Wake Forest University School of Business graduates honored

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., MAY 20, 2013 – Wake Forest University School of Business congratulates 375 master’s and 217 bachelor’s degree recipients who were recognized during the Wake Forest University Commencement on May 20, 2013.

School of Business master’s degree recipients were honored at a hooding ceremony Sunday, May 19 in Wait Chapel. Holders of a master’s degree wear a symbolic hood draped around the neck and over the shoulders, displayed down the back with the lining exposed. The hood identifies the level of degree, the field of learning and the awarding institution.

This year’s graduate business students who received hoods include: 102 in the Master of Arts in Management program, 115 in the Master of Science in Accountancy program, 55 in the Full-Time MBA program, 27 in the Winston-Salem Evening MBA program, 46 in the Charlotte Evening MBA program and 26 in the Charlotte Saturday MBA program. Four graduates received joint degrees as part of programs offered with other Wake Forest schools: three with the School of Law (JD/MBA) and one with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (PhD/MBA).

Janet Murguia, CEO and President of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) – the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States delivered the hooding address. Murguia urged the graduates to open the door to the American Dream to others by practicing inclusive leadership. In closing, she offered the advice her parents gave her and her siblings: “Work hard, follow your passion, live your values, give back and remember that integrity matters.”

Students receiving class Leadership Awards for outstanding scholastic performance and integrity were:  Mark Hanson (Full-time MBA), Stefano Marsella (Winston-Salem Evening MBA), James Ferguson (Charlotte Evening MBA), Robert Hink (Charlotte Saturday MBA), Jaclyn Sokulski (MS in Accountancy) and Peter Geissinger (MA in Management).

Other honorees included: Cynthia Redwine, Stephen B. Tips Award for Outstanding Character; Govind Ravikumar, Luther Award; Mark Hanson, Andrea Mitchell Metzler Award and Marketing Award; Sergio Baviera, Patel Prize in Finance; Christopher Delp, Finance Award; Kevin Keller, Entrepreneurship Award; Kimberly Fisher, Operations Management Award; Galen Price, Healthcare Award; Guy Groff, Jr., Business Analytics Award; Amy Frances Garner and Martha Lee Spears, Robert N. White Award; Melanie Green, Federation of Schools of Accountancy Achievement Award and Outstanding Graduate Award – Tax Consulting; Donghyun Kim, Outstanding Graduate Award – Transaction Services; Victoria Stewart, Outstanding Graduate Award – Assurance; and Alan Arias, Shani Collins, Christine Davis, Arpita Dirghangi, James Harrison III, Jiaqi Mei, Ebizimor Oweifie, Julissa Prado, Ashley Reid and Andrew Wallace Williams, Action Learning Project Excellence Award.

Bachelor of Science degrees were awarded to 217 School of Business students with majors in Accountancy, Business and Enterprise Management, Finance and Mathematical Business during the Wake Forest University Commencement ceremony on May 20.

Dean of Business Steve Reinemund told the graduating class, “I trust that you are leaving here with a clear sense of your true North, that your moral compass is well tuned and calibrated, so that your success will come with integrity.”

About Wake Forest University School of Business (business.wfu.edu)

The Wake Forest University School of Business offers undergraduate programs in finance, accounting, mathematical business, and business and enterprise management, and graduate programs including a Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Accountancy and Master of Arts in Management. Our programs are consistently ranked among the world’s best in surveys by U.S. News & World Report, Business Week, the Economist, Forbes, and the Financial Times.  Wake Forest MBAs who sat for a Six Sigma green belt certification exam in 2011 and 2012 had a 100% pass rate.  Wake Forest accountancy graduates earned the highest passing rate in the nation on the CPA exam last year and have maintained the top CPA exam pass rate for 10 of the past 11 years.