About Holland
Previous University: Duke University
Undergraduate Degree: Art History
Q: Your undergraduate degree is in Art History. Why did you decide to pursue your MBA?
A: While studying art history during my undergrad at Duke University, I discovered a passion for statistics and economics and how they relate to the art market. This fueled my desire to learn more about statistics and the use of data to answer questions that don't seem answerable on the surface. I began studying regression analysis and forms of inference and prediction that can create a formula to forecast an artist's fame or salability.
I had this passion for statistics and the desire to know more about data analysis and how markets react to specific trends, but I didn't have the degree to back up my knowledge. This was the catalyst for me to pursue my MBA. I was looking for a program with a great academic reputation that would let me adapt my learning to my interests. D'Amore-McKim's Full-time MBA program offered the flexibility to pursue my passions while developing my business skills. That flexibility was essential for me as a full-time student-athlete. I'm one of the few student-athletes pursuing the two-year MBA program while playing soccer full-time, so the university's support has been essential during this process.
Q: On top of being a student, you're also a goalkeeper on the Varsity soccer team. How do you balance the busy life of a student-athlete?
A: I'm somebody who loves a good challenge. I grew up playing soccer competitively, ultimately being recruited by Duke University. Since the age of fourteen, I've been traveling internationally to compete, so I've had a lot of time to adapt to my busy schedule. It's easier to balance my life now because training is on campus, and there's so much support available for student-athletes. It's a team effort; I rely on many people to help me be successful, from Student-Athlete Support Services on campus to my coach, Ash Phillips. When it comes to my classes, I'm never shy about asking for help. Figuring out the right questions to ask the right people is a skill I'm glad to have developed at Northeastern.
Q: You're currently a graduate researcher at the D'Amore-McKim International Business Department. What are your responsibilities?
A: The International Business Department allowed me to continue the research I was conducting as an undergraduate, which now focuses more on the factors that impact the selling price of art. The department is also starting a new project to write case studies for the electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian. I've enjoyed the challenge of learning about an industry I'm less familiar with. We're researching how Rivian will maintain a competitive edge in a space that requires significant capital expenses to compete with brands like Tesla. If I hadn't sought out the opportunity to continue my research, I would have missed this chance to familiarize myself with new industries and an area of international business I wouldn't have explored on my own.
Q: As part of your work with the International Business Department, you co-authored a paper titled “Perceptions of Country Grands: A Study of the Global Art Trade Market.” What did this project entail?
A: This publication focuses on the impact of how geography dictates the price of a piece of art. For our first research question, we used a metric that assigns a numerical value to cultures based on how culturally indulgent or restrained they are. The values range from zero to one hundred, with zero being culturally restrained and one hundred being culturally indulgent. We hypothesized that a higher cultural indulgence value would garner a higher premium for the artwork. As expected, our hypothesis was accurate. For our second research question, we examined how the distance between an artist's home country and where their art sells impacts how their art is priced. Using methodologies like regression analysis with the data we collected, our research showed that the further an art piece sells from the artist's home country, the higher the price.
Q: Would you recommend the Full-Time MBA program to prospective students?
A: I can't speak highly enough of D'Amore-McKim's MBA program. Its flexibility and desire to cater its curriculum to the individual student allowed me to pursue research, soccer, and business simultaneously. Northeastern provides so many opportunities for success. Students can participate in domestic consulting projects as a course; the presentation and research methodology skills I learned in consulting were integral to my success during my corporate residency. The Graduate Career Center coached me through interview skills and applying for internships and full-time roles. D'Amore-McKim has given me so much encouragement, and I feel confident in my ability to succeed professionally.
