2012 NYU-SCPS Convocation Student Speakers

UNDERGRADUATE: Andrew Yearde—B.A. in Social Sciences

Andrew Yearde will earn a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences with a concentration in Economics from the NYU-SCPS Paul McGhee Division. Prior to discovering a passion for economics, he was a leadership and management studies major.

Yearde has held senior-level positions in treasury, securitization, and inventory control with leading firms such as Barclays Capital PLC, J.P. Morgan, and Citibank. Currently, Yearde specializes in loss prevention at Amazon.com. He is a McGhee Scholar and a member of Alpha Sigma Lambda, the adult student honor society. Yearde’s community involvement includes early childhood education and autism. His senior thesis is in the area of health care cost policy.

After graduation, Yearde will enjoy the summer break and will evaluate his career and academic options in the subsequent months. His graduate academic interests include economics, financial engineering, and business administration.

GRADUATE: Shannon Shae Spalten—M.S. in Sports Business

Shannon Shae Spalten is graduating from the NYU-SCPS Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management with a Master of Science in Sports Business.

For the last two years, Spalten has operated her own consulting practice specializing in corporate relationship development and management within professional sports. She also worked with the New York Giants designing, developing, and actualizing
comprehensive premium services programs that provide a variety of experiential options for season-ticket holders. Prior to launching her consulting practice, Spalten was a partner and a managing member of a Manhattan-based commercial real estate development firm.

Spalten completed her thesis, “The 2011 NFL Labor Dispute: A Study of Organizational Effectiveness in the Evolution of America’s Game,” spearheaded a consulting project for Madison Square Garden examining “Best Practices in Social Media,” and directed an internship project with NFL expert Michael Lombardi and NFL Films that entailed conducting research for a documentary film about legendary NFL coaches Bill Walsh and Bill Belichick.

Spalten also was the president of the NYU Graduate Sports Business Society, a student-run organization with a mission to provide educational, professional, philanthropic, and social opportunities for students. In addition to being selected as the 2012 NYU-SCPS Convocation graduate student speaker, she has won numerous awards and scholarships, including The Allie Sherman Sports Business Leadership Award and the NYC & Company Foundation Leadership Scholarship. Spalten earned a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Biomechanics from The University of Arizona.

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