Duke Management Academy Scholars

Melinda Strickland

Title: Associate Director
Department: Fuqua School of Business, Executive MBA, Shared Services
Entity: Duke University
Class Year: 2019

Bio:
I have worked in Executive MBA Programs at Duke's Fuqua School of Business since early 2011. My responsibilities have allowed me to combine my interests in higher education, event planning and international travel. The unique design of some of our programs, in which the students meet in cities around the world to attend class, has allowed me to visit so many amazing places, including Shanghai, Beijing, Bangkok, Dubai, New Delhi, Prague, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Santiago, Lima and Panama City. During these residencies, I have had the opportunity to tag along with the students on a wide range of cultural tours and unique experiences that have broadened the horizons of a girl raised in a small town in Michigan.

Prior to completing a Master's degree in Higher Education Administration at NC State and taking the job at Duke, I spent the first 7 years of my professional life working at a corporate and investment bank in Chicago performing financial credit analysis. A desire for warmer weather and more benevolent work, led me south over 10 years ago. While vastly different careers, my finance background has proven useful in many ways, including talking to MBA students about their careers or reviewing our monthly internal financial reconciliation.

Lately my travels have been limited as I have a baby boy who will turn 1 in May. I look forward to sharing my love of travel with him and my husband Will, a native of North Carolina. In my rare moments of free time, I enjoy baking up tasty treats.