Beta Gamma Sigma recognizes academic achievement

The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business honored top-performing students during the Beta Gamma Sigma induction ceremony on May 3.

Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) is the international honor society serving business programs accredited by AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business).

Fifty students, representing the top 10 percent of the junior and senior classes in the Love School of Business and the top 20 percent of the graduating class in the MBA, MSBA, MSA, and MScM programs, as well as three faculty members were inducted during the ceremony led by Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business and BGS chapter president.

The 2022 chapter honoree Derek Steed spoke to the inductees about the purpose of business and responsible leadership. Steed is the senior vice president, secretary and general counsel at Glen Raven, and serves on the Love School of Business Board of Advisors.

“The priceless ingredient of a product in the marketplace is the honor and integrity of its maker,” Steed said as he encouraged students to consider honor and integrity when building brands. “If you look at the values of this organization, honor and integrity are listed first. And that is so very important for how we build trust, and also how we can lose it so quickly. They say that you build trust by the drip, and you lose it by the bucket-load, and that is true when it comes to our brand.”

During the ceremony, the chapter honored Lecturer in Finance Chris Baker with the 2022 Beta Gamma Sigma Professor of the Year award. Chapter members selected Baker because she encourages and honors high academic achievement from her students; fosters in students an enduring commitment to the founding principles and values of BGS – honor and integrity, pursuit of wisdom, and earnestness; and supports the advancement of business thought and practices to encourage lifelong learning.

Baker joined Elon in 2008, teaching finance and accounting courses. Prior to Elon, she served as interim CFO at TriStone Community Bank; executive vice president and CFO at Capital Bank and Capital Bank Corporation; executive vice president, CFO, corporate secretary and treasurer at 1st State Bank and 1st State Bancorp, Inc.; COO and CFO at First Capital Services, Inc.; and senior vice president and treasurer at First Federal Saving and Loan Association.

She serves on Elon’s Board of Trustees, graduated from Elon’s MBA program in 1988, and received the university’s Distinguished Alumna of the Year award in 2012.

2022 BGS inductees

Juniors

• Grant Ardell
• Sofia Ballance
• Jay Blue
• Aiden Bradshaw
• Halley Brewer
• Anna Carmody
• Maggie Connolly
• Lily Cooper
• Bennett Curtis
• Rachael Davis
• Camy Esplin
• Ally Everton
• Melissa Freed
• Kevin Garcia-Reyes
• Will Gatchel
• Ally Hogan
• Nicholas Ivanov
• Maia Kaplan
• Charlie Kurz
• Julia Lapporte
• Sam Levin
• Sally Meek
• Sarah Perciavalle
• Alex Sonnier
• Jacob Stanley
• Rachel Tammaro
• Isabella Venziale
• Callum Walker

Seniors

• Adrienne Bevins
• Valerie Borges
• Francesca Conte
• Matthias Ferring
• Annie Gilligan
• Jess Joblin
• Nana Kaneko
• Erica Larkin
• Moritz Lederer
• Jaime Murray
• Kenna Provost
• Mika Sovjani
• Meredith Winslow
• Leiu Yuenyong

MBA, MSBA, MSA & MScM candidates

• Ashley Capps
• Sumera Ingram
• Rynita Julien
• Mark Leath
• Giavanna Papavero
• Catherine Parsons
• Mckenna Quinn
• Charles Rizzo

Faculty

• Tonmoy Islam
• Elena Kennedy
• Brandon Sheridan

Officers

• President & Advisor – Dean Raghu Tadepalli
• 2020-21 & 2021-22 Vice President – Meredith Mackenzie ’22
• 2021-22 & 2022-23 Vice President – Nicole Dischinger ‘23
• 2022-23 Vice President – Rachel Tammaro ‘23

Previous BGS Professors of the Year

• 2021 – Danny Lanier
• 2020 – Adam Aiken and Brian Lyons
• 2019 – Hani Tadros
• 2018 – Steven Bednar
• 2017 – Patty Cox
• 2016 – Steve DeLoach
• 2015 – Jen Platania
• 2014 – Irana Scott
• 2013 – Raj Gupta
• 2012 – Linda Poulson