July 10, 2025

Smith’s Joshua Neeriemer Among Best & Brightest Online MBAs

Joshua Neeriemer, a financial analyst and Online MBA student at Maryland Smith, was named to Poets & Quants’ 2025 “Best & Brightest” list, honoring standout leaders from top global programs for their impact and excellence.

Joshua Neeriemer, an accomplished financial analyst, represents the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business in Poets & Quants’ “Best & Brightest Online MBAs: Class Of 2025.”

In its eighth year, the publication is honoring 56 top leaders and performers across 39 of the world’s top Online MBA programs. They include CFOs, entrepreneurs, engineers and human resources managers. As undergraduates, they majored in the likes of Neuroscience, Theology, Journalism and Philosophy—Neeriemer’s field of study as a UMD undergrad.

In his profile/Q&A, he says, “I went to the University of Maryland as an undergraduate and while I no longer live in the Maryland area, the online program was a great fit for me. Additionally, the international program [the Smith School] offers all MBA students is an intensive set of business meetings in multiple locations over a week-and-a-half, which stood out when I compared potential other programs I was considering.

Neeriemer, director of financial analysis for Navient, describes the impact of his Smith experience: “In terms of curriculum, I found many of the ‘meta’ classes, like leadership and organizational change, were instrumental in helping me refine my personal thought process when tackling work challenges. I learned to lean into effective communication and take the time to think through processes, collect other’s inputs, and transform all that intelligence into meaningfully better opportunities for my company to pursue.”

Asked to describe his favorite part of being in an online MBA program, Neeriemer responded: “Late night study sessions. It ruins the sleep cycle, but there is a certain magic to the conversations one has with one’s peers when working through difficult school topics together. In an always-online, always-connected world, it is also hard to understate the value of electronic communication. Thriving in an online program is thriving via electronic connectivity, which translates to better performance in a digital place.”

Read more about Smith’s Online MBA Program and Neerriemer in his Poets & Quants Best and Brightest profile.

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About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.