Field Notes Mentorship
About Field Notes
Field Notes brings business leaders, professionals, and experienced mentors to UTD to share insights from their careers and experiences. Each session gives students an opportunity to learn beyond the classroom and think more deeply about leadership, faith, career, and purpose.
Featured Session
Dr. Ryan Allison
Business Leader • Professor • Mentor
Tuesday, September 29 | 8:00 PM
Dr. Ryan Allison brings more than 20 years of executive leadership experience across manufacturing, agriculture, packaging, food, and consumer products. Before entering higher education, he led companies through periods of growth, operational transformation, and business turnaround, working alongside family-owned businesses, corporate boards, and private equity firms.
Today, Dr. Allison serves as Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Dallas Baptist University’s Carter School of Business. He combines his experience in strategy, operations, and leadership with a passion for developing Christ-centered business leaders.
His work with students centers on a question that goes beyond simply building a successful career: How can we use our work, leadership, and influence to make a meaningful impact?
Come hear from someone who has led businesses, navigated complex challenges, and now invests in the next generation of leaders.
PAST FIELD NOTES
Field Notes brings business leaders, professionals, and experienced mentors to UTD to share insights from their careers and experiences. Each session gives students an opportunity to learn beyond the classroom and think more deeply about leadership, faith, career, and purpose.
Featured Session
Dr. John Tolson
Speaker • Author • Mentor • Founder of The Gathering
Living or Existing?
For more than 45 years, Dr. John Tolson has mentored students, business leaders, athletes, and professionals, helping people discover how to live with greater purpose and become the leaders God created them to be.
Dr. Tolson is the founder of The Gathering, a discipleship ministry that has impacted nearly one million people. He also pioneered one of the early team chaplain programs in the NBA and has served professional sports organizations including the Houston Rockets, Houston Astros, Houston Oilers, Orlando Magic, and Dallas Cowboys.
He is also the author of Take a Knee and co-author of The Four Priorities, books focused on discipleship, leadership, and living intentionally. His passion is helping people thrive not only in their careers, but in faith, family, and everyday life.