MBA Student to Pursue a PhD at Texas Tech

By Brandon Wallace '17

MBA student Dan Gullifor ’11, MBA ’15 will head to Texas to chase his next business goal. He’ll pursue a doctorate of business administration, focusing on organizational behavior, at Texas Tech University to launch a career in academia.

“The most influential part of Bradley’s program is the people,” Gullifor said. “I knew I wanted to pursue a career in academia when I had my final class as an undergrad with Dr. Laurence Weinzimmer. I realized I wanted to do what he did and I told him that. He then sat down with me and explained the whole process and everything that went into that career path.”

As an undergraduate, Gullifor forged a strong working relationship with Weinzimmer that continued into grad school, where Gullifor served as Weinzimmer’s graduate assistant.

“Through this experience, Dan has gained skills/insights into publishing academic research,” Weinzimmer said. “Most students applying to doctoral programs do not have this experience, so it definitely set Dan apart from a very competitive pool of applicants.”

Assistant Professor Dr. Heidi Baumann commended Gullifor’s curiosity in the classroom.

“He has demonstrated a strong desire to investigate and learn more about organizational phenomena,” she said. “In addition, he presents very interesting research questions and ideas.”

Gullifor, a Peoria native, said Texas Tech’s business school appealed to him because of its similarity to the Foster College of Business.

“It’s an environment where I know they will be supportive, and I can establish a relationship with their professors like I have done here at Bradley,” he said. “It's a place I feel I can be successful, and the people are such an important piece of that puzzle of success.”

Gullifor will be the eighth Bradley MBA graduate to pursue a doctoral degree in the past decade.