The Lally School of Management has awarded Nika Ogievetsky ’15, a master of business administration (MBA) and a master of engineering in materials science and engineering candidate, the Herman Family Fellowship award for Women in Entrepreneurship. The annual prize supports women enrolled in the Lally School MBA program with a tuition scholarship in support of their entrepreneurial interests.
This award is made possible through the Herman Family Foundation, established by Rensselaer trustee Michael Herman ’62 and his wife, Karen. The fellowship provides an individually tailored program of scholastic and practical experience.
Nika Ogievetsky was awarded the Herman Family Fellowship award.
“Through the generosity of the Herman Family, a long list of outstanding women have successfully earned their MBA at Lally and pursued entrepreneurial and innovative careers in business,” said Thomas Begley, dean of the Lally School. “This fellowship makes it possible for these energetic and vibrant students to have a transformative experience that not only challenges them, but prepares them for future leadership roles they will undertake in today’s globally interconnected technological world.”
The fellowship offers a scholarship to cover tuition, and also includes career mentoring, access to a network of professional women entrepreneurs, and business experience. As part of the fellowship, current and former fellows meet annually to network, discuss the challenges women face in entering the business world, and share their experiences.
Recipients are selected based on evidence of entrepreneurial spirit and experience, leadership potential, technical proficiency, post-college work experience, and strong academic credentials.
“I am grateful to the Herman Family to be chosen for this prestigious fellowship,” said Ogievetsky. “The MBA program at Lally allows me to keep evolving myself and learn how to lead with different people, companies, and cultures, as well as pursue my own entrepreneurial dreams.”
Prior to Rensselaer, she earned a bachelor of science degree in biomedical engineering from Binghamton University, State University of New York.
A strong student leader at Rensselaer, Ogievetsky is president-elect of the Graduate Management Student Association at Lally and has served as vice president of the Graduate Student and Post-Doctoral Association at the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies at Rensselaer.
Herman Family Fellows of the Rensselaer Lally School and the University of Chicago Booth School gathered in 2012 for the group’s annual reunion.
“My time at Lally has allowed me to learn new business concepts, recognize them in real situations, and apply them to have a positive impact,” Ogievetsky said. During the semester she has helped to manage several teams of undergraduate students who are working to develop business models for local companies.
This opportunity has further allowed Ogievetsky to implement, strengthen, and polish the knowledge and skills she has gained thus far in her business classes.
Born in Moscow and raised in Long Island, N.Y., Ogievetsky would like to work in both international and domestic markets. Ogievetsky has conducted research and has an interest in various applications of biomaterials in the body. Her intention is to draw on her background in engineering as well as her current studies and experience in business so that she may start her own biotech engineering company.
An advocate for the power of economic development, especially for smaller cities, Ogievetsky would like to continue her support of civic and community projects through developing strategic alliances. In the interim, she is looking forward to working in project management, management consulting, patent law, and international relations in engineering to bring both science/engineering and business together to create, develop, produce, and release innovative ideas and technology into society.
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