Celebrating Our 2023 Student and Teacher Award Honorees

The UC Davis Graduate School of Management—with its nationally-ranked programs, globally recognized faculty, and close-knit community—prepares collaborative leaders who are dedicated to make a positive impact that our society needs and deserves. 

Each year, we recognize the outstanding teachers, students and new graduates who embrace the School’s core values of collaborative leadership and who demonstrate a commitment to team building and service.

We congratulate the achievements of our student and teacher award honorees for the 2022-23 academic year.

Teacher of the Year Awards

• Greta Hsu, Full-Time MBA
• Marc Lowe, Bay Area Part-Time MBA
• Candice Reimers, Sacramento Part-Time MBA
• Sorin Maruster, Online MBA
• Will Snyder, Master of Professional Accountancy
• Jörn Boehnke, Master of Science in Business Analytics

Leadership Awards

James F. Sullivan Award for Distinguished Service to the School

Established in James F. Sullivan’s honor upon his retirement as Vice-Chancellor of Business and Finance at UC Davis. One award is presented at commencement to an MBA student in recognition of outstanding service (est. 1991).

• Gordon Chang, Full-Time MBA 23

Robert H. Smiley Leadership Award

The Robert H. Smiley Leadership Award recognizes students who have shown outstanding leadership in activities and enterprises at the Graduate School of Management, in the name of a former dean and emeritus professor, Robert Smiley. These students have shown leadership and initiative in starting new programs or taking existing programs to new and improved levels of operation and success.

• Meijia Shang, Full-Time MBA 23
• Chung Quang Nguyen, Bay Area Part-Time MBA 23
• Sierra Marie Feldmann, Sacramento Part-Time MBA 23
• Gennaro Tecchia, Online MBA 23

Will Snyder Award for MPAc Excellence in Leadership

Established by the executive director of the Masters of Professional Accountancy Program, Will Snyder and his wife Helena, the Leadership Award recognizes a graduating MPAc student who demonstrates outstanding leadership in activities and enterprise in the MPAc program (est. 2016). 

• Shaneil Felisha Mckenzie MPAc 23

MSBA Leadership Award

The MSBA Leadership Award recognizes a student who has shown outstanding leadership in activities and enterprises at the School. This student has shown leadership and initiative in taking programs to new and improved levels of operation and success.

• Srishti Agarwal MSBA 23

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Academic Excellence Awards

Richard C. Dorf Award for Academic Excellence for MBA Students

The Dorf Award for Academic Excellence recognizes outstanding academic achievement in the MBA curriculum in each of our programs. Endowed by Richard and Joy Dorf, the award honors MBA students with the highest grade-point average.

• Nathaniel Reuben Morrison, Full-Time MBA 23
• Kevin Hint Leung, Bay Area Part-Time MBA 23
• Sierra Marie Feldmann, Sacramento Part-Time MBA 23
• Ly Tran, Online MBA 23

Will Snyder Award for MPAc Excellence in Academic Achievement

Established by the Executive Director of the Masters of Professional Accountancy Program, Will Snyder and his wife Helena, the Academic Achievement Award recognizes a graduating MPAc student with the highest cumulative GPA (est. 2016).

• Brian A. Favetti MPAc 23

MSBA Award for Academic Excellence

The MSBA Award for Academic Excellence was established by faculty to recognize outstanding academic achievement in the MSBA program. It is awarded to the student with the highest grade-point average.

• Jacob Brophy MSBA 23

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GSM Alumni Association Awards

The GSM Alumni Association awards annual fellowships to deserving students from each program. Nominees exemplify the core values of the association. They are passionate, energetic student leaders who help to improve our community.

• Ash Bagla, Full-Time MBA 23
• Jessica Cheng, Bay Area Part-Time MBA 23
• Marie Putnam, Sacramento Part-Time MBA 23
• Milena Ferreira, Online MBA 23
• Spencer Kidder, MPAc 23
• Parina Kolhe, MSBA 23

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Stephen and Shelley Newberry Distinguished Fellowship Award

The Newberry Distinguished Fellowship Award is the School’s largest privately funded fellowship award and was established by Lam Research Chairman Stephen Newberry and his wife Shelley Newberry. Awardees have a broad base of experience and indicators that they will be successful team leaders in business; they can make difficult decisions that are not popular, take responsibility and are accountable; and they also demonstrate great potential for leadership and long-term CEO or COO roles. 

• Abhinav Kishore, Full-Time MBA 23
• Shreyanshi Khanna, Full-Time MBA 23

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Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society Candidates

The mission of Beta Gamma Sigma is to encourage and honor academic achievement and personal excellence in the study and practice of business. Membership in Beta Gamma Sigma is the highest national recognition a business student can receive at an AACSB school.