Kristen Ulin

B.B.A., M.B.A.

When it comes to business, recent M.B.A. graduate Kristen Ulin B.B.A. ’05, M.B.A. ’07 likes to keep it all in the family.

Not only did Kristen attend the School of Business concurrently with her brother John ’06, M.B.A. ’07, but she also worked for Nationwide Insurance Agency in Manhattan, which was owned by her father for 41 years, while pursuing her undergraduate degree in management with a specialization in marketing.

The flexible class schedules and convenient summer sessions allowed Kristen to continue working while pursing her bachelor’s degree.

Upon graduation, Kristen entered Adelphi’s M.B.A. program, where she incorporated much of what she learned in the business field with her studies. “There was a corresponding relationship between Adelphi’s business program and my position with Nationwide Insurance,” she said.  Her tasks at Nationwide included attending to client needs and concerns, while also assisting her father with home, life, and car insurance premiums. Kristen averaged about 50 to 60 calls per day.

Although her father retired this past July, she will always cherish the time she spent working alongside him and the valuable business lessons she learned. “It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” she said. She is thankful for the loving support of her parents throughout her educational experience.

She received an associate’s degree in liberal arts at Nassau Community College before transferring to Adelphi. The Career Center at Nassau Community College was very beneficial in assisting her with the decision to attend Adelphi. She learned that Adelphi had a business program that would accommodate her educational needs. She credits the Joint Admissions Program with making an effortless transfer to Adelphi possible. After visiting Adelphi’s Garden City campus and participating in the summer orientation program, she knew this was the college for her.

She praises Adelphi’s faculty and staff for their exceptional dedication and attention to student’s needs. “My first instructor, Professor Costa, often went over material for students well after the class was over,” she said. Professor Alvin Rosenstein and Professor Richard Pascarelli played a major role in her decision to pursue a specialization in marketing. “I was always intrigued with commercials and how marketing had such an effect on customer’s decisions to buy or not,” she said.

In addition to juggling her studies and work schedule, she landed a graduate assistantship with Professor Alvin Rosenstein in the Department of Management, Marketing, and Decision Sciences. She worked on a quantitative analysis with Professor Rosenstein on action learning. Each semester, they surveyed students, measured results, and analyzed their findings. While Professor Rosenstein’s work with Proctor & Gamble provided insight to his lectures, working beside him enabled her to gain a vast amount of knowledge outside of the classroom. “I will forever benefit from his knowledge, expertise, and wisdom,” she said.

She credits School of Business faculty members and advisors such as Assistant Dean Brian Rothschild and Director of Undergraduate Programs Patricia Joyce with ensuring her academic success. She advises students to build a relationship with professors because their wealth of business expertise complements their classroom lessons. “Through their guidance and support, they have changed my life,” she said.