UND MBA Alumnus Harry Zou has forged a successful path through service, advancing his education, and being a leader in action!

Pursuit of knowledge, practice of purpose

Persistence, thy name is Harry Zou — Army veteran, data scientist, AI specialist and Leader in Action at UND

For Harry Zou, becoming a leader wasn’t a goal — it was a process. One that was developed through the discipline of the U.S. military and evolved within the University of North Dakota.

Harry’s journey hasn’t been powered by perfect planning but instead by persistence, humanity and his unshakable sense of purpose.

Harry didn’t initially set out to study computer science. After completing his Bachelor of Business Administration in China in 2009, he came to the U.S. seeking new opportunities.

With encouragement from his parents — both working-class and without a college education — he initially leaned into business, hoping to leverage his strong English communication skills.

“They picked the cooperating program because I was pretty good at spoken English at the time,” he said. “They thought I could take advantage of that, which I’m very grateful for.” 

After earning his MBA degree at the University of North Dakota, Harry made the decision to enlist in the U.S. Army. Serving as an Automated Logistics Specialist, Harry deepened his technical skills and forged a powerful leadership philosophy rooted in discipline and compassion. 

Read and watch more about Harry and his successful career at UND.