The international honor society recently inducted top business students.
The Elon chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma inducted 47 members during an April 28 ceremony held in the LaRose Digital Theatre.
BGS is the international honor society that serves business programs accredited by AACSB International-The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. BGS membership provides the highest recognition a baccalaureate or graduate business student anywhere in the world can receive in a business program accredited by AACSB International. BGS’ mission is to encourage and honor academic achievement in business, foster personal and professional excellence to advance the values of society, and to serve its lifelong members.
The chapter honoree and keynote speaker was Michael Gannaway, Love School of Business executive-in-residence. Gannaway discussed the value of turning capabilities into success while maintaining upstanding character in his speech titled, “Capabilities to Character.” He discussed that having capabilities, including what you know and what you’ve done, is not enough without character, meaning the thought process and reasoning behind your activity. He encouraged the inductees to continue building their capabilities, keep an open mind to new ideas, and to be true to both their community and themselves.
As the executive-in-residence, Gannaway advises business students about career options, discusses what the job market is like, shares insights from his 41 years of work experience, and guest lectures in business classes. Prior to joining Elon, he was the vice president of VF Direct/Customer Teams at VF Corporation. Before joining VF Corporation as vice president of customer management in 2004, Gannaway worked for Pillowtex Corporation, Sara Lee’s Branded Apparel, Revlon, Inc., Estee Lauder, Inc., and Target Corporation. He has served on the Love School of Business Board of Advisors since 2008 and the Chandler Family Professional Sales Center’s advisory board since 2010.
The 2015 Beta Gamma Sigma Professor of the Year award was presented to Jennifer Platania, associate professor of economics. Current BGS members selected the recipient based on the following criteria: encourages and honors high academic achievement by students of business and management; fosters in students an enduring commitment to the founding principles and values of the Society: honor and integrity, pursuit of wisdom, and earnestness; and supports the advancement of business thought and practice to encourage lifelong learning.
Platania’s primary fields of interest are general macroeconomic theory, and her research focuses mainly on the implications of policy changes on the macroeconomy. Some of her work looks at the macroeconomic effects of removing the mortgage interest deduction to housing, and moving to a single-payer healthcare system. She earned her undergraduate degree in mathematics and economics from West Virginia University and a Ph.D. in economics from Florida State University.
The 2015 inductees are:
Juniors
Abigail Marie Baric
Jason Robert Berk
Christopher McLean Boericke
Hannah Faith Braun
Lena Caliari
Gabrielle Elizabeth Corner
Rebecca Margaret Deitz
Jonathan T. DiIanni
Mary Kate Donahue
Miriam Eltus
Ryan Blake Finn
Alexander Collins Francis
Michael B. Goldstein
Sandra Sabrina Graf
Allyson Frances Hanover
Hannah Rebecca Hartman
Ryan Warren Herring
Michael Mills Hodge
Brett Carol Huntley
Natalie Amer Khouri
Cole A. Krajeski
Benjamin Douglas McIlwaine
Jessica Elizabeth Morse
Christian Deming Mueller
Laura Anne Orr
Charles Anthony Racioppo
Kelly Grace Siewers
Bryan Jackson Speake
Zachary Leigh Strohmeyer
Jenna Auleta Thompson
Christine Ann Tuchnowski
Devon Graham Wright
Seniors
Risa Ashida
Peter Frederick Berges
Taylor Catherine Casey
Alexandra Manuela Goeldner
Megan Quinn Kirschling
Bryan Howard Kozin
Michael Hunter Lindsey
Joseph T. McGillicuddy
MBA
Aaron Michael Day
Joshua Miles Glessner
Sriyesh Krishnan
Amy Lee Milslagle
Brian Claude Piantadosi
Mary Pombo Reed
Jessica Lynn Townsend
Outgoing BGS vice president
Katherine Shea
Incoming BGS vice president
Allison Weiler