News

Do you have a STEM background and are interested in gaining the business skills to lead technical teams? Do you have a humanities or social science background and want to prepare for a career in technology-driven organizations? No matter your background, UCSB’s Master of Technology Management (MTM) graduate program will give you the essential technology skills, business acumen, and entrepreneurial mindset to accelerate your career and expand your leadership opportunities within technology-driven firms.

Hatim Rahman, Associate Professor of Management and Organizations and Sociology (by courtesy) at Northwestern University

Laura Dabbish, Professor at Carnegie Mellon University in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII)

MTM Executive Director Erin Nerstad sat down with Benedetta and Francesco to hear more about why they joined MTM – both after previously studying at Politecnico di Milano in Italy. Both students discussed the highlights of their time with MTM so far, their thoughts on their cohort & on Santa Barbara, and more. Check out this Q&A to read more from the students themselves, and if you're interested, watch their video interview in Italian!

Manav Raj, Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Victoria studied computer engineering at UCSB before completing her MTM degree in 2020. She is currently a Senior Engineering Project Manager at Arthrex, a global medical device company and leader in new product development and medical education in orthopedics. When asked what career doors MTM opened up for her, she stated, "For me, MTM helped take me from solely an engineering background to learning about business, and learning about marketing, and product and project management, which I had never taken courses in." Check out more about Victoria in this in-depth profile!

Technology Management Week was an exciting journey into the heart of the Master of Technology Management (MTM) program! Throughout the week, faculty, industry experts, and current students shared their insights on the technical expertise, strategic thinking, and leadership training that drive our program. Check out this and more in our MTM newsletter from February 2025. 

The truth is, AI-enabled digital tools don’t operate like the technological tools of the past. Number one, they’re widely available and easy to use. Number two, they spread like wildfire and keep users from learning from each other or establishing patterns of expertise. Learn more in the following article about Paul Leonardi's study!

Lenoy has a background in chemical engineering and has extensive experience in the life sciences industry, spanning biotechnology, medical devices, and clinical diagnostics. He has led business transformation, process improvements, and product implementations across multiple groups in operations, supply chain, and program management in both consulting and functional roles. Read more about his story in his profile!

Our department is very excited to introduce the newest addition to our faculty lineup, Professor Christine Beckman! She recently joined our team in July of 2024, and will be providing her expertise to our students on the topics of social innovation, entrepreneurship, technology and work, and more. Our team is incredibly lucky to have her. We’re beyond thrilled to be able to offer her classes, as well as to work with her as colleagues! 

When asked about what drew him to the MTM program, alumnus Calvin Blais stated, "What initially attracted me to the MTM program is UCSB's long history in technology, going back to the original Darpa program to create the Internet and just the network. Since I'm local to the area, I wanted to stay in this area and I was deciding between going toward a more traditional MBA or something more tech-focused. I felt that [MTM] aligned with my values and where I was at." Learn more about his story in this profile!

Dan Hedden received his B.S. in Environmental Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and completed the MTM program in 2021. He is currently a Partner at Santa Barbara Venture Partners. The following are excerpts from an interview conducted in Fall 2023. Check it out to learn more about his story!