Winter 2015
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TOWER
11
COLLEGE OF
BUSINESS
DAN GOLDBERG M ’06 was already
a successful entrepreneur when he
decided to earn a Master of Business
Administration at KU.
His business, For Eyes, which provided
high-quality, low-cost eyewear, had
grown from one Philadelphia store to
55 stores across the country and in
Puerto Rico. National and international
attention followed, and Goldberg was
able to sell his company and focus on
his partnership in Goldberg, Strunk
and Levy, a marketing, management,
advertising and public relations firm.
He also became chairman of the Atrun
Group, Inc. of Philadelphia and Atrun
Oil and Gas, a joint venture between
U.S. operators and the Russian govern-
ment to develop oil and gas resources
in Siberia. Afterward, he launched
Dan Goldberg Consulting, a venture
he is still involved with today. As part
of his consulting business, he works
with burgeoning entrepreneurs, has
written three books on leadership and
succeeding in business and conducts
business and life coaching.
But it wasn’t enough. There was one
more goal he wanted to achieve, and
an MBA was crucial for the next step –
teaching.
“I always wanted to teach at the col-
lege level,” he disclosed. “That was my
passion. My MBA afforded me the
ability to teach – and I love to learn!
The faculty at KU was great. Although
they were my professors, they were
also my colleagues, since I chaired the
Dean’s Advisory Board at Kutztown’s
College of Business. After I graduated,
they really became my colleagues,
because I began teaching at KU.”
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL
ARTS AND SCIENCES
For some people, the idea of balancing the
demands of graduate school with a career
and family is daunting. So what’s the key
to success? Discipline.
Major ADAM KISTHARDT ’88,
M ’00 was employed as a state trooper
when he enrolled in KU’s master of public
administration program. After completing
his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice,
he knew he wanted to return to his alma
mater for a master’s degree.
“I was so impressed with my professors,
and as an undergraduate my advisor,
Dr. John Meyer, suggested I minor in
public administration,” he recalled. “Once
I started working with the state police,
I saw how much a graduate degree in
public administration helped a person
working in the public sector. I knew it
would be beneficial to my career.”
But, as a working professional, his
schedule was vastly different than it had
been. As a state trooper, his shifts alternated
on a daily basis, and when the call came
for him to report to a crime scene, he had
to obey. Kisthardt was also a member of
the Pennsylvania State Trooper’s Tactical
Response Unit, and responded to serious
incidents where his presence meant the
difference, between life and death. Imagine
working from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m., attending
classes in the evening, and returning home,
only to get called out to a barricaded gun-
man incident. In the morning, you have to
go back to work. This was Kisthardt’s
reality. But in spite of facing unique chal-
lenges, he persevered with his education.
“It was extremely demanding, but I just
worked extra hard,” he said. “I studied at
night and on the weekends. Time man-
agement was crucial. But it was all worth
it. I believe the reason I’ve been promoted
several times in my job is because of my
degree. If you don’t think you can do it –
YOU CAN. Discipline yourself. Use your
time wisely. And make what you’re study-
ing your passion.”
Today, Kisthardt is the director of the
Bureau of Training and Education for the
Pennsylvania State Police. He is tasked
with running a police academy to train
tomorrow’s state troopers. Some of his
responsibilities include supervising com-
manders; developing correspondence; cre-
ating policy; overseeing recruiting and
human resources; and managing a budget
that is worth tens of millions of dollars.
And he credits it all to KU.
“I received a classic education in public
administration from KU,” he said. “I
learned how the field developed in the
1920s and 1930s and various philosophies
about why our government is adminis-
tered the way it is. It helped me quickly
make sense of the department I worked
for – how it was organized and the way
business is conducted. And the professors
were all fantastic – they would create
such lively debate in class! Kutztown
really helped me succeed in my job
and got me to where I am today.”
