The Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics celebrated numerous outstanding students on their academic successes during the 2024 Honors and Achievements Day ceremony on May 10, held at the Audion at STAR Campus.
Lerner’s mission is to to facilitate our students’ success and foster intellectually curious and globally-minded lifelong learners with a leadership mindset. This year, we are recognizing more than 170 students for their hard work, generosity, passion, commitment, and leadership, among many other laudable attributes. They have demonstrated dedication through achieving excellence, whether through academic performance, industry achievements, or community service.
College Awards
John F. Puglisi Scholarship
In recognition of a business student who has demonstrated and practiced commitments to the values of education, athletics, and community service. Donald J. Puglisi, a retired professor of finance, established this scholarship as a tribute to his father, John F. Puglisi.
Andrea Plumser
Robert L. Schweitzer Memorial Award
In recognition of a senior from the state of Delaware, who has, in addition to academic excellence, demonstrated involvement in club sports and a commitment to service. The Scholarship is in memory of Robert L. Schweitzer, the former Donald J. Puglisi Professor of Finance, and a long-time supporter of UD athletics.
Ruthny-Ann Bertrand
Howard H. & Arlene Simon Award
The following award is in recognition of an undergraduate student who demonstrates a commitment to excellence in business and a demonstrated commitment to community service.
Ngoc Tran
Leon & Margaret Slocomb Outstanding Student Recognition Award
Established by Mr. and Mrs. Slocomb to recognize students in the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics who are judged by the selection committee to be hard-working “average” students, and viewed as very creative, very diligent, and very trustworthy. Student academic performance is to be a secondary consideration in the selection of the recipient, as the Slocombs’ wish is to recognize students who are not necessarily honors students, but those who exhibit the characteristics noted above.
Shane Wenrich
UDREAM Award
In recognition of a business student who has overcome barriers to achieve academic and personal success. Recipients consistently demonstrate the values of hard work, tenacity, and personal responsibility.
Philip Weinseimer
Scot Flewelling ’86 Memorial Scholarship
Established by Ms. Krista Urbaniak in memory of her brother, B. Scot Flewelling, this scholarship is awarded to a rising junior or senior legacy student based on demonstrated financial need that has demonstrated exemplary problem-solving skills and is hardworking.
Danielle Berman
Herbert Family Scholarship
Awarded based on financial need and academic merit to undergraduate students who matriculated in the Lerner College of Business and Economics and who maintain a GPA of 3.5 or greater. Special consideration given to underrepresented students with a preference for students of African American or Hispanic descent.
Juan Barbecho
Joyce C. Davis Award
Awarded based on academic merit, to undergraduate students enrolled in the College. Special consideration given to students engaged with the Lerner Diversity Council.
Sean Gibbs, Sofia Portante and Lisa Braccia
Victor Giardini Award
The Victor Giardini Award was established to perpetuate the memory of Victor Giardini and the ideals and qualities he exemplified, especially the optimistic spirit he shared with his students and colleagues. This monetary award and certificate is presented to the junior or senior management, marketing, operations management, or international business studies student who has demonstrated enthusiasm for learning, encouragement toward their fellow students, and perseverance.
Michael Sullivan
Delta Sigma Pi
Established to honor the graduate with the highest cumulative grade point index in Lerner College.
Caroline Anderson, Sarah Attieh, Heather Belitskus, Camille Brousseau, Ziyu Chen, Emilie Delaye, Giana DiMarco, Gavin Klamm, Andrea Plumser, Allison Rebuck and Josiah Taylor
Accounting and Management Information Systems Awards
Distinguished senior panel awards given in recognition of highest academic achievement through the senior year.
Distinguished Seniors – Accounting
Linnea Bernard, Nicholas Demech, Timothy David Macchiarelli, Natalie O’Leary and Carolina Rose Pellegrini
Distinguished Seniors – Business Analytics
Max David Bedilion, Michal Biben, Sanika Nawathe and Giang Hoang Nguyen
Distinguished Seniors – Management Information Systems
Kate Foley, Sanika Nawathe, Kris Oei, Claire Salerno and Yamini Vyas
Distinguished junior panel awards given in recognition of highest academic achievement through the junior year.
Distinguished Junior Panel – Accounting
Sydney Brittain, Evan Jamison, Nima Hassan Shahriari, Leslie Ann Ware and Richard Tyler Weissenborn
Distinguished Junior Panel – Business Analytics
Shannon Conway, Gavin Currie, Kaitlyn McNaney and Laila Potosky
Distinguished Junior Panel – Management Information Systems
James Nathan Burns, Emma Katelyn Chace, Alex Jeffrey Kleiman, Bryce Joseph Tucker and Benjamin James Venema
Henry J. Donnelly Memorial Award
Presented to a senior accounting major with an interest in law or tax.
Jessica Campbell
Dragone Accounting Leadership Award
Given in recognition of outstanding service to the Department of Accounting and MIS.
Benjamin James Venema and Harrison Horn
Bruce Evans Memorial Award
From a fund provided by Mr. and Mrs. Isador Evans to a senior accounting major with the highest index and best record in conduct and school citizenship.
Giana DiMarco
Jeffrey Heimann Memorial Award
Established with funds provided through contributions in memory of Jeffrey Heimann and presented to a junior accounting major who has demonstrated superior academic performance.
Bryce Franklin, William Colin Parnell, Marika Vaslikos and Benjamin James Venema
E. Wakefield Smith Accounting Prize
In recognition of an outstanding student in the junior class who is majoring in accounting.
Madison Faust
Thomas Baranello Scholarship Award
Given in recognition of a student with a record of strong academic achievement majoring in accounting. The award was created in memory of Thomas Baranello, Class of 1979.
Christopher Saelaiman
Patrice Newman Cavanaugh Scholarship
Given to a non-traditional junior or senior female accounting major with over a 3.3 GPA.
Shauna Bennett Blake
William Markell Scholarship Award
Scholarship given in educational support of undergraduate accounting students who have demonstrated commitment to education and service to the profession and community – qualities espoused by the late William Markell as the marks of an accounting professional.
Giana DeMarco and Claire Salerno
Senior Award for Excellence in Business Analytics
Presented to a student(s) who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the practice and concepts of leadership and teamwork vital to effective business analytics and other areas of business.
Joseph Sedlacko
Senior Award for Excellence in Management Information Systems
Presented to a student(s) who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the practice and concepts of leadership and teamwork vital to effective management of information systems and other areas of business.
Allison Rebuck
Business Administration
For Distinguished Senior Awards, certificates are awarded to seniors in business administration in recognition of academic achievement and professional excellence in their majors.
Panel of Distinguished Entrepreneurship Seniors
Logan Snapp and Ethan David Wales
Panel of Distinguished Global Enterprise Management Seniors
Nithya Borra
Panel of Distinguished International Business Studies Seniors
Ngoc Tran
Panel of Distinguished Management Seniors
David James Belknap, Bianca Schaen, Michael Joseph Tucker and Irene Zachariadis
Panel of Distinguished Marketing Seniors
Jacqueline Brooke Ascher, Erin Claire Apostolico, Madison Adele Barnett, Stephen Mcilroy Burkardt, David James Belknap, Grace Housler, Madelyn Mae Keljikian, Julia Taylor Kochie, Hailey Levine, Christian Joseph Mancini and Sarah Patrica Moriak
Panel of Distinguished Operations Management Seniors
Sarah Patricia Moriak, Sanika Nawathe and Kris Oei
For Distinguished Junior Awards, certificates are awarded to juniors in business administration in recognition of academic achievement and professional excellence in their majors.
Panel of Distinguished Entrepreneurship Juniors
Sierra Ryan Wallick, Hunter Wills and Jacob Zaidman
Panel of Distinguished Global Enterprise Management Juniors
Kayla Clausen and Sivana Schulman
Panel of Distinguished International Business Juniors
Peyton Rautzhan
Panel of Distinguished Management Juniors
Adelina Campbell, Kara Kimos, Christian Miller and Sara Muzyka
Panel of Distinguished Marketing Juniors
Victoria Anglace, Emma Chace, Joshua Ciliberti, Taylor Felix, Megan George, Natalie Hirn, Phelia Hung, Sara Muzyka and Dana Vilardi
Panel of Distinguished Operations Management Juniors
Adelina Campbell, Kayla Clausen and Hannah Pash
Jerome E. Scott Excellence in Marketing Award
Monetary award and certificate awarded to a senior in marketing who exhibits strong intellectual skills; actively participates in University, business, or community organizations; and exhibits integrity, strong character, and potential for success in marketing management.
Grace Housler
Marketing Faculty Outstanding Senior Award
Monetary award and certificate awarded to a senior marketing major who has achieved academic excellence, provided exemplary service to the college and University, and shows outstanding potential for a successful career in business.
Josiah Taylor
ASCM Operations Management Scholarship
Monetary award and certificate sponsored by the ASCM Brandywine Valley Chapter, the Association for Operations Management, to an outstanding operations management major who demonstrates strong potential for a successful career in the operations management field.
Oluwatomisin “Tomisin” Olubakinde and Pamela Lyn Patton
Richard M. Weiss Student Engagement Award
Presented to recognize a student who has contributed to student learning by exemplifying and facilitating the high level of intellectual engagement that Richard Weiss sought to create in the classroom. The monetary award and a certificate will be given to a senior business administration major who has consistently demonstrated such engagement by helping to facilitate thoughtful discussion with professors and fellow students, seeking interconnections among course topics, and reflecting deeply on the implications and application of course material.
Laura Hamm
Shawn & Sheryl McCall Award for Entrepreneurship
Annually awarded to two students who demonstrate entrepreneurial promise. This is typically evidenced by engaging in experiential learning activities to promote development of an entrepreneurial mindset, skillset, and means as well as repeated efforts to pursue value creation from new ideas.
McKinley Lynn and Jenna Tomasch
Brad & Jennifer Bono Award
Annually awarded to a student who demonstrates entrepreneurial leadership and social impact. This is typically evidenced by exhibiting vision and initiative in bringing people together to address a consequential environmental or societal problem.
Norman Mthethwa
Horn Entrepreneurship Award
Annually awarded to a meritorious student who promises to deploy award funding in the near-term (within the next few months) and realize consequential benefit. For this award, merit is typically evidenced by prolonged engagement in activities that have positioned the student to benefit from the award (e.g., activities resulting in initial new venture traction or selective acceptance into a high impact educational offering).
Samantha McGhee
Siegfried Student Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership
Annually awarded to a student based on the impact they’ve made or are likely to make in the very near future through their entrepreneurial leadership and who brings people together around a shared vision to make something happen that would not have happened otherwise.
Sakhee Desai
David J. Freschman Scholarship
Awarded to a student who has demonstrated potential to become a successful entrepreneur; possesses some characteristics of the award’s namesake (which includes energy, enthusiasm, determination, sales acumen, financial ability, and good judgment); and has exhibited some of these qualities through prior work experience, academic achievements and/or extracurricular activities.
Lauren Roberts
Rysheema Dixon Legacy Award
Awarded to a student social innovator or entrepreneur who exemplifies the namesake’s deep commitment to improving the lives of others through social innovation and venturing. This is typically exemplified by the active pursuit of new programs, policies, products or services with the potential to substantially benefit people from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Emilie Delaye
Outstanding Service to the Program Award
Awarded to a student who exemplifies the creative, innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of Horn Entrepreneurship and demonstrates deep commitment to making a positive impact on UD’s entrepreneurial community’ especially student peers. This is typically evidence by working in service to advance Horn’s mission of empowering students through entrepreneurship education.
Olivia Jin
Economics Awards
Distinguished senior awards are given in recognition of highest academic achievement through the senior year.
Distinguished Seniors – Economics
Bazel Brady, Grace Harvey, Rebecca Meeks, Sana Nangia, Michelle Quinn, Ethan Saunders and Sophia Sitnick
Distinguished junior awards are given in recognition of highest academic achievement through the junior year.
Distinguished Juniors – Economics
Holden Greenblatt, Aaron Onesi, Reese Palumbo and Benjamin Weiss
Charles N. Lanier Economics Prize
Recognizes senior economics students with the most outstanding record of academic achievement. The award is named in memory of Charles N. Lanier, a professor and chair in the Department of Economics from 1940 until his retirement in 1973.
Grace Harvey and Michelle Quinn
Bertram F. Levin Memorial Award
Recognizes a senior economics major who exhibits an unusually high level of intellectual curiosity and creativity in the study of economics. This award, originally established by Professor Levin, who died in July of 2018 at the age of 93, now honors his memory. Professor Levin was a faculty member in the Department of Economics from 1964 until his retirement as a professor emeritus in 1991.
Sabin Lowe and Zachary Seymour
Hutchinson Scholars Program
Given to junior economics majors who have outstanding academic records. The award was created in memory of Harry D. Hutchinson, professor of economics from 1959 to 1989.
Jenna Demaio, Kelly Parramore, Sophia Schaefer, David Undus and Leah Walter
Brucker Economics Scholarship
Awarded to one or more students enrolled as economics majors based on academic merit. This award was created by Professor Eric Brucker and his wife Sharon, who are Double Dels. Eric and Sharon Brucker desire to create a reward for an outstanding undergraduate student(s) and provide an incentive for continued hard work and success.
Kathryn Schwartz
Finance Awards
Distinguished senior awards are given in recognition of highest academic achievement through the senior year.
Distinguished Seniors – Finance
Harry Anderson, Nithya Borra, Bazel Brady, Michael Campbell, Sean Gibbs, Justin Marks, Emma Mauchin, Giang Hoang Nguyen, Christian Ray, Erik Roell, Laura Simion and Ngoc Tran
Distinguished Seniors – Financial Planning & Wealth Management
Justin Marks and Michael Reeves
Distinguished junior awards are given in recognition of highest academic achievement through the junior year.
Distinguished Juniors – Finance
Victoria Anglace, Paul Brecht, Carly Brunke, James Burns, Luke Gibbons , Kieran Hickey, Brooke Latone, Claire Marci, Kaitlyn Mcnaney, Christian Miller, Rylee Morrison, Sivana Schulman, David Undus, Leah Walter and Ty Williams
Distinguished Juniors – Financial Planning & Wealth Management
Richard Fabri, Luke Gibbons and Amy Papit
Finance Faculty Scholarship Award
Given to students who demonstrate a combination of outstanding scholarship; professionalism in their internships and professional development opportunities; and innovation, creativity, and teamwork in the major.
Matthew Montgomery, Justin Marks, Ngoc Tran and Shane Wenrich
Donald J. Puglisi Scholarship Award
Given to an outstanding finance major who demonstrates overall academic excellence and provides evidence of dedication to community service through leadership and sustained commitment.
Ngoc Tran
Rudolph E. & Mabel A. D’Souza Scholarship Award
Given to a student based on his or her contributions to the Department of Finance.
Andrew Knight
Rudolph E. & Mabel A. D’Souza Senior Award for Excellence
Presented to the finance major with the highest level of scholarship and achievement.
Gavin Klamm
Hospitality and Sport Business Management Awards
Distinguished panel awards are given to juniors and seniors in recognition of high academic achievement and community service in the hospitality business management major and the hospitality industry management major.
Distinguished Seniors – Hospitality Business Management
Kyle Morris and Robert Dutrow
Distinguished Seniors – Hospitality Industry Management
Hannah Turer and Grace Higgins
Distinguished Seniors – Sport Management
Cordelia Bucy, Claire Kaufmann, Sarah Leuliette and Madison Hafetz
Distinguished junior awards are given in recognition of highest academic achievement through the junior year
Distinguished Juniors – Hospitality Business Management
Gregory Indelicato and Chloe Ilconich
Distinguished Juniors – Sport Management
Ty Williams, Zachary Zoladkiewicz, Jacob Snellenburg and Ryan Conroy
Altero Family Scholarship
Awarded in recognition of a hospitality business management major who demonstrates leadership and commitment to the hospitality industry and community service.
Amelia Zamarra
Gregory S. Kramedas ’59 Memorial Scholarship
Awarded in recognition of a hospitality business management major who demonstrates leadership and commitment to the hospitality industry and community service.
Dayana Garzon Lagos and Kiley Rose Michulka
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals Award
Awarded in recognition of a hospitality business management or hospitality industry management major with interest in financial and technology careers in the hospitality industry.
John Dewey
Harry’s Hospitality Group Scholarship
Monetary award from the endowed scholarship established by Xavier Teixido, Harry’s Hospitality Group, in recognition of those students who demonstrate a commitment to the hospitality industry and to community service.
Kiley Michulka, Riley Senseny, Aniya Brown-Gordon and Kaitlyn Lewis
David E. Hollowell Scholarship
Monetary award established by the Shaner Hotel Group in honor of David E. Hollowell, given to a hospitality business management or hospitality industry management major in good standing, academic achievement, and a rising sophomore, junior or senior who exemplifies commitment and intent in establishing a career in the lodging industry.
Madelyn Toth, Shruti Meenakshi and Grace Visser
Paul E. Wise Scholarship
Monetary award in recognition of a hospitality business management major who demonstrates leadership and commitment to the hospitality industry and community service.
Amelia Zamarra, Alicia Pajunas and Andrea Cannizzaro
J. Willard Marriott Memorial Scholarship
Monetary awards provided through the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Foundation in recognition of academic performance, hospitality work experience, extracurricular involvement, and personal attributes.
Jonathan Gladden, Samantha Urspruch and Grace Visser
Dr. Ali Poorani Educational Scholarship
Monetary award established by the Philadelphia Club Foundation and the Philadelphia Chapter of Club Management Association of America (CMAA) in recognition of a hospitality business management student who has completed or intends to complete the Club Management course, is a member of the CMAA student chapter, has work experience in a club, and demonstrates academic achievement.
Shannon Hunt
Outstanding Aramark Scholars
Recognition made possible by Aramark Educational Services, LLC in support of outstanding performance and leadership as an Aramark Scholar in Vita Nova.
Alyssa Calderon and Devon Barry, Front of House
Justin Guo and Riley Senseny, Back of House
Myles Brand Sport Management Award
Consists of a monetary award to a senior in sport management who in and out of the classroom, potentially on the playing field, in the community and in their professional activities, displays the ideas championed by the NCAA in its core purpose: “To govern competition in a fair, safe, equitable and sportsmanlike manner, and to integrate intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the educational experience of the student is paramount.”
Andrea Plumser and Claire Kaufmann
SWUFE-UD Institute of Data Science Awards
The SWUFE-UD Institute of Data Science is a joint collaboration between the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in Chengdu, China and the University of Delaware. Three undergraduate programs are offered in the joint institute: UD’s bachelor of science programs in management information systems, finance and operations management from the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics.
The following students are earning their degrees through the SWUFE-UD Institute of Data Science.
Distinguished senior awards are given in recognition of highest academic achievement through the senior year
Distinguished Seniors – Finance
Ziqi Wen, Fenglin Wu and Xudong Zhan
Distinguished Seniors – Management Information Systems
Ziyu Chen and Yuchen Li
Distinguished Seniors – Operations Management
Yue Yu and Tenglong Hong
Distinguished junior awards are given in recognition of highest academic achievement through the junior year.
Distinguished Juniors – Finance
Ziyu He and Guangqi Li
Distinguished Juniors – Management Information Systems
Jiaya Cui and Xinyu Hu
Distinguished Juniors – Operations Management
Ruizhu Zhou and Tianyand Li