech industry in positions including Product Management, Supply Chain Management, Market Research, Technical Sales and Sales Engineering. He has served as an Independent Educational Consultant since 2014. His clients note his industry experience provides them an insightful perspective into their own college and career exploration. His approach to helping his clients on their journey with college admissions and career planning is similar to his own journey to reinvent himself after leaving an unfulfilling position at a Hi-Tech startup. Rick has a B.S. in Business Administration from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and a certificate in College Admission and Career Planning from UC Berkeley Extension. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, playing pickleball, and serving at his local church.

 Guest
 Robert Penman
 Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions, University of California, Davis

Robert Penman joined UC Davis as executive director of Undergraduate Admissions in 2021. He provides leadership for the recruitment and admissions of undergraduate students, as well as K-to-14 outreach and academic preparation programs. He supports the university’s commitment to making a world-class education accessible to students of all backgrounds and to further enhancing the diversity of the student body.

Penman has more than two decades of experience in undergraduate admissions, most of that time at the University of California. Previously, he was associate director of undergraduate admissions at UC Berkeley, where he directed outreach and recruitment strategies and oversaw statewide, national and international recruitment to meet campus enrollment and diversity goals. One of his key accomplishments at Berkeley was increasing freshman and transfer applications, while also significantly growing the number of applications from Chicanx/Latinx, African American, first-generation college going, rural and international students.

  Guest
  Jerrod Ames
  Assistant Director of Admission, Fordham University

Jerrod is an Assistant Director of Admission at Fordham University. He leverages his previous experience as an admission officer at Vassar College and as a graduate of The George Washington University to lead with a commitment to ethical decision-making and a belief in the transformative power of education. Jerrod views the admissions process as an opportunity to evaluate not only academic potential but also the whole person—their values, character, and desire to contribute meaningfully to society. With a keen interest in strategy, he focuses on developing thoughtful approaches that enhance student engagement and institutional success. Outside of work, Jerrod enjoys running, ceramics, and volunteering with the Central Park Conservancy. He is eager to continue exploring new ways to inspire and support the next generation of leaders.