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The CU South Denver cohort was launched in fall of 2014 as commitment to quality programs aligned with Colorado’s changing demographics and workforce needs. The evening MBA is located in the Liniger Building in Lone Tree, Colorado and provides the same great education that has been available on the CU Boulder campus for years. 

We interviewed South Denver Evening MBA Candidate Yu Du to learn more about her background, experiences, and career goals.

Please tell us about your background.

I was brought up in Beijing, China. After I got B.S. in chemistry from Peking University, I came to the Unites States for the world-class education, cutting-edge research, and fertile ground for technology innovation. I got my Ph.D. in Chemistry from Duke University in 2006.  My first job was a consultant chemist in GE’s Global Research Center at Niskayuna, NY, followed by working for a startup technology company in Binghamton, NY.  My family relocated to Colorado Springs since 2012 due to a job change.  I am now the technical team leader in R&D at .  My primary responsibility is leading a team to develop novel packaging products for the food and beverage packaging industry. 

What made you choose Leeds for your MBA?

CU Boulder has strong academic presence in the U.S. I knew about Boulder’s superior program because of its Department of Chemistry, which is in the nation’s top tier graduate programs. When I found out Leeds has an evening MBA program in South Denver, I immediately applied. This program provides me with the flexibility I need to study while maintaining my full-time job in Colorado Springs.  

So far, what has been the most valuable part of your MBA experience?

Teamwork—the requirement to work with different teammates from different backgrounds on different projects is quite challenging because you have to quickly adapt to different team dynamics, find your role, and figure out the most effective way to accomplish a project through collaboration. 

Working full-time and going to school is obviously very time consuming—how do you manage it?  What advice might you have for others considering this path?

It’s definitely very challenging because everybody has to balance work, school, and family. I told my employer about going back to school and they are very supportive. I arranged for my mom to stay with our family so that she can help my husband (owner of a Kumon store in Colorado Springs) and me to take care of our two kids (age 12 and 10). My suggestions to prospective students are:

1) Plan family and work arrangements well before you start the program because the courseload is heavy and it is not wise to skip classes

2) You should be mentally prepared for a tough period; you will have to sacrifice your personal time and overcome difficulties

3) You need to have a good sense of time management and develop multi-tasking skills

What is your favorite Colorado activity?

Camping, hiking and biking. I love outdoor activities in Colorado which energize me a lot.