Neil Griffin College of Business Recognizes Most Outstanding Graduates of 2024-25
JONESBORO – The most outstanding 2024-25 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.
Allison Hoffman of Jonesboro received the Chancellor’s Scholar award as the graduating senior with the highest GPA in the college this academic year. Hoffman, along with Thomas McDonough of Austin, Austin Murray of Jonesboro, Lauren Dewey of Mountain Home, Mandelyn Smeltzer of Mountain Home, Anna Brovinskaya of Bronx, N.Y., and Savannah Sandage of Batesville 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:
Haleigh Cummings of Batesville, accounting; Thomas McDonough of Austin and Lauren Dewey of Mountain Home, accounting (CPA emphasis); Mandelyn Smeltzer of Mountain Home, business administration; Elizabeth England of Piedmont, Mo., Bachelor of Arts (BA) in economics; and Hagan Bryant of Searcy and Savannah Sandage of Batesville, BA in economics (pre-law emphasis); Austin Murray of Jonesboro, finance (financial management emphasis); Joshua Sheets of Bismarck, finance (banking emphasis).
Other departmental award winners are: Kayla Jones of Jonesboro, global supply chain management; Hino Suzuki of Japan, hospitality management; Madison Puryear of Jonesboro, information systems audit and control; Gavin Mense of Poplar Bluff, Mo., information systems and business analytics; Allison Hoffman of Jonesboro, international business; Faith Cowherd of Heber Springs, management; Rimu Tanaka of Japan, marketing; and Bernard Hollingsworth of Bryant, marketing (sales leadership emphasis).
Graduate degree program award winners are Akshita Velagapudi of India and Esther Canales of Mexico, Master of Business Administration; Chiragh Sharma of India, Master of Science in Applied Digital Technology; and Ohka Nakaegawa of Japan, Master of Accountancy with Data Analytics.
Thomas McDonough of Austin received the Talbert-Carrothers Dean’s Award, named in honor of two former deans of the college and presented to a graduating senior.
