Tag: class of 2016

The Olin Graduate Diploma and Awards Ceremony is special for many reasons. Certainly, we share and take great pride in the triumph of our exuberant graduates–now prepared and eager to step from the graduation stage into a new phase of their lives. The ceremony is also special because it recognizes and celebrates a small number of outstanding faculty and students whose contributions truly helped define the Olin journey for this class. I am delighted and honored to share with you this year’s awards and honors.

Congratulations to all!

John Wayne Latchum Memorial Award 
Allison Kay Campbell          
Recognizes the graduating MBA student who best exemplifies the qualities of integrity, loyalty to friends and country, courage, intelligence, and high standards of personal conduct as judged by the faculty. This award is named in memory of John Wayne Latchum, a business student who died in 1971 while he was a senior at Washington University. It is made possible through the generosity of his parents.

Hubert C. Moog Prize
Elisabeth Griesedieck
Awarded to the graduating MBA student who, in the opinion of his or her fellow students, best exemplifies the qualities of character, leadership, and service and also enjoys the respect, admiration, and affection of his or her classmates. This award is named in honor of Hub Moog, who as chairman and president of Moog Automotive, transformed his family’s St. Louis-based business into a world-renowned corporation. He served on the Washington University Board of Trustees and the Olin Task Force in 1980 and 1981. He and his wife, Dorothy R. Moog, were strong supporters of Washington University.

Joseph W. Towle Prize
Elisabeth Griesedieck
Awarded to the graduating MBA student who, in the judgment of the faculty, exhibits the strongest academic achievement and the most potential in the area of organizational leadership. This award is named in honor of Joseph W. Towle, who was a tenured Olin management professor from 1954 to 1975 and a leader among faculty. Well-known in his field, an author, and president of the Academy of Management, he established this prize to encourage excellence in the classroom.

Peer Recognition Award
Jason Lee Hartman 
Awarded to the graduating Professional MBA student who, in the opinion of his or her fellow students, best exemplifies the qualities of character, leadership, and service and also enjoys the respect, admiration, and affection of his or her classmates.

Milford Bohm Prize in Marketing
Nicole Anne Hoffman 
Awarded to the graduating MBA student who, in the judgment of the faculty, exhibits the strongest academic achievement and the most potential in the field of marketing. This award was established in honor of Milford Bohm―founder, chairman and CEO of CPI (formerly Rembrandt Studio) from 1942 to 1973―by his wife, Lee Bohm, and their children, Mimi (MBA ’79), David (LA ’78/JD ’84), Rob (MBA ’90) and the late Vicki (EN ’84/SI ’85).

Taylor Outstanding Service Award
Bo Hong 
Awarded to the graduate who, through participation in multiple Taylor Community Consulting projects, has brought positive change in the St. Louis community. The Taylor Community Consulting Program provides students the opportunity to impact the local nonprofit sector through team-based, experiential learning projects.

Powell Niland Prize
Yoshiharu Inoue 
Awarded to the graduating MBA student with the strongest academic achievement in the areas of operations and manufacturing management. This award is named in honor of Powell Niland, who was a tenured Olin operations and manufacturing management professor from 1957 to 1989 and an Olin professor emeritus from 1989 until 2009.

Professional Achievement Award
Cassandra Lauren Jensen 
Awarded to the graduating Professional MBA student who best exemplifies the qualities of integrity, loyalty, intelligence, and high moral character as judged by the faculty.

Outstanding Supply Chain Management Student Award
Ashley Marie Johnson 
Awarded to the graduating Master of Science in Supply Chain Management student who, in the judgment of the faculty, exhibits the strongest academic achievement and the most potential in the field of supply chain management.

Outstanding Customer Analytics Student Award
Andrew Taylor Kaplan 
Awarded to the graduating Master of Science in Customer Analytics student who, in the judgment of the faculty, exhibits the strongest academic achievement and the most potential in the field of customer analytics.

Nicholas Dopuch Outstanding Accounting Student Award
J. Gabriel Leiter 
Awarded to the graduating Master of Accounting student who, in the judgment of the faculty, exhibits the strongest academic achievement and the most potential in the field of accounting. This award is named in honor of Nicholas Dopuch, a tenured Olin accounting professor from 1983 to 2006 and now an Olin professor emeritus.

Taylor Outstanding Service Award
Robert Little 
Awarded to the graduate who has participated in multiple Taylor Community Consulting projects to enable positive change in the St. Louis community. The Taylor Community Consulting Program provides students the opportunity to impact the local nonprofit sector through team-based, experiential learning projects.

Milford Bohm Prize in Marketing
Anu Mangal 
Awarded to the graduating MBA student who, in the judgment of the faculty, exhibits the strongest academic achievement and the most potential in the field of marketing. This award was established in honor of Milford Bohm―founder, chairman and CEO of CPI (formerly Rembrandt Studio) from 1942 to 1973―by his wife, Lee Bohm, and their children, Mimi (MBA ’79), David (LA ’78/JD ’84), Rob (MBA ’90) and the late Vicki (EN ’84/SI ’85).

Center for Experiential Learning Impact Award
Elise Williams Miller 
Recognizes graduating MBA students who have delivered the highest level of impact to the business and nonprofit communities through the Center for Experiential Learning (CEL) and other Olin-sponsored programs and activities. Awardees distinguished themselves with exceptional effort and leadership that advanced the missions and objectives of the organizations and individuals with which they engaged.

Paul Cuffe MBA Award for Outstanding Leadership
Christine Marie Nanan 
Awarded to a graduating African-American MBA student for outstanding leadership, academic excellence, and involvement in Olin extracurricular activities. This award is named in honor of Paul Cuffe, who was one of the most financially successful black Americans at the end of the 18th century. A builder and maritime merchant in New England, Cuffe became a successful blockade runner during the Revolutionary War and an entrepreneur during the early years of American independence.

Hiram and Mary Neuwoehner Prize
Irina Neveleff
Awarded by the faculty to the graduating Professional MBA student who has been the most substantive addition to the evening program through contributions in the classroom and excellence in writing papers and taking examinations. This award was established by Mary Neuwoehner in the 1990s to honor her husband, Hiram Neuwoehner, BSBA ’41, a St. Louis advertising executive and founder of Batz-Hodgson-Neuwoehner Inc.

Center for Experiential Learning Impact Award
Micah James Northcutt 
Recognizes graduating MBA students who have delivered the highest level of impact to the business and nonprofit communities through the Center for Experiential Learning (CEL) and other Olin-sponsored programs and activities. Awardees distinguished themselves with exceptional effort and leadership that advanced the missions and objectives of the organizations and individuals with which they engaged.

Outstanding Finance Student Award
Vatsal Poddar 
Awarded to the graduating Master of Science in Finance student who, in the judgment of the faculty, exhibits the strongest academic achievement and the most potential in the field of finance.

Olin MBA Finance Award
Ajay Kiron Shah 
Awarded to a graduating MBA student for achievement in finance.

Outstanding Customer Analytics Student Award
Siyue Zhan  
Awarded to the graduating Master of Science in Customer Analytics student who, in the judgment of the faculty, exhibits the strongest academic achievement and the most potential in the field of customer analytics.

Dean’s Special Service Award
Awarded by the Dean to recognize MBA students and or organizations that have rendered extraordinary service to Olin.
Ali Chander Singh Pathania
Fabiola Yasmin Paz
Olin Women in Business Leadership Team
Allison Kay Campbell
Elisabeth Griesedieck
Yichen He
Nicole Anne Hoffman
Margaret Young Hughes
Elise Williams Miller
Ritika Mishra
Marissa Renee Nicolais

To be announced week of May 16: Charles F. Knight Scholars

A.J. Girdwood-Naddell is quite possibly the busiest musician on campus.

On Monday nights, the Olin Business School senior plays first trumpet with the Washington University Symphony Orchestra. On Tuesdays he takes the baton himself, conducting the student-run orchestra WUPops. Wednesdays he joins the Washington University Jazz Band. Thursdays are spent with the Washington University Wind Ensemble.

“A.J. steps up wherever he’s needed,” said Chris Becker, who conducts the jazz band and wind ensemble for the Department of Music in Arts & Sciences. “He’s an immensely talented guy. But what really stands out are his passion and versatility. Whatever he’s doing, you can just feel that it’s important—that he truly wants to be there and that he’s giving you his full attention.”

When not performing, Girdwood-Naddell serves as head teaching assistant for Olin’s introduction to microeconomics course, as well as founder and CEO of WUPS, a mobile phone shop and repair service. He points out that business, like music, is largely a collaborative enterprise.

“You can’t just look at the note that you’re currently playing,” he said. “You have to be always looking ahead, adapting to what’s coming up next.

“You have to listen to your environment.”

Click on image above to watch video.

by Liam Otten, previously published on WashU’s The Source

Golf, the poets say, is a lot like life, except more complicated.

And no one knows that better than Portland, Oregon, native Connie Zhou, who will earn a degree in marketing from Olin Business School at the 2016 Commencement, with minors in psychology and the business of sports.

Among the highlights of her four-year undergraduate career are an appearance in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” feature as a sophomore; helping her team to a third-place overall finish in the NCAA Division III championship in 2015; two first team All-America honors in 2014 and ’15; and internships with the PGA Tour and the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, where she helped welcome Steph Curry and teammates at the airport after they won the NBA title.

It’s all been pretty easy, right? Not so fast. Zhou also has seen her fair share of challenges in the classroom and on the fairway; and if you know anything about golf, it’s how you handle the peaks and valleys that teach you the most.

“This year has been a challenge for her,” said her coach, Ellen Port. “She’s had three great years but her numbers have dropped off her senior year, which can be frustrating. That’s a life lesson she has handled quite well. If you play any sport long enough, there are going to be peaks and valleys. She’s remained working hard and positive.

“She’s the complete package,” Port said. “A great golfer, teammate and person.”

Bloomington, Ill., April 17, 2016 – Senior Connie Zhou fired a season-best even-par 72 to lead the No. 15-ranked Washington University in St. Louis women’s golf team to a fourth place finish at the 2016 Kathy Niepagen Spring Fling hosted by Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Ill.

It’s what Zhou has learned as a student athlete at a Division III university — being a team captain, taking tests in hotel rooms on the road, juggling matches with classes and then focusing on golf when it’s time to focus on golf; all these things will help in her next steps in life.

“A lot of it is prioritizing and planning your time well,” Zhou said. “As for golf, sometimes I put a lot of pressure on myself, but then I just remember to step back and keep everything in perspective. That’s why I’m really happy I came to WashU. I’ve had such a focus on golf practically my entire life, but here I have other things that I’m involved in.”

It’s that focus that will carry her.

“When you’re in a tournament you don’t want to be thinking about the technical things,” Zhou said. “You want to just be focused on the present and on scoring. It’s more about feel.

“I really have to zone in and distract myself by not thinking and planning. So many things can happen in golf — one wrong thought can really mess with you.”

But one right thought can get you places you never thought possible. Zhou’s goal after WashU is a career in sports marketing. Applying for an internship at Portland-area marketing firm Wieden+Kennedy — a firm known for its most famous client, Nike — she was asked to send a video introducing herself.

Thinking outside the box, the Olin business major asked a friend majoring in film and media studies to help. The result was a 30-second introductory video with animated pasta.

Pasta? Just what you’d expect from an All-American golfer.

Zhou, low-key, even tempered, simply smiles.

by Leslie Gibson McCarthy, originally published on WashU’s Commencement site. Link to more Class Acts profiles.

The Washington University in St. Louis baseball team honored its three seniors Sunday, May 1, prior to its doubleheader against DePauw University – Julian Clarke majoring in economics with a minor in marketing; Max Golembo majoring in finance and entrepreneurship; and Kyle Kozak majoring in finance.

This group has helped lead the Bears to a 115-61 overall record, good for a 65.3 winning percentage, and four with 25 or more wins. During this time the Bears won the 2013, 2015 and 2016 UAA Championship, and made an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015. The Bears also tied the single-season school record with 34 wins a year ago.

The Class of 2016 sat down with Assistant Athletic Director for Communications Chris Mitchell to discuss the past four years at WashU.

What made you choose to come to WashU?
JULIAN CLARKE: WashU was a special place for me even before I became a student here. My mom went to WashU for both undergrad and graduate school, so some of our closest family friends and some of the most important people in my life are WashU grads. After hearing how great of a place this was for them, along with the combination of an opportunity to play competitive baseball and take part in stellar academic programs, it was a no brainer.

MAX GOLEMBO: I wanted to be able to play baseball and be challenged academically. WashU provided the best of both worlds.

KYLE KOZAK: I chose to come to WashU because I thought it was a good fit for me both academically and baseball-wise. WashU is a well-known, nationally recognized school, and I had an opportunity to get significant playing time on the baseball team right away.

How do you balance your schedule between baseball and school?
JC: I knew from the beginning of freshman year that I wanted to be as involved on campus as I could, so sticking to a consistent schedule has been important for me. It’s meant a lot of early mornings and late nights, but it’s allowed me to stay a part of all the things I wanted to prioritize.

MG: Time management is a crucial aspect of being a student athlete at WashU. The best way to avoid any sort of conflict is getting as much work done as you can in any free time you have. Procrastinating, especially in season, is not a smart thing to do and I’ve learned that the hard way.

KK: This is something I struggled with quite a bit when I first got to school. Once I learned the expectations for baseball as far as practice and games go, I was able to organize my schedule better. I often plan out study periods at the beginning of each week based on my baseball schedule.

What have you learned from playing under head coach Pat Bloom?
JC: Too much to adequately describe in this space. I’ve developed more in this past year than any period of time in my athletic life and I owe that all to Coach Bloom.

MG: Having the opportunity to play under coach Bloom has been an absolute honor. He is such an incredible leader and baseball mind. I learn something from him every day on and off the field. I think the most important thing I’ve learned from him and something I can carry on into my professional life is that no matter what carry yourself with class and be a high character individual, no matter the situation you are faced with. I could go on into more baseball specific things because there’s so much to learn from him but it would take up another 30 minutes.

KK: Probably the most important thing that I have learned under coach Bloom is how to adjust to large organizational changes. When the new coaching staff came in, expectations changed immensely and veteran players had to change some of our habits that we had developed the past couple years.  As far as baseball goes, I have learned to stay in the game every single pitch. There were times in the past where passed balls would happen and I would shake it off as, “That kind of thing happens every once in a while.” In reality, there’s no reason for mistakes like that to ever happen and I have really learned to stay locked in at all times, and that is now the expectation. I demand more from myself on the field than I have in the past, and I think I have improved immensely, especially defensively, because of it.

What is your favorite baseball memory at WashU?
JC: Winning UAA’s outright this year was pretty awesome, but more than the title, beating Emory on a walk off home run in extra innings after pitching 9 1/3 innings and thinking I’d lost the game is something I will never forget. It’s incredible when your teammates can pick you up like that.

MG: My favorite baseball memory has to be this year’s game against Emory. After squandering a bases loaded opportunity in the bottom of the 9th and Emory coming back and pushing across a run in the top of the 10th to go up 2-1. I singled with two outs and Santos hit the two-strike walk-off homer. That was something I will never forget. Rounding the bases knowing that I get to leave the field beating Emory in my final game against them was special.

KK: My favorite baseball memory has to be finding out that we made a regional last year. It was the first time that a WashU team made a regional since I have been here and there was a lot of positive energy going into the playoffs. We were all together as a team when we found out so that was cool to go around congratulating each other. I’m sure that will be a regular occurrence for this team going forward.

What are your future plans upon graduation from WashU?
JC: I’ll be working as an Analyst at Medallia, a Sequoia Capital-backed software company in Palo Alto, Calif.

MG: I am going to work for Lincoln International investment bank in Chicago. I will be working as a mergers and acquisitions analyst.

KK: I am going home to scribe in a hospital while I apply for medical school.

By Chris Mitchell
Assistant Athletic Director for Communications

The Poets & Quants for Undergrads website features two Olin seniors in a survey of the Class of 2016. Congrats to Ellen Kaushansky and Alex Ranney for representing Olin. For the record, the Olin Blog would vote to feature the entire senior class – you’re all the best and brightest in our book!

Link here to see Ellen’s profile.

Link here to see Alex’s profile.