MBA Awards
Outstanding MBA Student Awards
Each spring outstanding MBA students are chosen, based on three criteria - academics, service activities, and professional activities - by a team consisting of the MBA Director and staff, the MBA Association President, the prior year’s Outstanding MBA Faculty member, and the representatives of the sponsoring institutions.
Currently winners are selected annually for the awards sponsored by Heritage Enterprises and the MBA Program Office. The winners’ names are inscribed on a plaque in the MBA office, and they each receive a cash prize as well. Past award winners are:
1978 – Douglas McDowell
1979 – Heidrum Buehner
1980 – Paula Gravatt
1981 – Alan Sherbin
1982 – Mike Prombo and Keith Skibicki
1983 – Ajit Mathur
1984 – Peggy Burton
1985 – Ronald Pocs
1986 – Jeffrey Jury
1987 – Brian Hinrichs
1988 – Catherine Chaplais
1989 – Jean-Phillipe Madec and James Van Houten
1990 – Arnaud Marchais and Nancy Mesropian
1991 – Marie Brandt and Nancy Verban
1992 – Frederic Brunel and Beverly Nance
1993 – Nancy Mietzner and Nicolas Querette
1994 – Craig Brown and Peter Tomaras
1995 – Robert Crowell and Mark Burns
1996 – Stephen Kurth
1997 – Daniel Whitson and Olivier deLongeaux
1998 – Dawn R. Horner and Peter J. Grygiel
1999 – Gueorgui Minkovsky and Kathleen Lorenz
2000 – Venkatakrishnan Peruvemba and Rhonda Haffner
2001 – Shari Buckellew and Peter Geddeis
2002 – Courtney Jones and Baler Bilgin
2003 – Julie Payne and Tom Burrell
2004 – Baykal Eyyuboglu (Wright Financial Group/Northwestern Mutual Outstanding MBA), Ameya Karvir and John Vander Burgh
2005 – Michelle Schmitt (Wright Financial Group/Northwestern Mutual Outstanding MBA), Naveta Dhall and Daniel Jones
2006 – Timothy Braida (Wright Financial Group/Northwestern Mutual Outstanding MBA), Pegah Hemmasi, James Dunne
2007 – Sukrut Phadke (Wright Financial Group/Northwestern Mutual Outstanding MBA Student Award), Umacharan Iyer and Javier Jurado (Heritage Enterprises Outstanding Student Award Winners), Lindsey Lippert (MBA Full-time Student Award), and Josh Kuntz (MBA Part-time Student Award).
2008 – Kevin Rockett (McClure Financial Group/Northwestern Mutual Outstanding MBA Student Award), Elitsa Dimitrova and Reagan Rinchiuso(Heritage Enterprises Outstanding Student Award Winners), Jennifer Keegan(MBA Full-time Student Award), and Erin Easter (MBA Part-time Student Award).
2009 – Shishir Paudel (Northwestern Mutual / Brown District Agency Outstanding MBA Student Award), Sandeep Basnet and Jim Mullins (Heritage Enterprises Outstanding MBA Student Awards), Chris Behrns, Ben Libert, and Susann Mann (MBA Outstanding Full-Time Student Awards), Carol Csanda (MBA Outstanding Part-Time Student Award).
Outstanding MBA Faculty Award
Each year, a graduate faculty member who has taught an MBA course over the past year is recognized with an Outstanding MBA Faculty Award. The MBA Association conducts the election, which consists of two rounds of voting by MBA students.
The Outstanding MBA Faculty Member receives a plaque. In addition, each recipient’s name is inscribed on a plaque that is permanently displayed in the MBA Office. Beginning in 2003, recipients now also receive a $500 cash prize from the MBA Program’s foundation account.
Past Outstanding MBA Faculty Award winners include:
1993 – Kelly C. Strong
1994 – Joseph J. Solberg
1995 – Michael R. Williams
1996 – Richard C. Ringer
1997 – Richard C. Ringer
1998 – Tony Ostrosky
1999 – Joseph J. Solberg
2000 – Khalid Razaki
2001 – Joseph W. Trefzger
2002-03 – Khalid Razaki
2003-04 – Joseph J. Solberg
2004-05 – Daniel Goebel
2005-06 – Richard C. Ringer
2006-07 – Joseph W. Trefzger
2007-08 – Kevin Ahlgrim
2008-09 – Sylvie Bouriaux and Carson Varner
2009-10 – Richard Ringer
2010-11 – Joseph W. Trefzger
2011-12 – Peter Kaufman
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Past Winners of Outstanding MBA Student Awards:
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2010 - Nate Heinold (McClure Financial Group / Northwestern Mutual Outstanding MBA Student), Larry Bratton and Jerrod Wickler (Heritage Enterprises Outstanding MBA Students), Heather Harper (MBA Program Outstanding Full-Time Student), Jenny Thayer (MBA Program Outstanding Part-Time Student).
2011 - Leila Simone Hell (McClure Financial Group / Northwestern Mutual Outstanding MBA Student), Tracy Berner and Jessica Solberg (Heritage Enterprises Outstanding MBA Students), Kate Engelhardt (MBA Program Outstanding Full-Time Student), Matthew Weber (MBA Program Outstanding Part-Time Student).
2012 - Josh Shofner (MBA Distinguished Student Leadership Award), Pui-Ying Tong and Bradley Drake (Heritage Enterprises Outstanging MBA Students), Branko Kuzmanovic (MBA Program Outstanding Full-Time Student), Andrew Bordewick (MBA Program Outstanding Part-Time Student).
The Robert Crowell MBA Endowed Scholarship
The Robert Crowell MBA Endowed Scholarship Fund, established in 2007, is the first endowed scholarship offered by the MBA Program. Mr. Crowell is a 1995 graduate of Illinois State University's MBA Program and provided the funding to assist business professionals returning to school to work on their MBA degree.
We encourage qualified students to view the qualifications and apply. Applications are accepted year round. Selection is made during the spring semester and the winner is recognized at the annual award banquest usually in late April.
Winners:
2009 - Amanda Capodice
2010 - Neil Alcorn
2011 - Angela Silver
2012 - Ryan Leuty
ADM Scholarship
Amy Paulsen was the MBA student winner of the 2009 Archer Daniels Midland Scholarship.