Love School of Business celebrates student & faculty achievements

An annual awards program held April 21 recognized the academic success and service of those involved with the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. 

The best and brightest of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business were honored April 21, 2016, 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 2016 award recipients.

Academic Achievement Awards

Academic Excellence Award in Accounting
Ryan Herring
Ryan Struble

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
William Burke
This award is presented to a senior majoring in accounting who has demonstrated excellent academic achievement and growth.

NC CPA Exam Award
Chelsea Yu-Jin Wiggins
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.

John Kappas Economics Award
Ameya Benegal
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.

Student Achievement in Economics Award
Cameron Douglass
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.

Walter Hattenbach Award
Adam Gill
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.

Student Achievement in Marketing Award
Amanda Rolfes
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 Entrepreneurship Award
Cole Harbur
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.

Benjamin Grover Johnston Award
Jay Faires
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.

Alpha Kappa Psi Scholarship Key and Award Certificate
Sydney Branson
Jonathan DiIanni

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.

Student Achievement in Finance Award
Sydney Branson
Jonathan DiIanni

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.

FSP Excellence in Financial Education Student Award
Carly Davenport
Christopher Shannon

Allison Weiler
Sunna Vidisdottir
This award is given to a senior finance major who has demonstrated excellent academic achievement and possesses potential for professional growth in financial services.

Student Achievement in International Business Award
Aubrey Crawley
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
Katherine Skinner
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.

Love School of Business Responsible Leadership Award
Wesley Brewer
This award is given to a student who exemplifies leadership, service and academic achievement within the Love School of Business.

Love School of Business Courageous Leadership Award
Jenson Roll
This award is given to a student who exemplifies courageous leadership 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
Steve DeLoach
Susan Anderson
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 DeLoach from Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Love School of Business:

“This recipient of the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching is one of the most effective and respected teachers in the LSB. He sets high expectations for his students, and yet he is able to teach and motivate them in such a way that they truly want to learn from him. His students give high praise for his organization and his passion for the material, and yet the comment heard the most is that he “is always available and always willing to help.” This person can always be found either helping students in his office, or huddled with students around a computer helping them make sense of their data analyses. As a tribute to the confidence that is placed in him as a teacher, he has been asked to teach in both the Business Fellows program as well as the Honors program.

“At the same time though, as he holds his students to such high standards, he also holds himself to the same high standards. He has never been one to shy away from hard work, and the effort and thought he has put into his classroom development over the past few years is evidence of that. Over the past several years he has adopted a flipped-classroom model which has very successfully allowed him to focus his in-class teaching on problem-solving, data analysis and other critical thinking applications. Students have responded very positively to this change, both in terms of his teaching evaluations as well as their academic performance.

“Not only is this person a highly effective classroom teacher, but he is also one of our most sought-after mentors. In his 19 years at Elon, he has mentored 85 unique undergraduate research projects. Sixty of these projects have results in presentations at national undergraduate research or regional professional economics conferences, 14 of those resulted in publications in undergraduate research journals, and 5 co-authored with him in professional peer-reviewed journals.”

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

“This recipient of the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching is a faculty member who creates an environment where students fully participate in learning activities and are comfortable asking questions.  In every class she completes the learning loop where she will first explain a topic, demonstrate a problem on that topic, have students complete a similar problem in small groups during class, and then discusses the topic with the class. This style of closing the loop on the learning process in each class is very beneficial to the students. This faculty member understands the importance of meeting with students outside of class in a one-on-one session to answer specific questions of students.

“While most faculty members teach one to two different courses or formats in a year, this faculty member taught six different types of courses. She taught two different traditional courses, the Becker Fast Pass CPA Review Course, and undergraduate research project with a student, an honors thesis with a student, a course she created from scratch to meet the ethics requirement for students taking the CPA exam, and a training course to prepare students to participate in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, for which she took extra steps to get the course certified as a Service Learning course.

“This professor is a consummate teacher and is always looking for ways to expand the learning opportunities for students.”

Excellence in Scholarship
Brian Lyons
Erin Gillespie

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 Lyons from Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Love School of Business:

“In his first two years at Elon, this recipient of the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship has established himself as a top teacher-scholar at the LSB. This year, he published one article on organizational policies related to off-duty deviant behavior of employees in a top-tier, A+ list publication, the Journal of Applied Psychology, which has an acceptance rate of only about 9%. Another article on peer reporting policies – a subject directly within his teaching area of employee assessment – was published in the International Journal of Selection and Assessment, also an A list journal.

“This person presented six papers at the foremost national conferences in his field, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the Academy of Management. One of the papers presented at the latter was in the Academy’s Best Paper Proceedings, as it was within the Top 5 of 350 submissions in the HR Division.

“Overall, he has published 13 journal articles and 3 book chapters in excellent outlets. He also serves as co-editor for a Special Issue of the Journal of Business and Psychology, an A list journal in his area. He engages students in his ongoing research; this year, he supervised a student’s research project that will result in a co-authored piece of publishable quality.”

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

“From the first day this recipient of the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship stepped onto campus, she has embraced Elon’s spirit of engaged teaching, service to the university and a pursuit of scholarly interests.

“At this early stage in her career, she has had publications in prestigious journals such as Journal of Business Research and the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. In JBR, she wrote about the effect of loyalty program fees on program perceptions and engagement. In JAMS, she published about extrinsic versus intrinsic approaches to managing a multibrand salesforce in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, a top 5 and prestigious marketing journal.

“This recipient has had three presentations with one forthcoming, and served as a session chair.  She serves as a reviewer for the National Conference in Sales Management and the Academy of Marketing Science. She is a recipient of Elon’s Hultquist Faculty Research and Development funds.”

Exemplary Service – Faculty
Art Cassill
Carri Tolmie

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 Cassill from Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Love School of Business:

“This year’s Dean’s Award for Exemplary service goes to a faculty member whose service on behalf of the Love School of Business, the accounting department, and students goes above and beyond expectations.

“While this faculty member has made numerous service contributions university wide, his service to the school and department will provide permanent benefits to the school, the department, and the students.  He served as department chair for eight years, was instrumental in transforming the accounting program to focus on public accounting and the CPA exam, and revived and expanded the Accounting Advisory Board. He established Elon’s Beta Alpha Psi chapter and the annual Meet and Greet recruiting event for accounting majors.

“Perhaps the most significant and lasting contribution to the school, the department, and the students is this faculty member’s work (along with his colleagues) on developing the forthcoming Masters of Accountancy program. This unique 3/2 BSA/MSA program culminates in students receiving both a B.S. in accounting degree and an M.S. in Accounting degree. This faculty member and his colleagues have worked diligently for over three years to craft this program to meet the needs of today’s workforce. The M.S. in Accounting program will take the accounting program to the next level and keep our students competitive in the job market.”

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

“This recipient of the Dean’s Award for Exemplary Service has created an impact on students for years to come. This faculty member was tasked to review and benchmark peer and aspirant schools and draft a proposal for a new international business curriculum. After multiple meetings with offices and departments around campus and several drafts of her proposal, it was submitted to the University Curriculum Committee. A number of questions about the submission prompted her to pull the proposal and start the process over again. She met with the chairs of the 20 different majors that would be affected by the proposal, sought guidance from within the LSB, and resubmitted the proposal, which was then accepted.

“The rewrite of the international business major gives the students a more robust course of study with greater academic depth. She also incorporated a requirement that students complete either a minor in World Languages and Cultures or a second major of the student’s choosing.”

Exemplary Service – Staff
Joyce Allison
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 Allison from Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Love School of Business:

“This staff member has been an integral part of the LSB team for quite some time now. The variety of tasks that she takes on is a testament to her skill. She administers and supports student honor societies. She arranges travel for courses. She organizes events for our centers. She manages faculty searches for two very large and growing departments. She makes arrangements for many student and faculty trips to competitions and conferences. She expertly administers the senior assessment exam each semester.  How she keeps track of all of that is a mystery to me.

“But more importantly, this person does more than what her job description requires her to do. She is constantly looking for efficiencies – even if they require a lot of work on her part up front, she is willing to do that work if it will help things run smoother. One such example is how she voluntarily learned a new software system a little while back in order to help with a faculty member’s research project. But not stopping with that, she then used her knowledge of that software to help a colleague develop a new system to streamline a very cumbersome annual project. None of this benefited her directly, nor was it part of her job, but she was more than willing to volunteer her assistance.

“Even more importantly, she does all of this work with a positive attitude and a friendly smile.”

2016-17 Endowed Scholarships

The Ann Lentz Ameen ‘70/General Electric Scholarship
Katelyn Roach

This scholarship was established in 1999 by Philip Ameen in memory of his wife, Elizabeth Ann Lentz Ameen, who received her Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Elon. Ann was a member of Beta Omicron Beta. This scholarship goes to a female business student.

The Andras Family Award
Allison Nylen
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 A. Vance Beck, Sr. and Gwendolyn D. Beck Scholarship
Omari Prescod
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
Kenneth Crew
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 Samuel L. Burke Endowed Scholarship
Christina Byrd
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 Janie E. Council Scholarship
Cole Krajeski
This award was established in 1993 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 Taylor S. Davis Scholarship for Engaged Learning in Business
Denisse Cortes
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 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 Frechette Family Foundation Fund for Global Engagement
Randi Purser

Established in 2016 by the Frechette Family Foundation, this scholarship is intended for business majors who are pursuing global education opportunities.

The Edward and Rita Galante Endowment for Business Internships
Sara Devries
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 Frederick K. Gilliam, Sr. Scholarship
Erin Kost
Ariel Mittleman
Hannah Braun
Kiley Shannon

This scholarship was established in 1989 in memory of Fred Gilliam, Sr. by James D. Moser, Jr. and other partners of his accounting firm, and by business associates Maurice Jennings and John H. Vernon III. Fred was a 1942 Elon graduate. He participated in orchestra and was part of Kappa Psi Nu, and he served as a part-time accounting instructor from 1961-65. This scholarship is for Accounting majors.

The John R. Hill ’76 and Lesley W. Hill Endowed Fund for Engaged Learning in Business
Sean Webber
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 Don S. and Margaret M. Holt Scholarship
Nicole Resetar
Benjamin Kalra

Amanda Feldman
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 Mark A. Horsburgh Study Abroad Scholarship
Karl-Luis Neubig
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 William A. Klopman, Jr. Memorial Scholarship
Nicholas Massey
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 R. Cruse Lewis Master Pools Guild/Love School of Business Endowment Scholarship
Christopher Pacitto
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 Calvert C. and Margaret H. McGregor Scholarship
Jonathon Cox
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 Mills Family Endowed Scholarship
Matthew Jegier

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 Myers Family Endowed Scholarship in Business
Lauren Ray
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 Park Business Scholarship
Mariah Bishop
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 Rose Family Endowed Fund for Engaged Learning in Business
Devon Spieker
This fund was established by Harry and Carol Rose in 2008 to help defray the costs of a business-related internship experience for any business major.

The John L. Sills, Jr. Scholarship
Alexandra Lang
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 Charles David Smith Endowed Scholarship
Megan Cashin
Gabrielle Corner

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 J. Harold Smith Scholarship
Kristen Lober
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 John and Helene Sparks Scholarship for Business
Sarah Oberman
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 David A. Stevens ’81 Internship Scholarship
Harrison Rowe
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 R. Alston Team III Endowed Scholarship in Business
Jayme Baum
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 James T. Toney Endowment Fund
Micah Spoerndle
This award was established by members of the Economics Department in honor of Professor Jim Toney. This scholarship is for Economics majors and is to be used for study abroad.

The Peter L. Tourtellot Endowed Scholarship in Business
Hagan Otto
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
Avery Jamison
Established by Samuel P. Troy ’67, this scholarship is for any student in the Love School of Business studying abroad for a semester.

The Waesche Engaged Learning Scholarship
Monika Znosko
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.

The Dudley Ray Watson Memorial Scholarship
Christian Mueller
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 Linda Thompson Weavil Endowed Scholarship
Katharine Frazier
Alice Pittman

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 Wells Fargo Scholarship
Barang Phuk
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 Yearwood Family Scholarship
Alexandra BenDavid
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.