“Just Keep Showing Up”: Jennine Fox Reflects on Her DBA Journey at UW-Whitewater

Written by: Gracie Weston 

For Jennine Fox, this summer marks more than just the end of coursework—it’s a milestone of resilience, transformation, and purpose. As she completes her final classes in the Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s College of Business and Economics (CoBE) and transitions to ABD (All But Dissertation) status, she reflects on a journey that tested her limits and redefined her path forward. 
Jennine recalls arriving at UW-Whitewater for DBA orientation in May 2023 still questioning whether she had made the right decision. She wondered if pursuing a DBA was truly the right path, whether she could manage the workload alongside full-time work and family responsibilities, and if the cost of the program would ultimately be worth it. 

It’s a question many working professionals face when considering an additional degree—but UW-Whitewater’s DBA program is uniquely designed for exactly this type of learner. One of only a handful of AACSB-accredited DBA programs in the nation—and the only one in Wisconsin—Whitewater’s DBA offers a rigorous yet practical curriculum that prepares experienced professionals for leadership, teaching, and consulting roles. 
Despite the unknowns, Jennine trusted her instincts. She paid the deposit, arrived for the first weekend of class in August 2023, and took that bold first step. She recalls feeling the same anticipation and nervousness that comes with every first day of school. She found herself wondering, “Will the professors be nice? Will my classmates like me? Will my classes be hard? What should I wear?” 
That first semester would prove to be one of the most challenging—but also one of the most rewarding—of Jennine’s academic career. She credits the faculty—Dr. K. Praveen Parboteeah, Dr. Balaji Sankaranarayanan, Dr. Andy Yu, and Dr. Andrew Dahl—for warmly welcoming the cohort and providing consistent support throughout the semester. 

The UW-Whitewater DBA program’s cohort model, which brings together a diverse group of professionals who move through the program together, became an important piece of Jennine’s experience. “I’ve had the absolute pleasure of going through this journey alongside some wonderful classmates,” she says—classmates who have since become dear friends: Ben Trnka, Deborah McGrath, Grace Gonzalez, Javad Ahmad, Jennifer Stephens, Elton Johnson, Oluwaseun Okusanya, and Abdoul Aziz Savadogo. She’s grateful for their collaboration and support, and looks forward to crossing the stage and being hooded with them as newly minted doctors in December 2026. 
Today, Jennine is leaving the classroom behind with greater confidence, strong research skills, and a major professional milestone: securing her dream role as an Assistant Professor of Marketing at UW–Eau Claire. “I look back over the last two years and think about how far I’ve come,” she says. “I entered the program with imposter syndrome, terrified of the statistics classes, and worried I wouldn’t be able to achieve the career outcomes I wanted. Now, I am entering the dissertation phase with a lot more confidence, solid statistics skills, and my dream job at UW–Eau Claire as an Assistant Professor in Marketing!” 

Unlike traditional Ph.D. programs that focus primarily on theory, Whitewater’s DBA offers a broad and integrated approach—with coursework across accounting, finance, marketing, information technology, and management, all rooted in business research and practical application. Students are on campus one weekend per month, with classes running from Friday afternoon through Sunday evening, supported by virtual instruction during off weeks. The result is a program that’s both demanding and flexible enough for working professionals. 
As Jennine enters the dissertation phase, she’s excited to continue her work under the guidance of her dissertation chair, Dr. Andrew Dahl, and her committee. The program’s one-on-one faculty mentorship ensures students receive individualized attention as they develop original research with real-world business impact. Jennine, like many graduates before her, is on track to contribute valuable insights to both academia and industry. 
With more than 90 DBA graduates since 2014 and an 85% success rate, UW-Whitewater’s program continues to set a national standard. Graduates have gone on to thrive in management consulting, higher education, and executive leadership—fields that, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, are growing faster than average through 2033. 

Among the many lessons Jennine has learned during her doctoral journey, one simple piece of advice stands out—something passed down from the cohort before hers: “Just keep showing up.” 

“It's such simple advice, but I think it's universally valuable,” she says. “Show up. For your classes. For your family. For your career. For yourself. Consistently showing up, just being there, demonstrates commitment, responsibility, and determination. You still have to put in the effort, do the hard work, but ‘just showing up’ is a very important first step.” 

Looking back, Jennine is proud that she showed up that first day in August 2023—and every DBA weekend since. Now, with her dissertation in focus and graduation on the horizon, she’s ready to finish strong and enter the next chapter of her career—backed by one of the most respected doctoral business programs in the country. 
Our DBA classes begin August 22, learn more by visiting uww.edu/cobe/doctorate.  
 
About UW-Whitewater College of Business and Economics: 

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics (CoBE) is Wisconsin’s largest business college. It is home to the #1 ranked online, single school Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in the state and is the only college in Wisconsin that offers an AACSB-accredited Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) degree program. CoBE is in the top 1% of the world’s business schools having earned both AACSB and AACSB Accounting Accreditation and is one of only 27 universities in the United States to be recognized for excellence in management education by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD). For more information on the College of Business and Economics, visit uww.edu/cobe or email cobe@uww.edu.  

Photos:

Three photos of Jennine Fox, from left to right: Her professional headshot, smiling in Hyland Hall on her last day of classes in the UWW DBA program, and her cohort headshot.