Neil Griffin College of Business Recognizes Most Outstanding Graduates of 2025-26

JONESBORO – The most outstanding 2025-26 graduates of the Neil Griffin College of Business at Arkansas State University were recognized during Convocation of Scholars, according to Dr. Jim Washam, dean of the college.

Damien Ehie of Jonesboro received the Chancellor’s Scholar award as the graduating senior with the highest GPA in the college this academic year.  Ehie, along with Mary Bailey of Jonesboro, Michael Deckelman of Harrisburg, Colin Hooton of Jonesboro, Lauren Maness of Marion, Reese McCallum of Jonesboro, Andrea McCandlis of Viola and Jasmin Tran of Paragould received the 4.0 Scholar Award. The Chancellor’s Scholar is the 4.0 student with the most credit hours completed at A-State.

The outstanding graduate awards are presented to the senior in each degree program who has most excelled in scholarship, leadership and service.

Those receiving departmental awards and their respective bachelor’s degree programs are: Braden Deese of Walnut Ridge, accounting; Damien Ehie of Jonesboro, accounting (CPA emphasis); Colin Hooton of Jonesboro, business administration; Nicolas P. Mata of Jonesboro, finance (financial management emphasis); Lauren Irons of Jonesboro and Brady Ingram of Hot Springs, finance (banking emphasis); and Tyler Childers of DeWitt, Bachelor of Arts (BA) in economics.

Other departmental award winners are: Sakshi Kaura of Jonesboro, BA in economics (pre-law emphasis); Prasanna Rajbhandari of Jonesboro, information systems and business analytics; Lauren Maness of Marion, international business; Bradley Gilmore of Bearden, management; Isabel Viala of Jonesboro, management (human resources emphasis); Mary Bailey of Jonesboro, marketing; Parker Collins of Jonesboro, marketing (sales leadership emphasis); Yuqi Liang of Jonesboro, global supply chain management; and Jason Gambill of Jonesboro, organizational leadership. 

Graduate degree program award winners are Oscar Gilbert of Jonesboro, Master of Business Administration; Sravya Kasireddy of India, Master of Science in Applied Digital Technology; and Lauren Dewey of Mountain Home, Master of Accountancy with Data Analytics.

Mary Bailey of Jonesboro received the Talbert-Carrothers Dean’s Award, named in honor of two former deans of the college and presented to a graduating senior.