From Research to Real-World Impact.
Two days, dozens of scholar-practitioners, a continental breakfast that disappeared faster than expected, and conversations that stretched well past the closing reflections. Here's a look back at what we did together.
From DBA to Consultant
Kevin Sansberry's interactive workshop on translating doctoral research into consulting practice — with hands-on tool walkthroughs.
Lightning Talks
Seven-minute stories from Michael Seals, Michael Wieck, Gretchen Decker, Adam Goldman, and Sara Lewis on applying scholarship in practice.
From DBA to Academia
Michael Wieck, David Beverly, and Jaime Peters on the move from corporate to teaching — what they wish they'd known earlier.
Care packs for current cohort
Compiled at the weekend, delivered before finals week. Giving forward to the students of UMSL.
Photo gallery
Eighteen moments from the weekend — workshops, lightning talks, and the conversations in between.
Save the date — Alumni Weekend 2027
Tentatively early April 2027. Want to help shape it? The planning committee starts forming in early fall — email DAN leadership to volunteer.
About the Alumni Weekend
The Alumni Weekend is DAN's flagship gathering — two days of workshops, panels, lightning talks, and networking across alumni, current students, and faculty. It's part conference, part reunion, part working session on the questions that matter most to scholar-practitioners.
Format includes career-track sessions (consulting, academia), tools and methods workshops (R, qualitative analysis, AI in research), lightning talks from alumni applying their work, and time for unstructured connection. Held annually in early April on the UMSL campus.