Newman University Celebrates First DBA Cohort Graduation

Key Takeaways:

• Newman University marks a significant milestone as its first Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) cohort finishes their degrees after a 3.5-4 year program.
• Newman's distinctive method allows students to earn doctoral education while keeping career and family life intact, achieving what Program Director Dr. Larry Straub describes as the "Goldilocks zone" of academic challenge.
• The program's nurturing environment helps students grow rather than breaking them down, differing from conventional doctoral programs.
• Multiple graduates have already moved into teaching positions, achieving their goal of transitioning from industry to academia.
• Newman University houses the only DBA program in Kansas, built with a scholar-practitioner model connecting academic theory with practical application.

From Industry Veterans to Doctoral Graduates: Newman's Historic First DBA Cohort

What happens when you combine decades of industry experience with doctoral-level research skills? At Newman University, the answer is now clear as the institution celebrates the graduation of its first Doctor of Business Administration cohort. This milestone represents more than just academic achievement—it marks the culmination of a program specifically designed to transform business professionals into scholar-practitioners without upending their lives.

"I am very excited about graduating this first cohort," says Dr. Larry Straub, Program Director of Newman's DBA program. "It's been three and a half to four years for most of them. And it's just been a tremendous experience. We've all grown together, we've all built this program together."

Unlike traditional doctoral programs that often require students to choose between their careers and education, Newman created a program that accommodates both. Through a hybrid delivery model combining on-campus and online learning, these pioneering students have achieved the highest level of business education while maintaining their professional and personal commitments.

The graduates represent diverse professional backgrounds, from sales and marketing executives with 30+ years of experience to healthcare administrators and entrepreneurs. This diversity is by design, as Dr. Straub explains: "The thing I'm most proud of about this Doctor of Business Administration program is we have real wide ditches. We've got people in so many different professions and majors from social work to data analytics, to business, to hospitals, to entrepreneurs."

The Goldilocks Approach: How Newman's DBA Balances Rigor with Real Life

At the heart of Newman University's DBA program is a philosophy that challenges traditional doctoral education. Rather than creating an environment where students must sacrifice everything else in their lives, Newman has crafted what Dr. Larry Straub calls a "Goldilocks zone."

"We build people up, we don't tear them down," Dr. Straub explains. "We try to find that Goldilocks zone where we push them, we force them, and we make them grow, but at the same time, they don't have to detach from their life. They're able to keep their life, their family, everything going that they were doing, and still pursue doctoral level education. And with many, many universities, that's simply not possible."

Building Students Up Rather Than Tearing Them Down

This supportive approach makes Newman's program fundamentally different from many doctoral programs. First cohort student Terri Rice confirms this unique culture: "The professors are incredibly compassionate. They're incredibly understanding. And they're really smart people...and they're also so open to sharing that experience with you, not just the academia part, just the life experiences."

Another graduate, Angie McCoy, describes how the program transforms thinking without breaking spirits: "Dr. Straub will tell you very early on, usually in the interview process, that the older we get, the more our mind seems to develop a crust on it. What he has given us through this program is a little tool, a little sledgehammer, and he just drills a little bit, year by year, class by class to make sure that crust doesn't grow on our brain."

Starting with the End in Mind: Dissertation-Focused from Day One

One of the most innovative aspects of Newman's DBA program is its approach to the dissertation process. Unlike traditional programs that often leave students to tackle their dissertation after completing coursework, Newman integrates dissertation development from the beginning.

Derrick Schartz, a member of the first cohort who now teaches at Texas State University, appreciates this approach: "The thing I really liked about it is, from day one, we were going to the destination of our final dissertation. We started with the end in mind. That's what we tried to do, and it's been a good journey."

This methodology helps students avoid the common "all-but-dissertation" trap that derails many doctoral candidates at other institutions. By aligning coursework with dissertation development, students make steady progress toward completion rather than facing a daunting research project after classes end.

The Hybrid Model That Preserves Work-Life Integration

The program's hybrid delivery model, combining on-campus residencies with online learning, provides the flexibility working professionals need. Students attend periodic in-person sessions while completing much of their work remotely, allowing them to maintain their careers and family responsibilities.

For Schartz, this flexibility allowed him to secure a teaching position while still completing his degree: "This opportunity here at Newman helped me get that job and has helped me set me up for future success in academia."

Rachel Mayberry, another first cohort graduate, notes that this format created stronger bonds than she experienced in previous degree programs: "It's actually been my favorite program of my bachelor's, my master's, and the DBA program, because it's cohort-based. You get to know your cohort really well, and I am much closer to the people in my cohort here than I have ever been in any of my programs, just 'cause we've been together three and a half years."

Inside the Pioneer Cohort's 3.5-Year Journey

The path to becoming a Doctor of Business Administration isn't short or easy, but Newman University's first DBA cohort has proven it's achievable while maintaining a full life outside academia. Their 3.5-year journey shows both the challenges and rewards of pursuing a terminal degree as working professionals.

Diverse Professional Backgrounds Unite in Shared Achievement

What makes Newman's first DBA cohort particularly remarkable is the diversity of professional experiences they brought to the program. Derrick Schartz entered with over 30 years in sales and marketing, having worked his way up from a frontline salesperson to an executive vice president at an S&P 500 company. Others came from healthcare administration, entrepreneurship, marketing, and various business sectors.

This professional diversity created a rich learning environment where students benefited not only from faculty expertise but also from their peers' varied perspectives. As Schartz explains, "I've learned as much from them as I have in many ways from the professors and from the work that we've done here as a student."

The Cohort Bond: Navigating Doctoral Challenges Together

The cohort model proved to be one of the program's greatest strengths. By moving through the curriculum as a group, students developed deep connections that supported their academic and personal growth.

"DBAs and doctorates in general are not easy, so you're kind of going through the trenches together," notes Rachel Mayberry. "We're in every single class together. You're with the same people, you see them, you're in the same classes, you're going through the same thing. So that creates a bond."

This sense of community helped sustain motivation through the inevitable challenges of doctoral study. As Mayberry emphasizes, "We have that natural cheerleading section of everyone's trying to get through it and we're not leaving anyone behind."

Career Transformations Already Underway

While the formal graduation ceremony marks the official completion of their doctoral journey, many in Newman's first DBA cohort have already begun experiencing the professional benefits of their advanced education.

1. Transitioning into Academic Teaching Positions

For several graduates, the DBA fulfilled their goal of transitioning from industry to academia. Derrick Schartz secured a position as an assistant professor of instruction at Texas State University while still completing his degree. "I'm also the assistant director for the Center for Professional Sales," he explains. "I teach undergraduate courses in sales, and I run the internship program there as well."

Terri Rice has also begun teaching both graduate and undergraduate courses, bringing her extensive marketing experience into the classroom. She emphasizes how the program prepared her for this transition: "My goal was to finish up in the corporate sector and transfer over to academia. That was really and truly the reason why I got in a doctorate program."

2. Applying Critical Research Skills to Industry Problems

The DBA experience transformed how graduates approach business challenges. Schartz's dissertation on what motivates Gen Z salespeople led to surprising discoveries: "If I would've hired a Gen Z salesperson today, I would've compensated them incorrectly. I would've probably put them under the same plan that the millennial is under the baby boomer and said, 'Here's the comp plan and go out there and be successful,' and that wouldn't have worked."

This type of practical research shows the scholar-practitioner model at the heart of Newman's program, where academic rigor meets real-world application.

3. Expanding Perspectives Through Rigorous Analysis

Every graduate emphasized how the program developed their critical thinking skills. As Terri Rice describes, "It's forced me to be more of a critical thinker, to be critical when I find out or when I learn something, to ask questions. Don't just take it for face value what it is, but just continue to ask the whys."

Angie McCoy echoes this sentiment, noting how the program broadened her perspective: "For me personally as an educator, it's made me try to bring in more perspectives when I'm teaching, try to get creative and experiment with different teaching methodologies, different learning strategies for students."

4. Developing Evidence-Based Business Solutions

With their enhanced research capabilities, graduates are equipped to address complex business challenges with evidence-based approaches. McCoy's dissertation on shared governance in higher education revealed that "faculty members tend to think more personally, more departmentally, and not institutionally," highlighting the need to align individual perspectives with broader organizational goals.

What This First Graduation Means for Business Education in Kansas

As the only DBA program in Kansas, Newman University's successful launch and first graduating cohort represents a significant advancement in business education for the region. It shows that doctoral-level business education can be accessible to working professionals without requiring relocation or career interruption.

For Dr. Straub, this first graduation is both an achievement and a learning experience: "I've learned humility. Running a doctoral program, teaching in a doctoral program makes you a little humble at times. You got a lot to learn."

As these graduates move forward in their careers—whether in academia, industry leadership, or entrepreneurship—they carry with them not just advanced knowledge but a transformed approach to business challenges. They show the scholar-practitioner ideal, connecting academic theory with practical application.

Newman University continues to lead in providing accessible, rigorous doctoral education that transforms both individuals and the business community in Kansas and beyond.

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