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More than 100 West Texas A&M University business students recently were inducted into honor societies and commended as outstanding students.

Students in the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business were honored April 27, ahead of the May 7 spring commencement ceremonies at the University. Community leaders also were celebrated for their support of the College.

“As a dean, I recognize and appreciate two major attributes of our University and our College,” Dr. Amjad Abdullat said. “First, the commitment and dedication of everyone at WT to our student success. And second, enthusiastic support from all levels of the community for our beloved College and University.

“This is a special event as it is our tradition to recognize both our students and members of our community for their exceptional accomplishments,” Abdullat said.

Bailey Brown, a senior management major from Blair, Nebraska, was named outstanding undergraduate student after earning a GPA of 3.9 or better each year.

“She has demonstrated tremendous potential to achieve success in her chosen field and will be working full-time for global food corporation Cargile while pursuing an MBA at WT,” said Dr. Jonathan Shaffer, associate dean of undergraduate business programs.

Photo: Ashley Pickerill, an MBA student from Amarillo, was named outstanding graduate student at a recent awards ceremony for West Texas A&M University's Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business. Presenting her award is Dr. Robert A. King, associate dean of graduate business programs.

Ashley Pickerill, an MBA student from Amarillo, was named outstanding graduate student.

As president of Society for Human Resource Management, Pickerill “has done an incredible job leading the organization through assigning clear roles to the other officers, leading by example and working promptly and efficiently,” said Dr. Robert A. King, associate dean of graduate business programs.

Seven undergraduates were recognized as outstanding students across the several disciplines in the Engler College of Business:

Accounting: Molly Forsberg, senior from Amarillo;
Computer Information Systems: Jeremiah Roussell, senior from Allen;
Economics: Andrea Mata, senior from Amarillo;
Finance: Landry Ritchey, senior from Seminole;
General Business: Madeline Kleinschmidt, senior from Kenai, Alaska;
Management: Jessie “J.J.” Castillo, senior from Amarillo; and
Marketing: Eemeli Jarvinen, senior from Finland.

Four graduate students also were honored as outstanding students:

Computer Information Systems and Business Analytics: Nirmala Narasimhan from India;
Finance and Economics: Daniel Reddaway from Madison, Wisconsin;
MBA: Madison Thetford from Amarillo;
Professional Accounting: Olivia Forsberg from Amarillo.

Stanley Schaeffer, who received an honorary doctorate of business administration in May 2021, was given the Ambassador Award in recognition of his notable societal impact, extensive public service and lifetime achievements that exemplify character, leadership and high integrity.

Amarillo National Bank was named Employer of the Year for advancing internship and employment opportunities for Engler College students.

Marwan Touma, a 2006 WT graduate who now works for Merrill Lynch, was given the Horizon Alumnus Award for reaching significant career advancement in an early stage of a career.

David Schaeffer was given the Legacy Award for providing support to the Engler College students.

Dr. Barry Duman, a former department head and professor of economics who retired in 2009, was named to the Faculty Hall of Fame for his 40 years of service to the College.

Barek Bentley, a senior from Amarillo, was awarded the Carey Liles Emerging Technology Award, and Forsberg was given the CPA Accounting Education Foundation Award.

Student leadership awards were presented to outstanding members of various organizations: Jacob Pennington, a senior finance major from Amarillo, for Accounting & Finance Association; Georgina Anderson, a senior general business major from Amarillo, for Association of Latino Professionals for America; Levi Zemanuel, a graduate student in finance and economics from Amarillo, for the Chartered Financial Analysts Research Challenge team and Economics Club; Gabriel Beattie, a freshman finance major from Midland, for Enactus; Justin Lovell, an MBA student from Canyon, for Media Minds; Anam Syed, a senior marketing major from Sugar Land, for Society for Human Resource Management; Emma Weinheimer, a senior accounting major from Groom, for Student Government Association; and Andrea Mata, a senior economics major from Amarillo, for Women in Business.

Becca Orthengren, an MBA student from Canyon, was named the Paul and Virginia Engler Student of Distinction for excellence in a number of different programs and student activities.

Members of the inaugural Engler Business Ambassadors team recognized were Jaxon Bellar, a senior management major from Baird; Jenna Downs, a senior accounting major from Amarillo; Hallie Lackey, a senior general business major from Canyon; and Carolina Varela Neri, a senior marketing major from Dalhart. Ambassadors are responsible for leading and engaging students to create community within the College.

Thirty-five students were inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, an international business honor society. Students must be in the top 5 to 10 percent of all College of Business students and receive a faculty recommendation. Inductees include:

Mackenzie Ballard, a senior management major from Plainview; Shawn Beinlich, an MBA student from San Bernardino, California; Bailey Brown, a senior management major from Blair, Nebraska; Nicole Capra, an MBA student from Jacksonville, Florida; Marissa Cardenas, a senior general business major from Amarillo; Rochelle Carlson, an MBA student from Austin; Justin Cochran, a senior computer information systems major from Amarillo; Jazmin Curlin, an MBA student from Richland Hills; Destine Dominguez, a junior marketing major from Amarillo; Jenna Downs, a senior accounting major from Amarillo; Nadine Ebeid, an MBA student from Katy; Sarah Ferguson, a senior finance major from Texhoma; Olivia Forsberg, an MPA student from Amarillo; Xenia Franco Orozco, a senior marketing major from Amarillo; Micalynn Harrison, a senior accounting major from Amarillo; Lance Keel, an MBA student from Frisco; Emily Lake, a junior marketing major from Amarillo; Stefano Leghissa, an MBA student from Dallas; Jennifer Long, a graduate student in finance and economics from Topeka, Kansas; Misti Lopera, an MBA student from Mesa, Arizona; Kevin Magavern, a graduate student in finance and economics from McKinney; Andrea Mata, a senior economics major from Amarillo; Ashley Pickerill, an MBA student from Amarillo; Mason Pifer, a senior computer information systems major from Batavia, Illinois; Landry Ritchey, a senior accounting major from Seminole; Jeremiah Roussell, a senior computer information systems major from Allen; Rebecca Sellmyer, a senior management–human resources major from Amarillo; Mikayla Solberg, a junior general business major from Grandview; Nitzana Solberg, a junior general business major from Grandview; Daniel Solivan, an MBA student from Wilsonville, Oregon; Brad Swadling, a graduate student in finance and economics from Amarillo; Madison Thetford, an MBA student from Amarillo; Addison Wallace, a senior finance major from Cleburne; Austin Witten, a senior marketing major from Hale Center; and Caitlyn Woody, a senior general business major from Amarillo.

Twelve students were inducted into Alpha Mu Alpha, the marketing honor society of the American Marketing Association. Inductees include:

Nicole Capra, an MBA student from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida; Danielle Charvet, an MBA student from Sunnyside, Washington; Destine Dominguez, a junior marketing major from Amarillo; Melany Gardner, an MBA student from Amarillo; Zachary Hartman, a senior marketing major from Amarillo; Nini Ho, a senior marketing major from Wichita Falls; Emily Lake, a junior marketing major from Amarillo; Justin Lovell, an MBA student from Canyon; Kayla Milner, a senior marketing major from New London, Minnesota; Becca Orthengren, an MBA student from Canyon; Aubrey Robinson, a junior marketing major from Amarillo; and Carolina Varela Neri, a senior marketing major from Dalhart.

Twelve students were inducted into Omicron Delta Epsilon, one of the world’s biggest international academic honor societies, which recognizes scholastic attainment and honors outstanding achievements in economics. Inductees include:

Dana Castano, a graduate student in finance and economics from Salem, Oregon; Richard Jones, a senior economics major from Amarillo; Jacob Jones, a graduate student in finance and economics from Santa Fe, New Mexico; Patrick Kelly, a graduate student in finance and economics from Siloam Springs, Arkansas; Tad Kile, a graduate student in finance and economics from Plano; Aleksandra Marczyk, a graduate student in finance and economics from Bedford; Andrea Mata, a senior economics major from Amarillo; Austin Morgan, a senior economics major from San Antonio; Hassan Najfi, a senior economics major from Schaumburg, Illinois; Daniela Pesic, a senior finance major from Canyon; Trevor Reid, a senior finance major from Plainview; and Camden Wiggins, a graduate student in finance and economics from Cayce, South Carolina.

Twenty students were inducted into Upsilon Pi Epsilon, the only international honor society in computing and information disciplines. WT’s chapter has won an excellent chapter award for three consecutive years. Inductees include:

Andrew Alatorre, a junior computer information systems major from Round Rock; Rees Byrd, a senior computer information systems major from Vernon; Kenneth Dei-Amoah, a graduate student in computer information systems and business analytics from Canyon; Danielle Duffourc, a graduate student in computer information systems and business analytics from Marrero, Louisiana; Mukesh Giri, a graduate student in computer information systems and business analytics from Richmond; Sarah Gonzalez Blanco, a graduate student in computer information systems and business analytics from Minneapolis; Daniel Green, a graduate student in computer information systems and business analytics from Rocky Face, Georgia; Burkleigh Hund, a graduate student in computer information systems and business analytics from Amarillo; Steven Keosouvanh, a graduate student in computer information systems and business analytics from Amarillo; Bilkis Khan, a graduate student in computer information systems and business analytics from Carrollton; Sharjil Khawaja, an MBA student from Spring; Suresh Kokkiri, a graduate student in computer information systems and business analytics from Redlands, California; Ayda Kor, an MBA student from Houston; Maria Marconi, a graduate student in computer information systems and business analytics from Las Vegas; Jonathan Otto, a graduate student in computer information systems and business analytics from San Antonio; Mason Pifer, a senior computer information systems major from Batavia, Illinois; Joseph Rejino, a senior computer information systems major from Muleshoe; Jeremiah Roussell, a senior computer information systems major from Allen; David Wagner, an MBA student from Hurst; and Christopher Ward, a senior computer information systems major from Brownfield.

Recruiting, retaining and rewarding excellent students is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World .

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched Sept. 23 — has raised about $110 million.

-West Texas A&M University