School Notes: School of Management
September/October 2026

Training students to navigate AI

This fall, Yale SOM introduces a new course in the MBA core curriculum that will instruct students in the use of AI tools that are increasingly essential for managerial decision-making. In the course, students will use AI to build agents, structure and utilize large data sets, and code business applications. In subsequent core courses, students will both hone their AI skills and study the societal impact of this revolutionary technology. 

These new academic opportunities reflect a broad effort at the school—spanning teaching, research, and student activities—to leverage the opportunities of AI technology and understand potential perils. “The inclusion of required AI-focused content throughout our curriculum recognizes the imperative for future business leaders to grasp how AI can be applied to business problems in ways that responsibly create value,” said Dean Kerwin K. Charles. 

Recognizing student impact

Ahead of Commencement, three students in the Class of 2026 won the Dean’s Mission & Impact Award in recognition of their exceptional contributions to the school community. Caroline Petro ’26MBA won the award for her work in the New Haven nonprofit community, including coleading a program through which students provide consulting services to local impact organizations. J. B. Horsley ’26MBA was honored for serving as lead performer, writer, and assistant director of the 2025 Business & Society musical, one of SOM’s most beloved annual traditions. Peter Waggoner ’26MBA earned recognition by serving as program assistant for the Inclusive Growth Fellowship, which pairs students with New Haven city agencies to work on economic development projects. 

Dean Charles, who has presented the award annually since 2021, wrote to the school community that the three recipients “combine sober-minded analysis and full-hearted enthusiasm while aggressively seeking to improve the communities they touch.”