The Outstanding Worthy Leaders Involved Exceptionally (OWLIE) awards ceremony is an annual event to recognize students, faculty, staff, mentors, alumni and supporters for their exceptional service on behalf of the Naveen Jindal School of Management.
The 2022 event returned to an in-person setting after two virtual ceremonies and was the 8th annual awards ceremony since the first show in 2015. This year, a new award was introduced: Jindal Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion Engagement to honor either an undergraduate, graduate, staff, faculty or community leader who demonstrates passion, connects community, or advocates for change toward diversity, equity and inclusion.
OWLIE nominees are submitted by students, faculty, program directors and JSOM student organization advisors. The finalists are determined by the Undergraduate and Graduate Dean’s Council in a blind process that removes student identity from consideration.
OWLIE winners are then decided in voting by JSOM faculty and staff, eight representatives of more than 70 JSOM student organizations, and the undergraduate and graduate members of the Dean’s Council.
Watch the video below to see this year’s celebration:
Here are the 2022 winners:
Category: JSOM Most Likely to be a C-Suite Executive
Undergraduate winner: Christy Chinn
Chinn is a JSOM senior majoring in Finance.
Graduate winner: Kimberly Cury
Cury is a JSOM graduate student pursuing her MBA.
Category: Jindal Student Mentor
Undergraduate winner: Melanye Simmons
Simmons is a JSOM senior majoring in Human Resource Management.
Graduate winner: Sarah Deininger
Deininger is a JSOM graduate student pursuing her Master’s in Accounting.
Category: Jindal Selfless Service
Winner: Raj Kumar
Kumar is a JSOM graduate student pursuing his Master’s in Information Technology & Management.
Category: Jindal Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion Engagement
Winner: Sydney Tran
Tran is a JSOM senior majoring in Information Technology & Systems.
Category: Jindal Faculty of the Year
Undergraduate winner: Hubert Zydorek
Zydorek is the director of the undergraduate Global Business Program.
Graduate winner: Gaurav Shekhar
Shekhar is the director of the Master’s of Business Analytics Program.
PhD winner: Nanda Kumar
Kumar is a Marketing professor.
Category: JSOM Student of the Year
Undergraduate winner: Sara Brennan
Brennan is a JSOM senior double-majoring in Finance and Economics.
Graduate winner: Vanessa Gambini
Gambini is a JSOM graduate student pursuing her MBA.
PhD winner: Nan Guo
Guo is a PhD candidate pursuing her doctorate in International Management Studies.
Category: Outstanding Student Organization Leader
Undergraduate winner: Bianca Chandwani
Chandwani is a JSOM senior majoring in Information Technology & Systems.
Graduate winner: Monica Vulich
Vulich is a JSOM graduate student pursuing her MBA and Master’s in Business Analytics.
Category: JSOM Student Organization of the Year
Undergraduate winner: 180 Degrees Consulting
180 Degrees Consulting
Graduate winner: Association for Supply Chain Management
Association for Supply Chain Management
Category: JSOM Amazing Alum
Winner: Gautam Sharma
Sharma graduated in 2020 from the Full-Time MBA Program and the MS in Business Analytics Program in 2020 and is currently a Data Innovation Manager at PMG Digital Agency. As an alumnus, he is still highly engaged in the JSOM community. He has led several career advising and LEAD Camp sessions for the MBA Program.
Category: JSOM Outstanding Staff Member
Winner: Neil Johnson
Johnson is an Associate Director of the JSOM Career Management Center.
Category: Jindal Employer of the Year
Winner: RSM
The Jindal School is grateful for the opportunities RSM provides for its students.
Category: Dean’s Council Super OWL
Undergraduate winner: Troy Murray
Murray is a JSOM junior majoring in Marketing.
Graduate winner: Nisarga Karnam
Karnam is a JSOM graduate student pursuing his Master’s in Management Science.
The ninth annual Outstanding Worthy Leaders Involved Exceptionally (OWLIE) awards ceremony held April 12 in the Davidson Auditorium was a smash success complete with music, magic and an owl mascot.
Alena Nguyen, president of Gamma Iota Sigma at UT Dallas for the 2022-2023 academic year, says that GIS aims to make activities both fun and educational to fully engage students.
This past December 1st, Ambassador Ranganathan visited the UT Dallas campus to discuss the relationship between the Indian and US college systems and how we can continue to build young leaders who think from an international perspective.
Professor Jennifer Johnson invites a wide variety of professionals from the accounting industry to come talk to her students in ACCT 4340.
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