Congratulations, 2024 OWLIE Winners! - Naveen Jindal School of Management

by Varghese Jacob - April 19th, 2024 - Alumni, Business School, College Knowledge, Current Events, Dean’s Council: Faces of JSOM, Student Life, Student Spotlight

The Owl Trophies for the 2024 JSOM OWLIE awards.

Contents

A Decade of OWLIEs
Here are the 2024 Winners
Decades of Service OWLIE Recipients

A Decade of OWLIEs

Students, faculty and staff at the Naveen Jindal School of Management gathered this past April 17 in the Davidson Auditorium for the 10th annual Outstanding Worthy Leaders Involved Exceptionally (OWLIE) awards ceremony.

Every year since 2015, the Dean’s Council has held this special awards ceremony to recognize members of the JSOM community for outstanding service on behalf of the Jindal School. Students, faculty, program directors and JSOM student organization advisors submitted their nominations, and finalists were called to the awards ceremony to learn whether they had won a coveted Owl trophy.

This year’s OWLIEs was celebrated with an opening act by Gannu, Neha, and Purnima, as well as special musical performances by Novis A Cappella and singer-guitarist Avaneesh. The two masters of ceremony, Troy Murray, a marketing graduate student, and Kyro Abraham, an information technology and systems senior, called OWLIE award nominees to stand and then announced the winners to roaring applause. The ceremony concluded with a stellar dance finale by the members of the JSOM Graduate Dean’s Council.

Watch the video below to see this year’s celebration:

Here are the 2024 Winners:

Jindal Selfless Service

This award recognizes an undergraduate student, graduate student, or community leader in JSOM who has won hearts through their selfless acts of service to others and/or their community.

Carolyn Duke

Jindal Student Mentor

This award goes to a student who has demonstrated excellence in mentoring, encouraging and promoting the educational, professional, and personal development of other students.

Undergraduate: Sabrina Castillo

JSOM Dean Pirkul presents Undergraduate Student Mentor OWLIE award to Sabrina Castillo. — Sabrina Castillo is a marketing junior. She is a part of the University Success Scholars (USS) program and a resident advisor.

Graduate: Diana Carneiro

JSOM Dean Pirkul presents Graduate Student Mentor OWLIE award to Diana Carneiro — Diana Carneiro is a graduate marketing student. She serves as the current marketing student leadership council president.

JSOM Most Likely to be a C-Suite Executive

This award recognizes a student who demonstrates the qualities of a C-Suite Executive including the capacity to lead others and the strong commitment to their own individual growth. This individual should possess intense drive, powerful determination and an excellent entrepreneurial mindset.

Undergraduate: Katelyn Lobo

JSOM Dean Pirkul presents Undergraduate Most Likely to be a C-Suite Executive OWLIE award to Katelyn Lobo. — Katelyn Lobo is a finance senior. She was elected as a senator in student government and has served in various leadership roles including Professional Committee Chair and vice president of membership for Alpha Kappa Psi and president and consulting director of 180 Degrees Consulting.

Graduate: Tamara Marshall

JSOM Dean Pirkul presents Graduate Most Likely to be a C-Suite Executive to Tamara Marshall — Tamara Marshall is an innovation and entrepreneurship and MBA student. She is the founder and CEO of her own company as well as an active mentor to other students pursuing entrepreneurship at UT Dallas.

Jindal Ambassador

This award recognizes an individual in JSOM who goes beyond the call of duty to support JSOM outside the school by being a spokesperson and representative for the school in the community and the corporate world.

Angela Granger

JSOM Amazing Alum

This award is presented to a JSOM alum who has distinguished herself/himself through excellence in supporting JSOM students.

Pranav Tyagi

Rolando Perez

Jindal Employer of the Year

This award goes to an employer that has posted positions in the Jindal School, hired students for both internships and final placement positions, and helped to support the professional development of students.

Charles Schwab

JSOM Student of the Year

This award is presented to a current student who contributes to the growth of the JSOM brand. This individual is a strong representative of the school in their academic, community, and/or corporate pursuits.

Undergraduate: Sapna Krishnan

JSOM Dean Pirkul presents Undergraduate Student of the Year OWLIE award to Sapna Krishnan. — Sapna Krishnan is senior double major in information technology and systems and marketing. She is involved in the Professional Program in Marketing (PPM), the Professional Program in Information Technology (PPIT), the Davidson Management Honors Program (DMHP), and has served in leadership roles for Alpha Kappa Psi.

Graduate: Griffen Henderson

Dean Pirkul presents Graduate Student of the Year OWLIE award to Griffen Henderson — Griffen Henderson is a Full-Ttime MBA Cohort student. He has participated in multiple case competitions at Raytheon and USC and serves as a student ambassador for the MBA program.

PhD: Hong Zhang

Dean Pirkul presents PhD Student of the Year OWLIE award to Hong Zhang. — Hong Zhang is a Management Science PhD student with a concentration in Information Systems. She has made incredible research contributions in the form of three influential papers and is known for her teaching excellence and high involvement in school activities.

Jindal Faculty of the Year

This award is presented to a JSOM faculty member for excellence in teaching, advising, mentoring, and/or supporting students.

Undergraduate: Jennifer Lee, PhD

Jennifer Lee accepts 2024 OWLIE award for Undergraduate Faculty of the Year. — Dr. Jennifer Lee is an assistant professor in the Organizations, Strategy, and International Management Area at JSOM. She goes out of her way to make class fun and engaging for students and students appreciate her efforts to connect with them personally.

Graduate: Ignacio Rios Uribe, PhD

Dean Pirkul presents Graduate Faculty of the Year OWLIE award to Ignacio Rios Uribe. — Dr. Ignacio Rios Uribe is an assistant professor in the Operations Management Area. He demonstrates remarkable patience, kindness, and genuine care for his students as he consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that each student grasps the subject matter.

PhD: Steven Xiao, PhD

Dean Pirkul presents PhD Faculty of the Year OWLIE award to Steven Xiao. — Dr. Steven Xiao is an associate professor in the Finance and Managerial Economics Area and the PhD area coordinator for finance. He has implemented meaningful changes to the programs that enhance the training of PhD students.

JSOM Outstanding Staff Member

This award is presented to a JSOM staff member who has distinguished herself/himself through excellence in supporting JSOM students, faculty and important constituents.

Courtney Graves

John Fierst

Category: Dean’s Council Super OWL

This award is presented to an active member of the Dean’s Council in the Jindal School providing leadership and support for all the activities of the council.

Undergraduate: Shreya Bariki

Dean Pirkul and Dean Dawn Owens present Dean's Council Super Owl OWLIE award to Shreya Bariki — Shreya Bariki is a business administration senior.

Undergraduate: Safa Ashraf

Dean Dawn Owens presents Dean's Council Super Owl OWLIE award to Safa Ashraf — Safa Ashraf is an Information Technology and Systems senior.

Graduate: Nick Maleska

Dean Pirkul presents Dean's Council Super Owl OWLIE award to Nick Maleska. — Nick Maleska is a Full-Time MBA student.

JSOM Outstanding Student Organization Leader

This award recognizes a student leader of a registered JSOM organization who has demonstrated a high level of leadership ability through character, work ethic and involvement.

Undergraduate: Vanessa Gomez

JSOM Dean Pirkul presents Undergraduate Outstanding Student Organization Leader OWLIE award to Vanessa Gomez. — Vanessa Gomez is an accounting senior. She boosted engagement for the Women in Technology and Business student organization by collaborating with other women-focused events, hosting a canned food drive, and creating a discord channel for officers and members.

Graduate: Josh Peacock

Dean Pirkul presents Graduate JSOM Outstanding Student Organization Leader OWLIE award to Josh Peacock. — Josh Peacock is an accounting graduate student. He serves as president of the Institute of Internal Auditors Student Chapter (IIASC).

JSOM Student Organization of the Year

This award recognizes the JSOM student organization that has made a significant contribution to the school and student body through service, programs, and activities.

Undergraduate: Alpha Kappa Psi

Dean Pirkul presents Undergraduate Student Organization OWLIE award to Alpha Kappa Psi. — Alpha Kappa Psi is the premiere professional business fraternity on campus. The organization aims to give back to the community through mentorship, service and knowledge. It has 91 initiated members.

Graduate: Project Management Club

Dean Pirkul presents Graduate Student Organization of the Year OWLIE award to the Project Management Club. — The Project Management Club aims to promote and encourage Project management-related activities through networking, speaker events, workshops, mock exams and reviews for professional certifications such as PMP, and ITIL.

Monica Powell prepares to present Decades of Service OWLIE awards for 2024.

Decades of Service OWLIE Recipients

In honor of the 10th anniversary of the OWLIE Awards, the Dean’s Council added a new award category to recognize individuals who have dedicated numerous years of service to the Jindal School. These five Decades of Service award recipients have helped shape JSOM into the prestigious institution it is today.

Dr. Monica Powell, senior associate dean and graduate dean of the Jindal School, presented these five JSOM leaders with their own OWLIE trophies to honor their lasting commitment and service.

Sydney Smith Hicks, PhD & CEO

Dean Pirkul presents Decades of Service OWLIE award to Sydney Smith Hicks. — Sydney Smith Hicks is the former chair of the Jindal School’s Advisory Council, and she has been a member of the council for almost 30 years. She is also a lifetime member of the UT Dallas Executive Board.

Ron Nash, Former CEO & Chairman

Dean Pirkul presents Decades of Service OWLIE award to Ron Nash. — Ron Nash, MS’79, is the founder and benefactor of the Nash Leaders Award and the chairman of the New Dimensions Campaign for UT Dallas.

Ray Hemmig, CEO & Chairman

Dean Pirkul presents Decades of Service OWLIE award to Ray Hemmig. — Ray Hemmig is the chairman & CEO of the Retail & Restaurant Growth Capital Fund. He is a lifetime member of the UT Dallas Executive Board.

Varghese Jacob, PhD

Dean Pirkul presents Decades of Service OWLIE award to Vargese Jacob. — Dr. Varghese Jacob, Lars Magnus Ericsson Chair and vice dean, has served the Jindal School for 27 years.

Diane McNulty, PhD

Dean Pirkul presents Decades of Service OWLIE award to Diane McNulty. — Dr. Diane McNulty has served the Jindal School for 37 years. She is the associate dean for External Relations, and the longest serving associate dean for the Jindal School. She was the original advocate for the purchase of Wise the Owl, the unofficial Jindal School mascot and the namesake for the OWLIE awards.

View all posts by Varghese Jacob