Konikoff Defeats Cancer, Takes on Doctorate Program

Bellevue University instructor Beth Konikoff has a wide range of experience to share with her classes, including high-level marketing positions, more than a decade in higher education and defeating cancer three times. Despite all this, she’s not slowing down, she’s still learning and growing, pursuing the Bellevue University 100% online Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA).

Multi-Industry ExperienceKonikoff worked in marketing for many years, holding director positions at Borders Books and Music, Michigan Jewish Institute and Advisicon. She currently serves as Volunteer Coordinator and is responsible for educational programming at UCHealth Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Day to day, Konikoff is also a full-time online faculty member and program specialist in the Bellevue University College of Continuing and Professional Education. She has been with the university since 2009.

Acquiring Knowledge She Can ApplyA doctorate has been a goal of Konikoff’s for many years. “I want to bring my marketing and business expertise to the healthcare environment,” she said.

DBA program director Dr. Julia Cronin-Gilmore said Konikoff is just the kind of student the DBA serves: “individuals who want to lead their organizations, and aspire to influence persons, organizations and communities through positive and ethical leadership informed by scholarly and applied knowledge. The program values integrity, scholarship, inclusion, rigor, and awareness.”

Konikoff said she chose the DBA because she could complete the degree in three years, with no on-campus requirement. She said she was also attracted to the broadness of the degree, knowing that it could apply to a number of areas: business administration, marketing, finance, and more.

“I like to explain it as 3.2.1, which is three years from start to finish; two-week breaks between courses; one doctoral project focused on solving an organizational or societal problem,” Dr. Cronin-Gilmore said. “Our mission is to develop and inspire ethical business leaders who recognize, respond, and resolve business and societal challenges for a better future.”

Though Konikoff is just a couple months into her program, she already sees that the program is what she expected and that she’s able to apply what she’s learning to her career.

“I am enjoying the student and professor interaction. The feedback from all the professors so far has been detailed and applicable,” she said. “There is a clear academic focus, as well, which is fun to be back into. I would recommend it to others because there are no surprises, which I have seen fellow doctoral candidates struggle with.”

Balancing Life, Work and School

Konikoff says balance is key to success. “It requires planning, managing around projects (both academic and home-based) and ensuring everything has enough time to thrive.” She also says taking some downtime is important.

She’s not new to overcoming big obstacles though. As a three-time cancer survivor, she’s gained a lot of resilience.

“The lesson here is to get back up after each incident,” she said. “I think of my interaction with the disease as chapters in a book (not my favorite chapters by the way!). But there is so much more to the story. So get through the (bad) chapter as quickly as you can so you can get back to the good stuff.”

Konikoff says she is grateful for the relationships and people around her. “It certainly takes a village (or in my case an entire country!), but keep going forward. Move the obstacles in your way and go where you want to go.”

She’s doing just that. Konikoff plans to complete her doctorate degree program in March of 2023.