SHR MBA Students

Adam Barton

Adam Barton is an MBA Candidate at the Wisconsin School of Business, specializing in Strategic Human Resource Management. Originally from Nashville, TN, Adam graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2017 and brings six plus years of professional experience to his current studies.

With a passion for people-centric strategies, Adam aims to become an active contributor and leader in Human Resources, focusing on making a positive impact on the daily lives of employees. His background in sales has honed his skills in communication, strategic planning, and relationship building—all crucial elements in modern HR practices.

Adam’s expertise extends to organizational communication, allowing him to bridge gaps between management and staff effectively. His strategic approach to HR aligns with his goal of creating work environments where employees can thrive and organizations can achieve their objectives seamlessly.

As he progresses through his MBA program at the Wisconsin School of Business, Adam is poised to combine his practical experience with cutting-edge HR strategies, preparing him to make significant contributions to his future organization’s human capital management.

Outside of his professional pursuits, Adam enjoys hiking with his dog, Pebbles, playing and watching sports, and reading.

Ty Day

Ty Day is an MBA Candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in Strategic Human Resource Management. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Southern Virginia University. With seven years of experience across sales, marketing, and operations, Ty brings a well-rounded skill set focused on improving business processes, developing talent, and fostering collaborative work environments.

Throughout his career working in various business roles at Tax Prodigy, Southern Virginia University, and VPTax, Ty has learned that the success of any organization hinges not only on its processes but on its people. This understanding inspired him to pursue his MBA, seeking to deepen his expertise in managing and developing effective people processes. Ty is particularly interested in the intersection of business initiatives and people management, which he believes is the key to long-term business growth.

Ty is currently volunteering with The Odyssey Project and Defy Ventures to help individuals with unique and challenging backgrounds find meaningful work through career mapping, resume preparation, and mock interviews.

Driven by a passion for empowering employees, Ty aspires to build a career in a strategic human resources role, leveraging his academic knowledge and professional experience to make meaningful contributions across various functions. Upon graduation, he aims to support organizations in areas such as talent acquisition, employee development, organizational design, and culture building, ensuring that both individuals and companies can achieve long term success.

Ja’Nieka Forward

Ja’Nieka Forward is currently a full-time MBA candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in Strategic Human Resources Management. She began her graduate studies in September 2024 after attaining her bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Development, with a minor in Business Administration, from the University of Texas at Tyler.

Ja’Nieka launched her career in human resources at City Hall for the City of Tyler, Texas, in September 2014. Throughout her tenure with Tyler, she advanced through various roles of increasing responsibility within the human resources department. In 2018, she was promoted to Human Resources Generalist, where she managed recruitment, unemployment, audits and served as the liaison for all temporary employees. Her role also required significant involvement in employee relations, talent acquisition, organizational development and program implementation.

Ja’Nieka’s career aspirations are rooted in her commitment to bring a strategic business perspective to and work for an organization with a mission and values that align with her core values. She appreciates companies with a high sense of social responsibility- those that prioritize a people-first culture, making a positive impact on individuals’ lives and embracing both professional and personal enrichment of the workforce. Ja’Nieka envisions herself working as a human resources manager or human resources business partner; her primary areas of interest are employee relations and compensation and benefits.

Ja’Nieka is a fellow of both the Forte’ Foundation and the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, organizations focused on promoting diversity in corporate leadership and academia. She is also an active member of the Graduate Business Association at the Wisconsin School of Business and is a student member of the Society for Human Resources Management.

Hannah Goldberg

Hannah Goldberg is a first-year MBA candidate specializing in Strategic Human Resource Management with about three years of human resources-related work experience in talent acquisition, learning and development, department coordination, and diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Hannah received her bachelor’s degree from UW-Madison in Psychology with certificates in Business and Entrepreneurship and is now a proud ‘double-Badger.’ During her undergraduate studies, she interned with the Human Resources Department of the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association where she gained hands-on experience in a variety of human resources functions. She contributed to key initiatives such as developing an HR newsletter and calendar, managing components of the learning management system, and creating promotional materials to attract future interns. She returned to the organization during her senior year to lead the selection process for the next internship cohort. In this role, she recruited and interviewed students, coordinated with department leads, and developed curriculum materials for the program.

Following graduation, Hannah worked as a Technical Staffing Consultant at Beacon Hill Staffing Group in Madison. In this role, she recruited candidates for a range of technical positions, tailored to client needs. She managed the full recruitment lifecycle, from sourcing and screening candidates to conducting interviews, preparing them for client meetings, negotiating compensation, managing the onboarding process, and maintaining ongoing communication throughout their assignments. She loved the opportunity to help individuals find the right positions for them and assist them throughout the process.

While Hannah enjoyed talent acquisition, she decided to pursue her MBA to enhance her skills and be well-positioned to effectively contribute to business strategy. Hannah is interested in how human resources partners with other functions to create initiatives to drive and retain talent for companies. Besides her love for the school and the city of Madison, she was drawn to the Wisconsin School of Business’ specialized MBA program. She is thrilled to be a member of the Class of 2026 and is highly involved in her cohort. She is currently a Forté Fellow, a Wisconsin School of Business Ambassador, a Graduate Women in Business member, and volunteer for Business Badgers Giving Back. This summer, Hannah hopes to intern at a company that truly values human resources as a strategic business partner, leveraging both her academic and work experience.

Megan Howard

Megan Howard is an MBA candidate at the Wisconsin School of Business specializing in Strategic Human Resource Management. She previously studied at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah where she earned a bachelor’s degree of Psychology and of Spanish Studies.

While completing her undergraduate degree, Megan worked as an academic mentor, worked at a crisis center for youth, volunteered at various organizations (such as Encircle and the Utah State Hospital), and participated in several research teams through the university. These experiences led Megan to realize that she is passionate about improving others’ quality of life, particularly in the workplace. This ultimately grew into an interest in human resources.

Upon graduating from BYU, Megan worked as an Accounting Clerk at NMI, where she learned the basics of how a business functions. She then worked for three years for BambooHR, where she held positions on their Implementation team as an HRIS Implementation Project Manager and then as a Payroll Data Specialist. While working at BambooHR, Megan gained experience in human resources strategies, project management, implementing HR software, cross-team collaboration, and building client relations.

While in the MBA program, Megan is working to learn skills and gain experiences to become a knowledgeable and effective strategic human resources professional. She aims for an occupation that allows her to use her training in human resources and psychology as well as various work, school, and community experiences to create positive, efficient, and enriching professional environments that will enable people and businesses to thrive.

In her personal time Megan enjoys spending time in nature, reading, and playing with her cats.

Tara Marley

 Tara Marley is a first-year MBA student specializing in Strategic Human Resource Management at the Wisconsin School of Business. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA. During her time at Saint Joseph’s, she worked for two years in a direct care role at the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support, an autism center located on the Saint Joseph’s campus. This experience reinforced for her the importance of supporting diversity and inclusion, as well as the meaningful roles that organizations can play in driving social change and fostering engaging and inclusive workplace environments.

After graduating from Saint Joseph’s, Tara worked for three years in the human resources department at Quality Services for the Autism Community (QSAC), an autism nonprofit in her hometown of New York City. Initially, she worked in an office management position, providing administrative support to all teams within the human resources department. This included managing personnel records, handling state audit requests, preparing reports, and completing projects for the Senior HR Director, as well as processing onboarding paperwork and handling reference screening for new hires. After eighteen months, Tara transitioned into a benefits administration position. In this role, she conducted related presentations for new hires during onboarding, and she handled matters related to employee benefits, leaves of absence, and workers’ compensation claims. This included responding to employee inquiries, handling leave administration from first contact until the employee’s return to work, communicating with third-party adjusters about workers’ compensation claims, and preparing state-required data and reports.

Tara seeks to build on her experience in all sectors of the discipline and grow into a broadened role within human resource management. At the Wisconsin School of Business, she hopes to gain more insight into the different aspects of human resources administration, as well as a strong business acumen, both of which she looks to leverage to further her human resources career.

Beyond her academic and professional goals, Tara is committed to diversity and inclusion and seeks to advocate for workplace cultures that foster these values. She is a fellow of the Forté Foundation and Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA), two organizations that promote inclusive hiring in MBA-level positions.

Calli Moraska

Callihan Moraska is a first-year MBA candidate specializing in Strategic Human Resource Management at the Wisconsin School of Business. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from the University of Kentucky (UK).

During her undergraduate studies, Callihan worked as a Research Fellow within the Department of Otolaryngology, studying the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on deaf and hard-of-hearing children in Kentucky. This experience not only enhanced her technical research skills, but also fostered a deep sense of empathy and a nuanced approach to addressing complex human challenges. In recognition of her contributions, Callihan received the prestigious 2022 College of Public Health Undergraduate Research Award. Beyond academics, Callihan served as the New Teams Coordinator for DanceBlue, UK’s student-run philanthropy supporting pediatric cancer research, and volunteered with the Ronald McDonald House of the Bluegrass.

After graduation, Callihan accepted a full-time role as Operations Supervisor with Six Flags, where she managed over 200 seasonal employees across the Aquatics, Guest Services, Park Services, and Safety departments. In this role, she enhanced her leadership, communication, and conflict resolution capabilities. Alongside managing daily operations, she spearheaded critical human resource functions, including recruitment, training and development, and employee relations. Her contributions to the workplace culture at Six Flags ignited her passion for human resources and ultimately inspired her to pursue an MBA in Strategic Human Resource Management.

Currently, Callihan works as a Human Resources Project Assistant in the Department of Pediatrics in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s College of Medicine and Public Health. Here, she is gaining valuable hands-on human resource experience in a healthcare setting, aligning her professional goals with her passion for workforce development. In the future, Callihan aspires to pursue a career in human resources within a mission-driven organization, where she can leverage her analytical expertise, passion for data-driven business practices, and commitment to improving organizational outcomes.

Laura Peck

Laura Peck is a first-year MBA candidate at the Wisconsin School of Business, specializing in Strategic Human Resource Management. Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she earned her Bachelor of Arts from Washington and Lee University, where she majored in Sociology and minored in Poverty & Human Capability Studies and Russian Language & Culture. During her undergraduate studies, Laura served as a Campus Kitchen shift leader, organizing student groups to prepare and deliver meals to the Lexington community, and as an Appalachian Adventure leader, guiding freshmen on pre-orientation backpacking trips along the Appalachian Trail. She also completed internships at a Milwaukee youth center and the Maryland Office of the Public Defender in Baltimore.

After graduation, Laura moved to Washington, DC, where she worked at Best Buddies International as an Employment Consultant and later as the Manager of Job Development. In these roles, she placed and trained adults with disabilities in meaningful employment, developed and maintained employer relationships, and led Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion trainings for partners. Most recently, she worked as an HR Assistant at CTIA, a non-profit telecommunications trade association, where she facilitated the onboarding process, managed the organization’s HRIS system, and developed staffing surveys to drive organizational insights.

With over three years of experience in employment services and human resources, Laura has developed strong skills in leadership, problem-solving, strategic thinking, and employee engagement. She is particularly interested in Employee Relations, Compensation Analysis, People Analytics, and HRIS, and looks forward to leveraging her expertise to drive organizational success.

As part of her MBA program, Laura is a Forté Fellow, a member of Graduate Women in Business, and an active participant in the Graduate Business Association and Business Badgers Giving Back. She also plans to pursue a Business Analytics certificate and to take the SHRM-CP exam in her second year. This summer, Laura hopes to secure an internship that will allow her to integrate data-driven insights with human resources practices and policies.

Eshani Singh

Eshani Singh is a motivated first year MBA student specializing in Strategic Human Resource Management at the Wisconsin School of Business. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Michigan State University. During this time, she simultaneously worked as a Resident Assistant and served as the president of the residence hall government. Through these roles, she spent much of her time developing supportive and inclusive environments for 100 diverse students, fostering personal and social development, effectively resolving student conflicts, and more. It was through these roles that she discovered her passion for human resources.

After graduation, Eshani worked as a Project Manager at Epic Systems Corporation for two years. In this role, she led a multitude of cross-functional teams in the complex implementation of specialized EMR software into hospital organizations. This allowed her to become a highly effective and multifarious leader, developing team members who learned to trust themselves and each other, finding the confidence they needed to excel. She also demonstrated proficiency in optimizing processes, fostering effective communication between teams, and devising inventive, efficient, and sustainable solutions to meet new challenges.

Eshani currently serves a Program Assistant for the UW Math Learning Center. She manages diverse teams of tutors, professors, and front desk staff to complete a variety of projects aimed at effectively cultivating academic and personal student success. She also manages the recruitment and applicant selection process for Math Learning Center staff. Serving as a Program Assistant while a full-time MBA student requires that she effectively manage her time and prioritize a multitude of tasks with high quality results.

Eshani is actively seeking a human resources internship for the summer of 2025, with a goal of leveraging her expertise in building interpersonal relationships, strategically elevating staff performance, and optimizing business processes through innovative solutions.  She is excited about the opportunity to grow and gain knowledge in areas such as recruiting, compensation and benefits, employee relations, training, diversity and inclusion, and more. She aims to work with a company that is dedicated to the professional growth of team members and provides the opportunity for her to make a meaningful impact.

David Wilson

David Wilson is an MBA candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in Strategic Human Resource Management.

After graduating from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing, David spent eight years in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, where he held strategic marketing roles ranging from rand management and product development to customer strategy and business operations at leading companies such as Tyson Foods, Pilgrim’s Pride, and Johnsonville Sausage.

As a Marketing Manager, he led cross-functional teams in executing large-scale initiatives, including product launches, rebranding efforts, and enterprise-wide sales enablement and training programs. Additionally, as a Certified Prosci^® Change Management Practitioner, he successfully implemented strategic change initiatives, aligning consumer demand shifts with internal stakeholder priorities to achieve business objectives.

His passion for change management and strategy implementation has fueled his desire to transition into Human Resources, where he aims to leverage his marketing expertise to align employee incentives, learning and development practices, and analytics to empower employees and directly enable strategy execution.