A Night with the Stars 2007 - Eller College of Management ...

A Night with the Stars 2007 

The Eller College of Management’s Undergraduate Programs Office would like to thank Philip 

Morris USA - A Night with the Stars Premier Event Sponsor. 

Outstanding Seniors 

Accounting 

Roman Eskue 

Accounting Major 

Honors and Awards 

ASCPA Scholarship 

Robert C. Byrd Scholarship 

President’s Award Scholarship 

Dean’s List 

Extracurricular Activities 

Master of Accounting Student Organization, Member 

Chase +1 Ambassador Program, Student Ambassador 

Accounting Student Association, Executive Board Webmaster 

Phi Theta Kappa, Honorary Member 

Beta Gamma Sigma, Honorary Member 

Business Economics 

Charles M. Post 

Business Economics Major 


President’s Award Scholarship 

Provost Scholarship 

Robert C. Byrd Scholarship 

Target Great Team Hero, September 2005 

First Level Honors Distinction 


PCW Productions (UA Independent Film Club), Founder and Treasurer 

Arizona Student Union Consultant 

Target Floor Team Member 

Business Management 

Jenny L. Huynh 

Business Management Major 


Arizona Spirit of Discovery Award 

University of Arizona Achievement Award 

Dean’s List with Distinction for Outstanding Achievement 

USA Scholarship America Award 

Wimberly-Johnson Scholarship


Women’s Leadership Conference, Communications Chair 

Eller Pre-Professional Student Association, Vice President of Operations 

ASUA Spring Fling, Community Relations Coordinator 

American Marketing Association 

Finance 

Ngoc Can 

Finance Major 


SIFE National Competition 2 nd Runner Up 

Eller Representative at Emory Undergraduate Business School 

Leadership Conference 

Highest Academic Distinction 

First Prize for Cultural Essay in Student Guide Essay’s Contest 


SCNO, Director of Education 

Eller Student Appropriation Board, Secretary 

Stock Repurchase, Research Assistant 

Merger & Acquisition, Research Assistant 

Marketing 

Christina Andrews 

Marketing Major 


First Level Honors, May 2005 

Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honorary 

University of Arizona Provost and Spirit of Discovery Scholarship 

University of Arizona Honors Program 


Honor Society, Member 

Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business Fraternity 

Eller Scholars Organization 

Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority 

Management Information Systems 

Laura M. Reid 

MIS and Operations Management Major 


Dean’s List 


Phi Eta National Honor Society 

Management Information Systems Association (MISA)

Public Administration 

Misty Harvey 

Criminal Justice Major 


Pi Alpha Alpha Public Administration Society Inductee 

Dean’s List with Distinction 

Honorable Mention, Fall 2006 and Fall 2004 

Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society 

Who’s Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges Inductee 


Preceptor - PA 441 

Community Accountability and Reintegration Board, Volunteer 

Traditional Apache Ceremonies, Photographer 

Native American Student Affairs 

College Senior Awards 

The Laura Henderson Outstanding Multicultural Student Service Award is named for Laura 

Henderson, who retired from the Eller College after 10 years as an advisor specializing in 

developing programs for minority students. Each year, this award is presented to a graduating 

senior who possesses leadership skills and passion for promoting diversity within the College. 

Corissa F. Quijada, Accounting Major 

The Marvin Fortman Award for Leadership is named for Dr. Marvin Fortman, Associate Professor 

Emeritus in the Management and Policy department, who advised the Eller College Student 

Council for several decades before retiring. This award is given to graduating seniors each year 

who have served on the council with exemplary leadership and commitment. 

Vidya Chellappan, Marketing Major 

The William B. Barrett Award exists in honor of Vice Dean Emeritus, Bill Barrett, who was a 

leader in the Eller College for over 30 years and continues to serve the college as Special 

Assistant to the Dean. This award is presented annually to a graduating senior who represents 

strong academic accomplishment and service to the College and their fellow students. 

Melissa Howell, Marketing Major 

Undergraduate Dean’s Awards 

The Undergraduate Dean's Awards recognize the achievements of our outstanding students 

whose exceptional efforts bring much to the undergraduate program of the Eller College. These 

spirited students lead the way for other students as role models and mentors.

Two students were selected from each of the Freshman, Sophomore and Junior classes as 

recipients of the Philip Morris: Values-In-Action Award for their involvement as emerging leaders 

in the College. 

Philip Morris: Values-In-Action Award 

Freshmen Recipients 

Douglas Gould, Pre-Business Major 

Rae Lynn Murillo, Pre-Business Major 

Sophomore Recipients 

Jessica Candelaria, Marketing Major 

Yerbolat Zhumakhmetov, Finance Major 

Junior Recipients 

Maxwell Burke, Finance Major 

Matthew Gipple, Finance Major 

Students were chosen for these awards based on their application. Winners were judged on the 

basis of their integrity, enthusiasm to succeed, drive for creativity and quality, as well as 

demonstrating teamwork. These students modeled exceptional motivation to succeed and 

optimism for leading others around them. 

ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT: 

Department Awards 

Outstanding Academic Achievement in Accounting 

Priya Sood, Accounting and Entrepreneurship Major 

BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT: 

Outstanding Communication Coach 

Rachel Gordon, Business Management 

ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT: 

Outstanding Graduating Economics Senior Award 

Peter Gross, Economics Major 

Matthew Stone, Economics Major 

Daniel Tuttle, Economics Major 

FINANCE DEPARTMENT: 

Department Head's Award for Academic Distinction 

Brad J. Conrad, Finance Major

Fielding-Singh Award 

Joseph Peccolo, Finance Major 

MANAGEMENT AND POLICY DEPARTMENT: 

Department Head Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement and Service 

Jack Hannallah, Business Management and Entrepreneurship Major 

Certificates of Recognition for Outstanding Achievement 

Caroline Castro, Business Management Major 

Adela Garza, Business Management Major 

Joshua Goldberg, Business Management Major 

Sarah Ingegneri, Business Management and Marketing Major 

Christopher Leet, Business Management and Entrepreneurship 

Amanda Lesperance, Business Management Major 

Kristen Maryn, Business Management Major 

Alyssa Schwender, Business Management Major 

Diana Schwahn, Business Management Major 

Dane Sorensen, Business Management Major 

Lindsay Wayne, Business Management Major 

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS: 

Salter Leadership Award 

Josh Hottenstein, Management and Information Systems Major 

MARKETING: 

Sidney Levy Leadership Award 

Gabrielle Pavelko, Marketing and Entrepreneurship Major 

Joseph W. Newman Academic Excellence Award 

Daniel Shlossman, Marketing Major 

Christin Franco, Marketing Major 

Lisle & Roslyn Payne Academic Contribution Award 

Melissa Howell, Marketing Major 

Austin Sams, Marketing and Entrepreneurship Major 

Jenny (Ling-chuan) Hsu, Marketing and Entrepreneurship Major 

MCGUIRE ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTER: 

Outstanding Senior Team 

Christopher Leet, Business Management and Entrepreneurship Major 

Shannon Kolder, Fine Arts Studies 

Gabby Pavelko, Marketing and Entrepreneurship Major

Greg Oates, Finance and Entrepreneurship Major 

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC MANAGEMENT AND POLICY 

High GPA Among HHS Students 

John David Paskach, Health and Human Services Major 

High GPA among PM Students 

Michael Richard Wilson, Public Management and Policy Major 

Center for Student Involvement and Leadership’s Outstanding Senior Leader 

Lon Huber, Public Management and Policy Major 

Outstanding Student Organizations of the Year 

The Eller College Student Council (ECSC) selects these awards based upon the annual reports 

submitted by each student organization. 

Outstanding Student Organization of the Year: 35 or More Members 

Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business Fraternity 

“Delta Sigma Pi is a professional fraternity organized to foster the study of business in 

universities; to encourage scholarship, social activity and the association of students for their 

mutual advancement by research and practice; to promote closer affiliation between the 

commercial world and students of commerce and to further a higher standard of commercial 

ethics and culture and the civic and commercial welfare of the community.” 

Delta Sigma Pi is actively involved in the Eller College, University of Arizona and Tucson 

community. In addition to co-coordinating Career Showcase, the largest student-run career fair 

in the state of Arizona, they hosted numerous events open to all students including an interview 

workshop, Golf Clinic, Luncheon Etiquette, and an educational trip to the vineyards for wine 

etiquette. They have also formed a variety of professional relationships and sponsorship 

arrangements with businesses such as Philip Morris, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, UBS Financial, and 

Raytheon. Besides benefiting students, building relationships and enhancing the Eller College, 

Delta Sigma Pi has given back to the community through an array of philanthropy participation 

like the Bowl for a Kids Sake event, Casa de los Niños, Life Care Residence Center, and the 

AIDSWALK just to name a few. Their enrichment and involvement, both internal and external 

has earned them this award. We thank and honor Delta Sigma Pi for their devout and continued 

service as an outstanding Eller student organization. 

Outstanding Student Organization of the Year: Less Than 35 Members 

Eller Board of Honor and Integrity

“The Eller Board of Honor and Integrity aims to educate the student community about the 

importance of creating an ethical learning environment with an emphasis on honesty in all of 

life's pursuits. In order to create a culture of integrity, we lead by example and act as liaisons 

between the students and the professional and academic communities. Our mission extends 

beyond the classroom as we inspire students to act as responsible leaders and world citizens.” 

The Eller Board of Honor and Integrity has been actively involved in furthering the importance of 

integrity and honesty through educational awareness. The Board continues to host their annual 

International Ethics Case Competition in which teams from schools across the country are given 

the opportunity to compete, network, and contemplate the value of corporate social 

responsibility. Their intense magnetism has helped dramatically increase their professional 

relationships and sponsorship with companies such as Target, Ethics Point, Hewlett-Packard, KB 

Homes, Metro Restaurants, Walgreen’s, and the Tucson Better Business Bureau. The Eller Board 

of Honor and Integrity has worked to improve the University of Arizona through classroom 

presentations stressing the importance of academic integrity and participating in Eller’s “Be 

Heard Week”. They have also reached out to the local community though the Better Business 

Bureau Ethics Awards Competition and their inaugural High School Ethics Forum. We 

congratulate the Eller Board of Honor and Integrity for their outstanding performance as an Eller 

student organization. 

Outstanding Student Organization President 

This award was created to recognize innovative presidents of Eller College undergraduate 

student organizations. Executive Board members from each Eller student organization may 

nominate their president for this award. The Eller Leadership Board (ELB) selects one president 

who has been instrumental in developing unique and successful student experiences while 

supporting the mission of the college. Specifically, applicants are judged based on innovation, 

member recruitment, member retention, and leadership effectiveness. 

2007 The Wall Street Journal Student Achievement Award 

Tim Lake, American Marketing Association (AMA) 

Tim Lake, president of AMA for the past two years, has proven invaluable to the organization 

and to the college for his leadership effectiveness and innovation. He increased AMA member 

participation by surveying members so that he could better tailor events to meet their needs. 

Taking this into consideration, he instituted several new innovative events that attracted 

widespread support in the organization: the Mr. and Ms. Eller Pageant sponsored by Macys, 

Homecoming Tent festivities, Adobe Photoshop Training, and the Spotlight on Marketing Careers 

Banquet. He has also fostered partnerships with several corporate sponsors, including Phillip 

Morris and Enterprise. Last spring, Tim led AMA in winning four awards at the AMA National 

Conference, which they also attended this year. AMA members would describe Tim’s leadership 

style as democratic in nature, which effectively inspires members to actively contribute their 

time and talents to the organization. We applaud Tim for his outstanding leadership and 

contribution to the American Marketing Association and the Eller College of Management. Tim

can look forward to his achievements being published in the Wall Street Journal as a part of 

recognizing his accomplishments in their annual Journal–in–Education Program. We wish him the 

best of luck in all his future endeavors. 

Dean of Students: University Nugent Award 

These were established by the Alumni Association in 1964 and are named in memory of Robert 

Logan Nugent who was the Executive Vice President of The University of Arizona when he died in 

June of 1963. Dr. Nugent served Tucson and the University for more than thirty years and was 

particularly devoted to guiding and helping Arizona's young men and women. He earned his M.S. 

in 1925 at The University of Arizona, was a professor of chemistry, dean of the graduate and 

liberal arts colleges and vice president before being named to the second highest post at the 

University. Candidates should have a record of accomplishments which exemplify the high ideals 

of Dr. Nugent, i.e., active and enthusiastic participation and service in community and University 

endeavors. 

Emily Upstill, Public Management and Policy Major 

Outstanding Graduate in International Business 

This honor is given to an outstanding senior in the International Business Certificate program. 

Students receiving this award have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership in the 

certificate program as well as a clear vision for a future career in international business. 

Emily Upstill, Public Management and Policy Major 

Faculty and Staff Awards 

Don Wells Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award 

Don Seeley, Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Finance 

Tom Moses Outstanding Student Organization Advisor Award 

Dr. Sharon Garrison, Senior Lecturer, Department of Finance 

Dean’s Award for Undergraduate Teaching Excellence 

Mike Sechrest, Adjunct Instructor, Business Communication 

Leslie Cohen, Senior Lecturer, Department of Accounting 

Nancy Rochman, Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Accounting 

Dean’s Undergraduate Course Grants 

Dr. Tamar Kugler, Assistant Professor, Department of Management and Organizations 

Dr. Renee McConnell, Director of Business Communications 

Dr. Bill Neumann, Lecturer, Department of Management Information Systems 

Eller Undergraduate Faculty Member of the Year 

Phillip Blanchard, Large Class, Senior Lecturer, Department of Accounting 

Dr. Vic Piscitello, Small Class, Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Marketing

Eller Undergraduate Programs Team Member of the Year 

Nancy Rochman, Academic Advisor, Undergraduate Programs 

Sarah Thompson, Coordinator, Career Initiatives, Undergraduate Programs 

Alumni and Eller College Associate Awards 

Distinguished Undergraduate Alumni Award - Outstanding Recent Alumni 

Chad Schneider 

Chad started working with AFLAC Insurance as an intern during his senior year at the U of A. 

AFLAC is the world leader in supplemental insurance. Finding the concept of supplemental 

insurance intriguing, Chad decided to take the leap as an independent contractor on 100% 

commission when he was 21. After graduating with a double major in marketing and business 

management, Chad was promoted in October of 2003 to a District Sales Coordinator with AFLAC. 

After a year as a District Manager, Chad found that there was a very powerful resource that was 

not being utilized to its full potential in marketing AFLAC to health insurance brokers in the 

Tucson area. In 2005, Chad started his current position as the Broker Development Coordinator 

for the state of Arizona. He was the third broker coordinator for AFLAC in the United States. 

Two years later, he has helped his state operation take the lead in his territory and amongst the 

top company wide in doing business with brokers. Chad is currently on the board of the 

Southern Arizona Association of Health Underwriters as well as the National Association of 

Insurance and Financial Advisor’s Tucson chapter. Through these associations as well as 

multiple chambers of commerce and the Arizona small business association, he has helped 

community organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club, TROT, United Way, and Casa De Los 

Niños. 

Distinguished Undergraduate Alumni Award - Excellence in Service 

Alison Shvets 

Alison Shvets graduated from the Eller College of Management in 2001 with a degree in 

Management Information Systems. During her time at the U of A, Alison was actively involved 

with the College serving as Eller Student Council President, having facilitated and managed the 

first Student Advisory Board meeting. Additionally, she was an active member in Alpha Kappa 

Psi and was a featured member of the University’s twirling line. 

Currently she is employed at NetPro Computing, a privately-held Microsoft Managed Partner 

software company, located in Phoenix, Arizona. As a regional account manager Alison has 

secured numerous customers in the pharmaceutical, insurance and education verticals. As a 

leading member of the mid-market team she has achieved “President’s Club” status the last two 

years. In her free time Alison serves on the Phoenix U of A Young Alumni Executive Board and 

enjoys running, dancing, and interior design. 

Eller College Associate of the Year Award 

George Jenson 

George graduated from the U of A in 1987 with a degree in Management Information Systems. 

It was his 9 th major, he says “I’ve always had a hard time picking just one thing to be interested 

in.” He spent a couple years first managing a SCUBA shop and then as a computer consultant. In 

1990 he went into partnership with another UA grad and fraternity brother, and for 11 years 

owned half of Fraternity Management Group, a fund raising consulting firm that at one point had

over 25 employees. In 2001 his partner bought him out and since then he has divided his time 

between designing custom database software, working as a real estate broker with Santana 

REALTORS®, and teaching for Hogan School of Real Estate. He has also been a SCUBA 

instructor for 19 years and still teaches occasionally. George got involved with ECA at the start 

and has rarely missed a day of admissions interviews or make-ups. He also works closely with 

Kappa Sigma on campus; he was their live-in advisor from 1990-1997. His wife Jennifer is the 

chapter advisor for Alpha Chi Omega; she got her Master’s degree at the U of A. They live five 

blocks from campus and both enjoy travel and volunteer work. While they presently own an 

airplane, George’s latest obsession is building a faster one in their garage. 

Leo B. Hart Humanitarian Award 

The Arizona Alumni Association's Leo B. Hart Humanitarian Award will be given to an 

alumnus/alumna in order to recognize the outstanding contribution which he or she has made 

for social reform. Special consideration will be given to an individual who has received a degree 

from the University, but that need not be a requirement. It was established in 1986. 

Nita Umashankar 

Nita Umashankar received a Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the 

University of Arizona in 2003. She continued her coursework at the University and in 2004 

received a B.S.B.A. in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from the Eller College of Management. 

Additionally, Nita is pursuing a Ph.D. in Marketing at the University of Texas Austin. As apart of 

her dedication to humanitarian work, Nita has selected to research the following subjects: “Value 

from Services Innovation: When and How Services Innovation Affects Firm Performance,” “How 

Goods Firms Succeed in Creating New Services,” and “The Evolution of Fads.” Nita has also 

been invited to speak on these topics at conferences and presentations. Furthermore, Nita 

continues to contribute to the academic community by teaching an array of courses at UT 

Austin. Outside of academia, Nita founded ASSET which stands for Achieving Successful Social 

Equality through Technology in India and is the Programs Director for the Baduku Non-Profit 

Organization in India. The Eller College of Management would like to congratulate and honor Nita 

for her dedication to education and social reform. 

ASSET – Achieving Sustainable Social Equality through Technology 

ASSET which stands for Achieving Sustainable Social Equality through Technology grew out of 

the passion of a U.S born Indian young woman to educate and provide better opportunities in 

life for the children of sex workers. The pilot project is being implemented in Chennai with plans 

to expand to Bangalore and Hyderabad soon. 

The belief of the founders of ASSET, Inc. is that every child, irrespective of parentage counts. 

Our mission is to give children access to education which is not available to them through 

traditional means and to emphasize on structural intervention aspects of using technology to 

enable sex workers to dream of a better future for their children. This gives them something to 

live for and so adopt healthy behaviors.

Nita Umashankar came up with the original idea for ASSET to use computer literacy as a means 

to educate and provide opportunities for children of sex workers. After her undergraduate 

education, Nita spent a year in India working with NGOs in the area of rehabilitating abused 

women and children. 

Available and accessible information technology can play an important role in promoting social 

change. ASSET hopes to empower local communities to collect their own data on unemployment, 

health, or other issues and use the data make their voices heard. ASSET’s goal is making 

information technology relevant and accessible to communities of underserved children in India 

by teaching them to use computers as a means of tackling basic social and economic problems 

and setting up a network of locally-run IT cooperatives. ASSET’s hope is that the parents of the 

children will also learn new skill sets to take on many development issues like scarcity of water, 

unemployment, and education, where his train-and-empower strategies are making inroads 

nationwide. 

For more information, please visit: 

www.assetindiafoundation.org

Special Thanks 

Eller College of Management Undergraduate Programs 

Vic Piscitello, Master of Ceremonies 

Marsha Dean, Eller College Publications Manager 

Thank you to our student event planners: 

Jenny Huynh, Business Management Major 

Jessica Candelaria, Marketing Major

A Night with the Stars 2007 - Eller College of Management ...

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