| May 10, 2013, Nashville, Tenn. — Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management celebrated Commencement Day ceremonies for the 243 members of its Class of 2013 today. Gathered on Magnolia Lawn, 162 students received their Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree; 44 earned a Master of Finance (MSF) degree; and 37 were awarded a Master of Accountancy (MAcc) degree. Several students from the Master of Management in Health Care (MMHC) and the Executive MBA (EMBA) programs who graduated in 2012 also participated in the ceremony.
Commencement speaker W. Douglas Parker (MBA ’86), Chairman and CEO of US Airways, extolled the importance of personal relationships in his speech to graduates.
“Teams of people working together to do something for the greater good are infinitely stronger than individuals working in their own self-interest,” Parker said. “There is no way to figure out in advance which relationships are going to matter in the future — so you have to treat everyone the same way.”
 Parker, a member of Owen’s Board of Visitors, paid special tribute to Jim Bradford, Dean of the Owen School, as he steps down from his post at the end of the academic year, June 30. “Jim is a good friend that has done has great things for Owen and Vanderbilt,” he said. “We are lucky to have had him as our dean.” Friday’s Commencement Day ceremonies included awards for graduating students and faculty.
|
Awards and Recognition for Graduating Students
Hoang Lan Huyen Ton Nu, Founder’s Medalist
University Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos awarded Lan Huyen the Founder’s Medal for the Owen School in a morning ceremony at Alumni Lawn. This award, originally endowed by Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1877, is given to the MBA graduate who achieves the strongest record in personal, professional and academic performance.
Nancy Lea Hyer, Owen’s Associate Dean of Academic Programs, also recognized the winners of the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence in the MAcc, MAcc-Valuation and MSF programs, as well as members of Beta Gamma Sigma, the International Business Society.
Allison Rappuhn, Master of Accountancy
John Jacoby, Master of Accountancy, MAcc-Valuation
Asia Brumwell, Master of Finance
Awards and Recognition for Faculty
Steven Smith (MBA ’13), President of the Owen Student Government Association, presented the James A. Webb Excellence in Teaching Award to Tim Vogus, Associate Professor of Management. Professor Vogus teaches the core course “Leading Teams and Organizations” to all MBA students and teaches the elective “Negotiation” to MBA and EMBA students.
Ray Friedman, Associate Dean of Faculty and Research, announced two recipients of the Faculty Research Productivity Award:
 Mumin Kurtulus
In the past two and a half years, Mumin Kurtulus has published five articles in top journals from the field of Operations Management. He was also recently appointed to the editorial review board of Production and Operations Management by incoming Owen Dean, Eric Johnson.
 Tim Vogus
In addition to publishing eight scholarly articles in the last three years, Tim Vogus has a book contract with Stanford University Press. His research focuses on mindful organizing, with recent papers in the Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Annals, and Annual Review of Public Health.
In a faculty meeting earlier this week, professors Bruce Cooil and Ranga Ramanujam received the first annual Dean’s Teaching Awards.
Three Owen faculty members were honored with emeriti status this spring. Those honored were Germain Böer Professor of Accounting, Richard (Dick) Daft, Brownlee O. Currey Professor of Management, and Hans Stoll, Anne Marie and Thomas B. Walker, Jr. Professor of Finance.
Other awards and recognition
At a ceremony held at Owen on Thursday, May 9, several other students were recognized for their achievements:
- Graham Hurtt (MBA ’13) received the Matt Wigginton Leadership Award, awarded for outstanding performance in finance.
- Steven Smith (MBA ’13) was presented with the H. Igor Ansoff Award, which recognizes original and creative contributions to the school.
- Jamie Rathermel (MBA’13) was awarded the Flournoy A. Coles Jr. Prize in recognition of international studies.
- Graham Hurtt (MBA ’13) was also chosen to receive the Financial Executives Institute Award for outstanding performance in both accounting and finance.
- Fifteen graduating students were presented with the Owen Service Award for outstanding effort and energy in leadership, community involvement and student life. They are:
- Brent D. Blackburn (MAcc ’13)
- Latia Nicole Raspberry Harris (MBA ’13)
- Nicholas Andreas Hofer (MBA ’13)
- Mary Elizabeth Humphreys (MBA ’13)
- Holly Christine Kalemeris (MBA ’13)
- Anne Marie Mills (MBA ’13)
- Caitlin Ree Mullaney (MBA ’13)
- Damilola Olu-Ayeni (MBA ’13)
- Sara Carvel Pape (MBA ’13)
- Brett Michell Pentz (MBA ’13)
- Bradley Louis James Rosenfeld (MBA ’13)
- David Charles Schmidt (MBA ’13)
- Kalen Stanton (MBA ’13)
- Ashley Elizabeth Welnhofer (MBA ’13)
- James Leon Wilbanks III (MSF ’13)
|
