Smith Community Celebrates Ninth Annual Dean’s
Undergraduate Awards Banquet

The Smith community came together on May 7 to celebrate the achievements of top undergraduate students and outstanding Smith faculty members at the ninth annual Dean’s Undergraduate Awards Banquet. More than 300 students, faculty, staff and alumni enjoyed a banquet at the University of Maryland Inn and Conference Center. The much-anticipated annual celebration was the cap on the academic year and a final celebration before course finals and commencement.

Students appreciated the chance to mingle with their peers and interact with their professors outside of the classroom. Sixteen top Smith students were formally recognized for their leadership and academic accomplishments and 11 faculty members were honored as some of the best teachers in business with the Krowe Teaching Excellence and Legg Mason Teaching awards. Smith’s chapter of the American Marketing Association (terpAMA) was honored and the Student Organization of the Year, and PricewaterhouseCoopers was recognized as Employer of the Year. Former dean, Howard Frank, was also honored with a special Lifetime Award for Meritorious Service and portrait that will hang in Van Munching Hall in recognition of his accomplishments in advancing the Smith School his 11-year tenure, which ended last June.

The awards banquet is the brainchild of Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies Patricia Cleveland. Nine years ago, she worked to organize a venue to recognize the best and brightest students, now one of the most anticipated events of the year at Smith.

Teaching Excellence Awards

The Krowe Teaching Excellence Awards were established in 1986 by alumnus Allen J. Krowe to recognize those who have shown superior teaching skills. The Legg-Mason Award in Teaching Innovation is awarded to recognize innovation in classroom instruction that will have a lasting impact on the university. This year Smith’s Teaching Enhancement Committee received 130 nominations for 59 Smith School faculty members for the Krowe and Legg Mason awards. Both students and alumni are eligible to enter nominations. Congratulations to all 2008-2009 teaching award winners:

Krowe Teaching Excellence Awards

  • Jahangir Boroumand, Business and Public Policy
  • Hank Boyd, Marketing
  • Gary Cohen, Logistics, Business and Public Policy
  • Michael Lawless, Management and Organization
  • Scott Livengood, Management and Organization
  • Jim McKinney, Accounting and Information Assurance
  • Jie Mein Goh, Decision, Operations and Information Technologies
  • Gordon Phillips, Finance
  • Rhonda Reger, Management and Organization
  • Legg Mason Teaching Innovation Award
  • Hugh Turner, Logistics, Business and Public Policy
  • Sue White, Finance

Outstanding Senior Awards

Accounting Award
Tomer Hamami, Baltimore, Md.
Concentration areas: Accounting and Finance, and Economics

Finance Award
Michael Zakin, Andover, Mass.
Concentration areas: Accounting and Finance

General Business Award
Danielle Keeley, Elkton, Md.
Concentration area: General Business

Information Systems Award
Ayokunmi Akingbade, Bowie, Md.
Concentration areas: Information Systems and Operations Management

International Business Award
Melissa Gardner, Laurel, Md.
Concentration areas: International Business and Finance

Logistics, Transportation, and Supply Chain Management Award
Lisa Makar, Chesterland, Ohio
Concentration areas: Logistics, Transportation and Supply Chain Management, and International Business

Marketing Award
Jennifer Warfield, Clarksville, Md.
Concentration areas: Marketing and Finance

Operations Management Award
Nicholas Rust, St. Paul, Minn.
Concentration areas: Operations Management and Finance

Dean’s Leadership Award
Joel Liebman, Fairlawn, N.J.

Dean’s Service Award
Steven Gruber, Livingston, N.J.

Dean’s Spirit Award
Candace Tomkiel, Mount Laurel, N.J.

Dean’s Unsung Hero Award
Michael Holzheimer, Coppell, Texas

Dean’s Visionary Award
Alison Taylor, Warwick, Md.

Dean’s Graduate of Distinction
Michael Zakin, Andover, MA

Excellence in Leadership Awards

  • Alexandra Giancarlo, Birmingham, Mich. – Freshman awardee
  • Corey Cines, Rockville, Md. – Sophomore awardee
  • Monisha Tripathi, Wynnewood, Pa. – Junior awardee

Student Organization of the Year Award
American Marketing Association (terpAMA)

Employer of the Year Award
PricewaterhouseCoopers

Dean’s Lifetime Award for Meritorious Service
Howard Frank, former dean