MBA student Montreka Dansby, PhD

MBA student Montreka Dansby has a background in food and nutritional sciences and biomedical sciences. She received her PhD from North Carolina State University and her research focused on the biological and anti-cancer properties of dietary phytochemicals.

She completed the Fellowships in Research and Science Teaching (FIRST) postdoctoral program in the Department of Physiology at Emory University School of Medicine and in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.

Montreka learned about the Transcendental Meditation® program and Fairfield from watching an Oprah special in 2012. She was so impressed by what she saw that she wanted to visit. After signing up for a women’s conference at The Raj Maharishi Ayurveda Health Spa, she spent a week learning the TM® technique, touring campus, and meeting people. She had such a wonderful experience she considered attending MIU but, due to work obligations, she could not. In 2017, however, she learned about the online MBA program and applied.

Doing outreach at a local elementary school for interactive learning about food science and nutrition

Montreka is currently program manager for surgical education at Morehouse School of Medicine, providing support for surgery residents and medical students as well as compliance and accreditation. Montreka’s job involves administration, education, and communication, and she is striving to exemplify good leadership.

“The information I have learned in my MBA classes has helped me significantly in decision-making and preventing and solving conflicts,” said Montreka. “I like to focus on respect, forgiveness, humility, and love. I grew up with those values and MIU has added structure to that foundation.”

She also finds that her TM practice helps her stay calm in stressful moments. “It’s easy to get caught up in what’s going on, but TM helps me stay in balance; it defines my day,” she said.

Montreka is enthusiastic about educating and inspiring people. She aspires to motivate others to be their best authentic selves and reach for the highest goals. She is also passionate about food and wants to increase awareness about the relationship between agriculture, nutrition, and the environment. “I would like the next generation to appreciate and embrace agriculture,” she said. In her free time, she enjoys gardening and the outdoors.