Brian Horick: On the Move

Smith Undergrad Staff Spotlight
Brian Horick, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs

Some leaders build their career around the notion of bettering themselves. Others, a rarer breed, use their skillset and experience to help others reach new heights. Brian Horick, assistant dean of undergraduate programs at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, has devoted the last 20 years of his life to elevating undergraduate students’ academic experience and making sure they have the tools to go above and beyond in their careers once they graduate. Brian’s leadership lies in his ability to transform the people around him into leaders of their own. As an avid fisherman, Brian makes sure that each and every day he goes beyond ‘giving his students the fish’ - he teaches them how to fish, so they can go off and do the same for others.

Brian began his MBA at Smith in 1991 and graduated in 1993. While he was working towards his MBA, Brian served as a graduate assistant in the Office of Undergraduate Studies, which jumpstarted his career. “I was fortunate to be hired as a full-time advisor in July 1993, and I have been working at the Smith School ever since. It is so rewarding to be able to work with undergraduate business students every day, and helping them achieve their goals.”

Brian is fully invested in the future of Smith’s undergraduate program. Each year, Brian joins administrators, program directors and business professionals from all over the country at an annual two-day conference called the National Undergraduate Business Symposium, or NUBS, for short. Each year, the conference focuses on a unique theme, but it always relates back to the underlying vision and purpose of NUBS: how to continually improve the undergraduate business experience. Of course, each school is unique and the idea is not to copy other program philosophies and methodologies, but to learn from mistakes, learn from partnerships, and grow a community of leaders that represent the best interests of undergraduate business students nationwide. “The NUBS conference is the most beneficial conference that I attend because the sessions directly relate to our program. The networks I have developed through NUBS are so valuable. Each year I come home from the conference inspired, with new program ideas and initiatives for our undergraduate students.”

The Smith School has been a long-time participant in NUBS and hosted the NUBS conference in 2005. The Smith School faculty and administration knows how important it is to create connections with other schools across the country. While attracting students seems likes (and most of the time, is) a competition, NUBS forces institutions to zoom out and look at the bigger picture: satisfaction. What counts is not what a school can do to get a student to enroll, its what a school can do to empower, activate, and nourish that student’s future. Brian Horick and the Undergraduate Program Office are preparing for an exciting and transformational time in the business school’s legacy, working hard to ensure that every student gets what they deserve and more out of their undergraduate experience.

When Brian is not with students and faculty working on new programs and experiences for Smith’s undergrads, you can probably find him on the basketball court, in his garden, or by a lake fishing. Spending time outdoors only comes second to spending time with his family. Brian is as selfless as he is devoted, to his family, to his students, and to helping others achieve their dreams.

For more information about the undergraduate program at Smith, visit: www.rhsmith.umd.edu/undergrad.