School Notes: School of Management
May/June 2026

Connecting with alumni communities

In January, Dean Kerwin K. Charles hit the road to visit with SOM alumni on the West Coast. At gatherings in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle, he heard from alums about the issues that matter most to them and discussed the unique role SOM graduates play in stewarding the school’s culture and community. “From its founding, this school has had a particular sense of what it seeks to do in the world, and the kinds of people it wishes to train and produce,” Charles said at one reception. “When I meet with alumni, I see the embodiment of what we dreamt.”

Informing Federal Reserve policy

William English, the Eugene F. Williams Jr. Professor of the Practice and a former economist at the Federal Reserve, testified before a congressional committee in January about issues facing the Fed. English explained the rationale for the Fed’s current strategy of maintaining a larger balance sheet and took questions about the importance of the bank’s independence, which has been challenged by the Trump administration. “Everyday Americans, as they look at this issue about central bank independence, should be concerned that if independence is undermined, the effect will be higher inflation, higher costs of living, and more uncertainty,” English said. 

Learning hockey together

Every Wednesday, SOM students and partners head to Ingalls Rink for one of the school’s most beloved traditions: Hockey Club, where expert players and newcomers gather to improve their skills, enjoy themselves, and compete. Around 20 percent of MBA students participate, and the club has amassed a large alumni community. In April, in the club’s marquee event, first- and second-year students faced off at the Garstka Cup, named for longtime deputy dean Stanley Garstka. “The hockey club really embodies the best of SOM culture,” said Austin Smith ’26MBA.