Love School of Business honors faculty & students

The best and brightest of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business were honored April 18, 2013, in an afternoon awards ceremony that highlighted the achievements of both students and faculty.

The program was attended by family of the honored students; donors whose gifts made several scholarships possible; and most of the business school faculty whose input helped determine the 2013 award recipients.

Academic Achievement Awards

Academic Excellence Award in Accounting
Staci Scott
Christian True
This award is given to a senior accounting major who has demonstrated superior academic achievement and possesses potential for intellectual and professional growth.

Challenge and Expect Award in Accounting
Brian Sharnsky
This award is presented to a senior majoring in accounting who has demonstrated excellent academic achievement and growth.

John Kappas Economics Award
Alexander Spitz
This award goes to the senior economics major who best demonstrates enthusiasm for economics, potential for leadership, and classroom excellence. It is named in honor of the late John Kappas, a 1985 Elon graduate.

NC CPA Exam Award
Madeline Bray
This award is provided by the North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners to provide a deserving, graduating accounting major the opportunity to take the Uniform CPA exam free of charge.

Alpha Kappa Psi Scholarship Key And Award Certificate
Caroline Scalici
This award is presented to the student with the highest GPA among those graduating with a major in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business.

Walter Hattenbach Award
Caroline Scalici
The senior marketing major with the highest GPA receives this award, which was established by Dr. and Mrs. James W. Johnston in honor of their friend, Walter Hattenbach.

Benjamin Grover Johnston Award
Tristan Lane
This award honors the sophomore who has the highest GPA in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. Dr. and Mrs. James W. Johnston established this award in memory of Dr. Johnston’s brother, Benjamin Grover Johnston.

Student Achievement in Economics Award
Justin Wanner
This award is given to a senior economics major who has shown enthusiasm and success in his or her courses as well as promise for future achievement.

Student Achievement in Marketing Award
Emma Price
This award is given to a senior marketing major who has shown enthusiasm and success in his or her major as well as promise for future achievement.

Student Achievement in Finance Award
Justin Wanner
This award is given to a senior finance major who has shown enthusiasm and success in his or her major as well as promise for future achievement.

Student Achievement in International Business Award
Joshua Bolton
This award is given to a senior international business major who has shown enthusiasm and success in his or her major as well as promise for future achievement.

Student Achievement in Management Award
Alyssa Fonseca
This award is given to a senior management major who has shown enthusiasm and success in his or her major as well as promise for future achievement.

Student Achievement in Entrepreneurship Award
Ashley Haddy
This award is given to a senior entrepreneurship major who has shown enthusiasm and success in his or her major as well as promise for future achievement.

Love School of Business Responsible Leadership Award
Brenna Humphries
Responsible leaders inspire trust as well as establishing their own ethical behavior and modeling it to their group or organization. They use their technical, strategic and business knowledge and skills to make decisions that take into account the interests of all, including the community and future generations.  The recipient of the Responsible Leadership Award exemplifies these qualities within and outside of the Love School of Business.

Love School of Business Courageous Leadership Award
Samuel Kahane
Courageous leaders have a deep commitment to values and outcomes.  They make bold but reasoned decisions, take ownership of the results, and care about the consequences.  Courageous leaders earn trust and respect by living by their values, sending clear messages through their actions, and being assertive without being aggressive.  The recipient of the Courageous Leadership Award exemplifies these qualities within and outside of the Love School of Business.

The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Dean’s Awards for Faculty

Excellence in Teaching
John Burbridge
The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes a faculty member who exemplifies the Elon University teacher-scholar model. This person is outstanding in the classroom, engages students in the learning process, maintains academic rigor, and provides evidence of commitment to the intellectual development of students through mentoring and related activities.

Remarks on Burbridge from Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Love School of Business:

“Every day in class is an adventure,” wrote one student about this professor, a comment that is both an understatement and one that is widely shared by all of his students. “Best class I’ve had in four years,” wrote another about one of this professor’s courses, and not a class that lends itself to casual enthusiasm.

This professor “showed a passionate interest in the subject and created an atmosphere in the classroom that was comfortable, enjoyable, and challenging.”

This professor is also willing to step beyond the traditional curriculum if doing so can lead to more interesting, more effective learning experiences.  For example, one student wrote that “The Baseball Analytics case competition was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences I have had while at Elon. The case preparation, presentation and competition truly forced me to recognize my individual strengths and talents as well as those of my teammates. It was an honor to represent Elon and the experience and lesson’s learned will not be forgotten.”

Students were equally enthusiastic about how this professor’s willingness and ability to make real-time, face-to-face consulting with local firms made learning often difficult material much more engaging and stimulating. In one recent example, this professor’s Operations and Supply Chain class performed process improvement projects with three local organizations: Southland Electric, BuyMeCake, and Alamance Regional Medical Center.

One student wrote how “applying what we were learning in class directly to this practical application not only helped me understand the concepts discussed but made it a much more fulfilling learning experience.”

One of the student groups worked with the endoscopy unit of Alamance Regional Medical Center, making recommendations concerning the process of performing endoscopies, which result in shorter patient wait times, improved communications, better scheduling, higher patient satisfaction levels, and more efficient use of the hospital resources.

“It is important for the MBA students to deal with processes and problems within real businesses,” the professor noted.  “Only then do they realize the complexities associated with operations whether in a manufacturing or service environment.”  This represents engaged learning at its best.

Excellence in Scholarship
Betsy Stevens
The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Dean’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship recognizes one or more faculty members each year whose scholarly work has a significant intellectual impact in keeping with the Elon scholar-mentor model. Selection factors for this award include publication or presentation of peer-reviewed research in quality outlets and evidence that the faculty member engages in scholarship related activities. These activities might include supporting the scholarly endeavors of colleagues, advancing the school’s reputation, and mentoring students in undergraduate research.

Remarks on Stevens from Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Love School of Business:

This year’s the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship goes to a member of our faculty who has demonstrated a long tenure in producing high quality research and has published once again this year in a very prestigious academic journal. The Journal of Business Ethics publishes original articles from a wide variety of methodological and disciplinary perspectives concerning ethical issues related to business that bring something new or unique to the discourse in their field.  JBE is abstracted in some of the most respected indices and is one of 40 journals used by Financial Times to compile the prestigious Business School research rank. 

This past year, Betsy Stevens had her article, “How Ethical Are U.S. Business Executives? A Study of Perceptions,” accepted for publication in the Journal of Business Ethics. While this is an impressive scholarly achievement this past year, I would be remiss if I did not mention her publishing record with this journal.

Over the last 20 years, Betsy has authored several articles on corporate ethics in several journals, but most notably in the Journal of Business Ethics. Perhaps most remarkable is her 1994 publication in JBE, “An analysis of corporate ethical code studies: Where do we go from here?” which, according to Google Scholar, has been cited 175 times. While she followed this work with several other articles, in 1999 she published her article, “Communicating ethical values: A study of employee perceptions” again in the JBE and this article has now been cited 87 times. 

She published three more articles in this journal in 2001, 2004, and 2008 – the latter article having been cited almost 100 times.  In 2011, Betsy received the Journal of Business Ethics Citation Award “30 Year Citation Classic” for her early publication with a citation frequency four standard deviations above the mean.

Exemplary Service – External
Betty Garrison
The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Dean’s Award for Exemplary Service – External recognizes a member of the larger Elon University community who has contributed in meaningful ways to the ongoing welfare and betterment of the LSB. This contribution can take the form of assisting LSB with a specific program or project or providing ongoing support for LSB activities.

Remarks on Garrison from Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Love School of Business:

This person has and continues to be a friend and valuable partner of the Love School of Business.  She manages a wide variety of resources that are of critical importance to the school and its students.  She works to ensure that those resources are always up-to-date.  She keeps us abreast of continuously changing sources of information, periodicals, web-based-data, and print media – most of which she does independently and proactively, suggesting works and material that the faculty and students may not have anticipated or even been aware of. 

She is also a ready and helpful coach for both students and faculty who are seeking but do not know exactly where to find information on economics, management, marketing, operations, accounting, and finance.  She provides training sessions for both undergraduate and graduate classes to ensure that our students have the knowledge and tools they will need to take advantage of all types of information sources, knowledge and tools that will enable them to better contribute to their classes and maximize the education they receive while at Elon.

She is one of the very first people incoming MBA students meet as they enter the program and one of the many who make attending Elon such a pleasant, welcoming experience. Elon is blessed with staff that is knowledgeable, helpful, and delightful to work with.  This person is certainly among our most talented.  And finally, it must be said that that she does all of this with a wonderful sense of humor.

Exemplary Service – Faculty
Tina Das
Haya Ajjan
The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Dean’s Award for Exemplary Service-Faculty recognizes one or more faculty members each year who has contributed in meaningful ways to the ongoing welfare and betterment of the college, university and profession. This award follows from the Elon servant-leadership model. Selection is based on service in the preceding year plus overall willingness to volunteer one’s time when needed and to carry new ideas to reality.

Remarks on Das from Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Love School of Business:

This year’s Dean’s Award for Excellence in Service goes to a member of our faculty who has had a made a tremendous impact on our Business Fellows Program.

When Tina Das stepped into the role as director of the Business Fellows about two years ago, she took it on like she takes on any project – full force and no holds barred. She spent time talking to everyone who has been or is currently involved in the fellows program and asked each person for their SWOT analysis. She listened, hashed out ideas for improvement, and developed a new curriculum and a new process for selecting the fellows.  She put in a tremendous effort and as a result, the program has been significantly elevated.  The curriculum has been revised and the fellows are fully engaged.  Why?  She spent time talking to everyone, did her research, and pulled the best ideas together.  How did she get the fellows fully engaged?  Well, in true Tina Das fashion, she told them exactly how fortunate they were to have been selected and that they would be asked demonstrate their value to the program and that she expects them to rise to the occasion each and every time. 

And, in her words, “…if you don’t, there is a line of students outside my door every day wanting your spot!”  Only she can deliver that line and make it a positive motivator.   I have heard the fellows say on several occasions that they “don’t want to let Das down” because she “expects them to be their best.”

Remarks on Ajjan from Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Love School of Business:

This faculty member’s service on behalf of the LSB and its students is equal in quality to her performance in teaching and research. A number of contributions are particularly notable. 

This professor was the founding faculty advisor to the newly created Elon chapter of Sigma Iota Epsilon, the leading management fraternity in the U.S., after having taken a leading role in the fraternity’s establishment on campus. Twenty-six students were initiated in the newly formed chapter. Under this professor’s guidance the chapter has already made significant contributions to the university, the students, and the community.  SIE and the management department hosted a spring management conference that organized around the theme “Managing Your Future,” with sessions on social networks, the art of negotiation, and how graduates can best take advantage of their first 100 days on the job. 

The brand new chapter was named Runner-Up Chapter of the Year by the SIE national office.  In making the award, SIE national noted, in part, that “this chapter is one of our newest, but has already demonstrated a serious dedication to SIE … Thank you again for your support for SIE.  It is because of advisors like you, and chapters like yours, that SIE will continue to grow…”

This professor continues to make a wide variety of valuable contributions to the life of the university.  She worked with other Elon faculty to create a database interface that enables faculty to review committee assignments.  She has provided enthusiastic, willing support in the exploration of new graduate programs in the Love School.  She created two access databases for the Academy of Business Education.

She is a speaker in undergraduate classes on the warfare and humanitarian crisis in Syria. She sponsored an Elon student from Damascus during her first years at Elon.

Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award

Shane Powers ‘99

Powers graduated from Elon with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1999.  He went on to earn an MBA in Finance and Management from Fordham University, and currently works as the director of Credit Suisse’s Investment Banking Division in New York.

Powers has been an invaluable resource for Love School of Business students. He serves as the Elon University Team Leader for Credit Suisse’s Virtual Recruiting effort. He is not only involved in recruiting initiatives to hire Elon students, but he also engages and mentors many interested students in the finance and business arena in New York City. Powers acts as a liaison for various opportunities in and around the New York area.  He consistently approaches Elon with employment opportunities and assists in developing strategies for employing our students. Powers actively engages LSB students seeking professional or career advice and always makes time to assist them with internship searches, interview prep and resume reviews.

Shane recently hosted Elon’s National Networking Day event in New York City and he helps coordinate company visits for the Business Fellows during their annual trip to New York. He is a former member of Elon’s Alumni Board and a current member of the Love School of Business Board of Advisors, serving on the Career Services Committee.

2011-12 Endowed Scholarships

Endowed scholarship recipients honored for their 2011-12 achievements.

The A. Vance Beck, Sr. and Gwendolyn D. Beck Scholarship
Danielle Wallach
Established in honor of Vance and Gwendolyn Beck by his employer (the Belk-Beck group of department stores), the award goes to a rising junior within the business school.

The David O. Bowden Economics Scholarship
Nathan Anonick
Established by David Bowden ’70, the David O. Bowden Economics Scholarship is awarded to a rising senior majoring in economics who has been active in the department and demonstrated potential for future success. At Elon, Mr. Bowden was a double major in business administration and economics. He went on to earn his J.D. from the University of Miami.

The Janie E. Council Scholarship
Eric Gesimondo
This award was established in 1983 in memory of Janie E. Council by former friends, students and Mr. Robert Sandell II. Mrs. Council began her teaching career at Elon University in 1960 as an associate professor of business education and received the outstanding teaching award from the SGA in 1970. This scholarship is for a rising senior majoring in accounting, business administration, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, management or marketing.

The Doherty Scholars Award
Kenneth Straub
Kimberly Gersh
Samantha Bellamy
The Doherty Scholars are the top rising juniors and seniors in the business school’s entrepreneurship major or concentration. They will become the core leaders in the establishment of new entrepreneurial ventures on campus. These scholarships have been established through a generous gift from Edward and Joan Doherty to endow the Doherty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Ed and Joan are the parents of three children including Kerry, a 2007 Elon graduate. Ed is a member of Elon’s Board of Trustees and together with Joan serves on Elon’s Parents Council.

The Love Award for Excellence in Business Leadership
Richard Segal
The prestigious Love Awards for Excellence in Business Leadership will honor and provide financial support to students who have demonstrated excellence and unusual promise for further development in intellect, imagination, creativity, character, moral courage and leadership. Founded by Martha and Spencer Love in 1947, the Martha and Spencer Love Foundation has generously supported Elon since the 1950s and made a major gift to Elon in 1985 to name the business school.

The Calvert C. and Margaret H. McGregor Scholarship
Richard Segal
This scholarship was established by Calvert and Audrey McGregor in honor of his parents, C. Calvert and Margaret H. McGregor. McGregor is an associate professor emeritus and the former chair of the accounting department at Elon. This scholarship is for a rising junior or senior accounting student with preference given to students living in Alamance County, the Triad, or North Carolina.

The John and Helene Sparks Scholarship for Business
Erin Scally
This scholarship was established by John and his wife Helene in 1981. John Sparks graduated from Elon in 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration. He is a certified public accountant and former faculty member in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. This scholarship is for business administration, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, management or marketing majors.

The Frederick K. Gilliam, Sr. Scholarship
Andrew Gruninger
Nancy Chen
This scholarship was established in 1989 in memory of Fred Gilliam, Sr. by the partners in his accounting firm (James Moser, Jr., Maurice Jennings, and John Vernon III). Fred was a 1942 Elon graduate. He participated in orchestra and was part of Kappa Psi Nu. This scholarship is for accounting majors.

The R. Cruse Lewis Master Pools Guild/Love School of Business Endowment Scholarship
Tristan Lane
This scholarship was established in 1998 in honor of Cruse’s retirement from Master Pools Guild. Mr. R. Cruse Lewis is a former employee of Swimout Overflow Components, Inc. and Burlington Industries. He received a Citizen’s Service Award in November 2000 and has served on the Board of Visitors at Elon since 1996. This scholarship is for any business school major.

The Dudley Ray Watson Memorial Scholarship
Nathaniel James
This scholarship was established in memory of Dudley Ray Watson by his parents, J. D. and Eunice Watson. Watson served as a member of the business faculty at Elon College from 1960 to 1963. This scholarship is for a rising senior majoring in business administration, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, management or marketing.

Wachovia Bank, N.A. Scholarship
Aubrey Wilkerson
This scholarship was established in 1987 as the First Union Bank Scholarship and later renamed when First Union and Wachovia banks merged. The scholarship provides assistance to students enrolled in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business.

The Linda Thompson Weavil Endowed Scholarship
Allison Cardella
Emily Sweitzer
Shana McAlexander
This scholarship was established in 1992 by Dr. Linda Thompson Weavil and her husband Robert B. Weavil. Linda Thompson Weavil retired from the faculty of the Love School of Business in 2001. This scholarship is for an MBA student or an undergraduate majoring in business administration, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, management or marketing, with preference given to those living in Alamance County, the Triad, or North Carolina.

The John L. Sills, Jr. Scholarship
Nancy Chen
Timothy Sanford
This scholarship was established in honor of John L. Sills, Jr. by Riverview Narrow Fabrics in August 1987. Sills was treasurer at Riverview Narrow Fabrics, Inc. He and his wife, Martha, have one son, John L. Sills, III, a 1989 Elon graduate. This scholarship is for rising junior accounting majors.

The David A. Stevens ’81 Internship Scholarship
Kimberly Owens
Established in 2007 by David and Beth Stevens, this scholarship is awarded to business students to help defray the cost of completing an internship.

The Charles David Smith Endowed Scholarship
Kristin Ruffe
This scholarship was established in memory of Charles D. Smith by his parents Randolph Smith and Joyce Miller, and lifelong friend George Logan. Charles died in a plane crash near Roanoke, Virginia. He graduated from Elon with a Bachelor of Science degree in Banking and Finance in 1997. He was part of the men’s tennis team and a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. This scholarship is for business majors and preference is given to students from Virginia.

The Mills Family Endowed Scholarship
Kyrstin Wallach
Established in 2006 by Willard “Bill” Mills, Jr., and his mother, Helen Mills Gardner, this scholarship is awarded to a deserving student from North Carolina with preference given to a student majoring in business. Bill graduated from Elon in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

The Mark A. Horsburgh Study Abroad Scholarship
Katherine Larson
This award, established in 2007 by the Horsburgh family, provides scholarship assistance to a Business Fellow so that he or she can study abroad. The fund was created in honor of Mark A. Horsburgh, a 2007 Elon graduate and Business Fellow who studied abroad in Australia and Peru.

The Andras Family Award
Nana Mensah
This award was established in 2007 with gifts from the Andras Foundation and David and Anne Andras, parents of Cody Andras ’10. The scholarship is awarded to a rising senior within the business school whose excellent work both inside and outside of the classroom models a pathway to future success in business.

The Samuel L. Burke Endowed Scholarship
Natalie Cuzmenco
This fund was established in 2008 by Samuel Burke ’89 to provide assistance for deserving accounting majors who are likely to demonstrate the value of their Elon education in their future careers.

The Rose Family Endowed Fund for Engaged Learning in Business
Elizabeth Desino
Danielle Wallach
This fund was established by Harry and Carol Rose in 2008 to help defray the cots of a business-related internship experience for any business major.

The Department of Economics Endowed Scholarship
Stanton Sandford
Marquessa Smith-Lin
This scholarship was established in 2005 by members of the Department of Economics for an economics major with a record of academic excellence within the major who exhibits a commitment to social responsibility

The James T. Toney Endowment Fund
Brandon Lundie
This award was established by members of the Department of Economics in honor of Professor Jim Toney. The scholarship is for economics majors and is to be used for off-campus travel.

The Edward and Rita Galante Endowment for Business Internships
Julie Rodriguez
Colleen Cooper
This fund was established in 2008 in honor of Edward and Rita Galante by their son Donald and his wife Amanda. The award is to help business majors enjoy the unique educational opportunities associated with internships related to their major.

The Peter L. Tourtellot Endowed Scholarship in Business
Melissa Kenealy
This scholarship was established in 2010 by members of the Love School of Business Board of Advisors honoring board member Peter Tourtellot for his seven years of service as board chair. The scholarship is for a deserving undergraduate student within the Love School of Business.

The Troy Family Endowed Scholarship for International Study
Katherine Sipple
Established by Samuel P. Troy ’67, this scholarship is for any student in the Love School of Business studying abroad for a semester.

The J. Harold Smith Scholarship
Austin Rhoads
This award was established by C. Randolph Ferguson in 1995 in honor of J. Harold Smith.  It is intended for business students from North Carolina with a minimum 2.7 GPA.

The R. Alston Team III Endowed Scholarship in Business
Lia Webb
This scholarship was established in honor of Alston Team ’07 for students with a strong GPA, a record of contributions to the Love School of Business, and a significant potential for professional success.

The Don S. and Margaret M. Holt Scholarship
Le To
Jessica Petrillo
This award was established by the estate of Margaret M. Holt in 1988 to provide scholarship assistance to students in the Love School of Business.

The William A. Klopman, Jr. Memorial Scholarship
Josiah Jodrey
This award was established in 1992 in memory of William A. Klopman, Jr., a scholar of business and law. It is to provide scholarship assistance to a rising junior or senior in the Love School of Business who demonstrates high academic potential with preference given to students living in Alamance County, the Triad, or North Carolina.

The Park Business Scholarship
Desiree Porter
The scholarship was established in honor of “Joy” K. Park in 1992 to provide assistance for a rising junior or senior in the Love School of Business of racial or ethnic minority. Preference is given to students living in Alamance County, the Triad, or North Carolina.

The Myers Family Endowed Scholarship in Business
Danielle White
The Myers family established this fund in honor of their son, Jay, a 2007 business school graduate, for Love School of Business major who exhibit excellence in leadership, character and intellect.

The John R. Hill ’76 and Lesley W. Hill Endowed Fund for Engaged Learning in Business
Matthew Zimpelman
This fund was established by John R. Hill ’76 and Lesley W. Hill to assist students with engaged learning experiences, such as research, international study or internships.