MBA faculty, staff and students are invited free-of-charge to bring their families to a special “Bryan MBA Day” at the Natural Science Center on Saturday, April 5th from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Located on Lawndale Drive in Greensboro, the Center is a 22-acre campus adjacent to Country Park that offers the unique combination of a 70,000-square-foot indoor science museum, an outdoor zoological park, a gem and mineral gallery and a state-of-the art omnisphere “total immersion” theater.

The business connection
So what do MBA students and aspiring business leaders have to do with a science center? A lot, it turns out. The Bryan MBA Day is a thank-you from the Center’s executive director, Glenn Dobrogosz. For several months, he and his staff have been working closely with a team of four MBA students handpicked for a semester-long consulting project. Based on their educational backgrounds and study concentrations, the students were selected to conduct a comprehensive analysis regarding the Center’s ability to expand its offerings to the Greensboro community.

Dobrogosz sees a number of benefits to partnering with UNCG. “We have a master vision for the Center that involves several plans for growing and enhancing what we offer to the public. I’m very curious to see how the students’ plan compares to what we have and how their recommendations will positively impact our ability to grow,” he says. The Natural Science Center recently earned national accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which predicted exponential growth for the Center over the next five years.

Among the slated projects and programs is the tentatively-named “Greensboro Aquatics Conservation Center,” which will be an in-depth, interactive experience describing the story of water “from your kitchen sink to the surface of Mars.” Visitors will learn about human use of water, the impact of weather and the many environments in which is travels (from caverns to lakes to the sea, etc.) before it comes out of their faucets at home.

Finding ways to innovate
“We’re looking for innovative ways to transform what we already have, which is a kid-centered campus of fun and discovery,” says Dobrogosz. “That’s another reason I am thrilled to have access to the MBA team. We provide opportunities for all ages. Our partnership with UNCG is a great way to tap into young minds and emerging business leaders and find ways to provide an engaging, informative experience for people of any age.”

Anna Jansson is a full-time MBA student from Sweden who will be graduating in May. Her role on the consulting project is to direct the survey analysis and the majority of the marketing plan. The survey, which was conducted both on-site online, focuses mostly on how the Center can improve in relation to its competitors and the level of public interest in the new exhibits and attractions slated for the future.

“This project is providing our team with an excellent opportunity to apply the theories and models we have learned during the program. My career goal is to become a marketing research analyst and the project has given me an opportunity to get first-hand experience in collecting surveys and analyzing data. I love the idea that we can help a non-profit organization that provides so much value to this community,” she says.

-March 2008