Love School of Business celebrates student & faculty achievements

The best and brightest of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business were honored April 23, 2015, 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 2015 award recipients.

Academic Achievement Awards

Academic Excellence Award in Accounting
Richard Sparks Segal
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
Kevin Michael Smeaton
This award is presented to a senior majoring in accounting who has demonstrated excellent academic achievement and growth.

John Kappas Economics Award
Jennifer Annette Smith
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
Kathryn Paloma Perez
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
Aubrey James Wilkerson
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
Aubrey James Wilkerson
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
Casey Anna Wagner
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
Marquessa Kate Smith-Lin
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
Elin Ann Pipatti
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
Jeffrey Taylor Baldetti
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
Erin Carol Scally
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
Aubrey James Wilkerson
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
Anne Rachael Schaffer
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.

FSP Excellence in Financial Education Student Award
Kaitlin Christina Fan
Andrew Coulston Lynch
Jessica Marie Petrillo
Adam William Wilver
This award is given to a senior finance major who has demonstrated excellent academic achievement and possesses potential for professional growth in financial services.

Love School of Business Responsible Leadership Award
Matthew Robert Zimpelman
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
Alexandra Manuela Goeldner
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
Catherine Chiang
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 Chiang from Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Love School of Business:

“This year’s Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching goes to a faculty member whose motto is: ‘For me, to teach is to change a life forever.’ This faculty member puts extreme effort into designing courses that challenge students’ minds, promote their thinking, broaden their perspectives, and sharpen their communication skills. Elon’s model of engaged learning is tailor-made for this faculty member as hands-on projects are a hallmark of her classes. The value of these projects can be seen in student comments such as ‘She gave us a lot of projects that are applicable to the real world … A lot of thinking we had to do outside of the course material’ and ‘The group project taught us the entire business process and the importance of internal control.’

“This faculty member is one of the most technologically proficient professors in her department.  She has elevated the students’ knowledge, skills and abilities in technology through the use of advanced projects in Excel and SAP.  Her efforts to infuse technology into the course did not go unnoticed by the students.

“This faculty member uses a variety of teaching techniques in her classroom to reach the diverse learning styles of her students. Student comments on her use of variety in assignments include ‘Variety of assignments throughout the semester helped keep things interesting while teaching multiple skills and developing in-depth knowledge that would be very beneficial in future careers.’

“This faculty member is always available to her students outside of class. As the saying goes, ‘people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.’ In the words of her students, ‘She is very enthusiastic and caring. She wants her students to do well and helps students whenever we need her. I really enjoyed this class.’

“‘She was always very helpful and was available to make sure we understood the concepts.'”

Excellence in Scholarship
Neeraj Gupta
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 Gupta from Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Love School of Business:

“This person’s research is focused on valuation of firms, personal financial planning, sustainable investing and intangible assets.

“Since 2007, this scholar has had seven refereed journal publications and has also made 12 conference presentations, some of which have been published in conference proceedings. One refereed journal publication is forthcoming in 2015, two papers are ready to be submitted for journal publication, and two more papers are currently works in progress. This scholar, who is often the first author, works with a number of colleagues here at Elon and at other institutions.

“This scholar has published recently in the Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Financial Services Review, the International Journal of Business and Finance Research, Competition Forum, the Business Review, Southern Journal of Business and Ethics, and the Journal of Business & Economics Research. The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance is widely recognized as a high-quality journal. This scholar shows that post-tenure, one can focus on high-quality journals that take longer with the review process.

“Recent conference presentations include the Southern Finance Association Conference, the International Atlantic Economic Conference, American Society for Competitiveness Conference, the Eastern Finance Association Conference, the Southern Academy of Legal Studies in Business Conference, and the Financial Education Association Conference.

“A well-developed research stream relates directly to this person’s teaching for undergraduates, MBAs and as an invited speaker and business expert.”

Exemplary Service – Faculty
Sean McMahon
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 McMahon from Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Love School of Business:

In a short period of time, this individual has made a substantial impact for the students of the LSB and at the departmental level. This individual took on a major project that involved gathering information from a large cross section of stakeholders. The information derived from gathering this data led to further discussions within the LSB and across campus to create a comprehensive plan of achievement.  Once this plan was developed even more discussions were held to fine tune this plan.  Presentations were made to the stakeholders to determine feasibility of the developed plan, and after a tremendous amount of time, work and effort meeting deadlines to ensure the success of this plan, this plan was launched. In a recent email a major campus administrator stated, ‘The growth of the program, as measured by the number of majors and minors, can be seen as a reflection of this individual’s hard work.’

“His chair states that this individual was charged with a large task, accepted the challenge, thoroughly analyzed the information, involved faculty and administrators across campus and within a short period of time developed a lasting curriculum which will strongly impact students and the major in a positive manner. This individual is a positive influence not only in the classroom but also a valued member of the department.”

Exemplary Service – External
Sandy Marshall
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 Marshall from Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Love School of Business:

“In the few years that this person has been at Elon, this staff member has made great improvements in the behind-the-scenes processes that help this school run smoothly and efficiently. She is never afraid to take a new idea and run with it if she thinks it has the potential to improve the status quo.

“This past year, we hired nine new full-time faculty members. Following a year when we had hired seven new faculty members, this dedicated staff member spent a second summer in a row working tirelessly through the hiring and onboarding process for each of those faculty members, making sure every piece of the puzzle was in place so that they were all set for the beginning of school. To make her life over this summer even more interesting, we converted two classrooms in the building into 11 new offices. This person had to manage the domino effect of existing faculty wanting to move into the newly constructed offices and then establish the new faculty in offices throughout the building. Furniture, phones, computers, what stays here, what goes there….all of that had to be organized and managed, and this person somehow found a way to keep all of that on track. 

“All of this also on top of the dozens of part-time and limited term faculty that expect things like a contract and a place to sit and do their work. Such important things to have, and they don’t exactly appear out of thin air. While most of us enjoy and get to take advantage of a lighter workload during the summer, this staff member is diligently working through one of her busiest times of the year. And folks, I’m just focusing on one of the many duties she is responsible for in her position.

Exemplary Service – Staff
Sadie Allen
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 Allen from Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Love School of Business:

“This year’s external recipient of the Dean’s Award for Exemplary Service has served the LSB faculty, staff and students, and everyone walking through door of the Koury Business Center for the past six years. She has worked at Elon for 25 years, assigned to work in Powell, Duke, Colclough, Chandler and Maynard buildings over the years. She retired in 2008 but then came back part-time the next year to continue her service to the university in the Koury Business Center, and also pitching in to help out in other areas when needed. 

“This person works her way through this building every day, ensuring that faculty and students are able to focus on teaching and learning, and tour groups are able to focus on this wonderful facility, instead of having to step over spills in the hallway or look at trash left sitting around. Whether her efforts are noticed by everyone who enters this building, I cannot say, but I can certainly say that without them this building would not be as inviting as it always is. For the past six years, the Love School of Business has enjoyed the peace of mind in knowing that when a major event is happening, guests will enter a clean room; when a tour group comes parading through the hallways, prospective students will see a well-maintained facility; when someone rushes out of Java City too quickly with their full cup of coffee, the inevitable mess will quickly disappear.  Any request for help is answered with an ‘I will take care of it.’ 

“This year’s recipient is soft-spoken, friendly, courteous and works well with her co-workers and the staff in all her buildings, and we here in the Love School of Business are certainly lucky to have her working with us.

2015-16 Endowed Scholarships

Endowed scholarship recipients honored for their 2015 achievements.

The A. Vance Beck, Sr. and Gwendolyn D. Beck Scholarship
Bryant Beaulieu
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
Stephanie Tizik
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
Allison Weiler
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
Nicholas Harbur
Dario Morando
Kellen Sorensen
Brett Spelker
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 Calvert C. and Margaret H. McGregor Scholarship
Nicholas Massey
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
Avery Ecker
This award 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
Hannah Braun
Adam Knaszak
Chris Shannon
Haley Ghelfi
Ryan Herring
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
Gabrielle Corner
Jared Lennon
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
Katherine Skinner
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.

The Wells Fargo Scholarship
Kenneth Crew
This scholarship was established in 1987 as the First Union Bank Scholarship, renamed when First Union and Wachovia banks merged, and again renamed when Wachovia and Wells Fargo merged. The scholarship provides assistance to students enrolled in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business.

The Linda Thompson Weavil Endowed Scholarship
Christine Garrett
Sarah Townsend
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
Jonathon Cox
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
Katherine Boyle
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
Jocelyn Smith
Michelle Rich
Meghan Cashin
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 Myers Family Endowed Scholarship in Business
Chris Pacitto
The Myers family established this fund in honor of their son Jay, a 2007 business school graduate, for Love School of Business majors who exhibit excellence in leadership, character, and intellect.

The Mark A. Horsburgh Study Abroad Scholarship
Corey Glass
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
Carly Davenport
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
Daniel Kirk
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
Mary Petruska
Robert Flood
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
David Wallach
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 Edward and Rita Galante Endowment for Business Internships
Katherine Sheridan
Jane Humphrey
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
Tyler Riccio
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
Holly Weiler
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
Sydney Branson
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
Leo Moran
Rebecca Tillem
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
Brett Huntley
Michael Keenan
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
Wesley Brewer
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
Delaney Hinnant
The scholarship was established in 1992 by Professor of Finance Dr. Wonhi Synn and his wife, Grace, in memory of her mother, Joy K. Park 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 Yearwood Family Scholarship
Meghan Greene
This award was established by David and Amy Yearwood, parents of business administration major J.D. Yearwood ‘07, in order to help make the unique opportunities presented through an Elon education available to a greater number of gifted and deserving business students.

The John R. Hill ’76 and Lesley W. Hill Endowed Fund for Engaged Learning in Business
Adam Gill
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.

The Taylor S. Davis Scholarship for Engaged Learning in Business
Gabriella Mays
This award was established in 2014 by Jeffrey S. and Marti Davis in order to provide support for undergraduate students studying in the Love School of Business.

The Waesche Engaged Learning Scholarship
Nicholas Robbie
Established in 2013 by Roger A. Waesche, Jr. and Alexandra Waesche, this award is intended to support Love School of Business students pursuing professional development opportunities.