TEMBA alumni get involved

Photos (clockwise): First TEMBA reunion, 2020 Jagdish Chander Dhablania Excellence in Business scholarship recipients Carolin Sundas and Landry Walker, portrait with Atul Dhablania, Incha Kim and Jagdish Agrawal, more from the TEMBA reunion

The history of the College of Business & Economics would be incomplete without recognizing the contributions of the Transnational Executive MBA Program, TEMBA for short. A rigorous, intensive, 13-month program, TEMBA produced over 150 graduates from 2001-2006 and close relationships among the alumni and their faculty. 

Over the years, TEMBA graduates have stepped forward as volunteers, event hosts, and donors at the university, leading by example as they continue to lead companies as true tomorrow-makers. TEMBA volunteers include Ken Morris ’03, former board member, Cal State East Bay Alumni Association, and Shreya Patel ’03, who co-hosted an alumni event at Symantec with Arun Raj (MBA ’03). 

TEMBA alumni have enjoyed reconnecting at several events on and off campus, including a large reunion in the New University Union in 2014. At that event, Atul Dhablania ’02 (senior vice president and chief operating officer for SonicWall) stepped up to the microphone and made a surprise announcement. With his wife, Incha Kim, Atul offered to match donations from TEMBA graduates up to $100,000 to support student scholarships in CBE. Former Dean Jagdish Agrawal himself pledged $25,000 to help meet the match, in honor of TEMBA graduates. 

“The guidance of the faculty at Cal State East Bay helped take my career to the next level. My wife and I want to see other students, who may not have access to the funds they need, reach the same potential.” Atul Dhablania

Many alumni rose to the challenge. In 2015 the Dean Jagdish Agrawal and Jagdish Dhablania Endowed Scholarship began to support “Dean’s Scholarships” and “Dean’s Fellowships” in the College of Business & Economics. Since then, nine outstanding students have been honored as recipients.

Atul and Incha have also established the Jagdish Chander Dhablania Excellence in Business Scholarship in the College of Business and Economics in memory of Atul’s father, who was a visionary business entrepreneur. Through this scholarship, the Dhablanias are helping to recognize top business students and propel them forward with financial assistance to reach their goals. 

This year’s recipients of the Dean Jagdish Agrawal and Jagdish Dhablania Endowed Scholarship are:

Landry Walker

Landry is a senior at Cal State East Bay majoring in Economics. She is also a member of the women’s swim team. After receiving her degree, Landry plans to pursue graduate school and eventually law school.

Carolin Sundas

Carolin was awarded a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration degree and majored in Accounting. She is an active member of Beta Alpha Psi (an honor organization for financial information students and professionals), Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society, and Tau Sigma National Honor Society for transfer students. Carolin started working in November 2020 as an audit associate at a CPA firm in San Francisco

To learn more about creating a scholarship or providing other support in the College of Business & Economics, contact Penny Peak, Development Director, at penny.peak@csueastbay.edu.