In other news: February 2025

When Professor Shimul Melwani finished graduate school, she had three goals: to be a successful researcher, a successful teacher and a good citizen.

Check. Check. And Check.

Melwani is one of 25 Carolina faculty members and graduate teaching assistants recognized with a 2025 University Teaching Award, honoring those who “demonstrate the depth and scope of Carolina’s commitment to teaching and mentoring,” Chancellor Lee H. Roberts and Provost J. Christopher Clemens wrote. “Not every outstanding teacher receives an award, but each award winner this year undoubtedly represents the best of what Carolina has to offer.”

She is among four educators honored with a Chapman Family Teaching Award that includes a $30,000 stipend for course development and research over five years. Melwani, an organizational behavior professor and associate dean of the Undergraduate Business Program, plans to use the funds to expand access to an introductory leadership course for all undergraduate business majors and create more opportunities for students to develop personal leadership skills outside of the classroom through service projects.

“Shimul consistently goes above and beyond for our students despite her significant administrative and research responsibilities,” says Dean Mary Margaret Frank (BSBA ’92, MAC ’92, PhD ’99). “This well-deserved recognition highlights her transformative teaching and the lasting impact she has on our students and community.”

“Teaching at Carolina has been one of the greatest privileges of my life,” writes Melwani. “My teaching has been driven by a single mission: to create spaces where students feel seen, challenged and empowered to make a difference — not just in their careers, but in their lives and the world.”

Thought leaders

• The Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise announced its “Grand Challenge” initiative for 2025. “The Skills Gap: Aligning Workforce Skills with Labor Market Demand” will be the year-long focus of videos, talks and events, including the Frontiers of Business Conference on Oct. 9.
• Research by Professor Ingrid Koch focuses on the impact of job stability on worker performance, especially for women. Her paper “Job Security, Gender and Sales Performance: Evidence from a Retail Sales Context” demonstrates that permanent contracts increase worker productivity equally among male and female salespeople. Previous research has suggested that such contracts decrease productivity, especially among women who might find it incompatible with family obligations.

• Professors Vinayak Deshpande and Jeff Hoopes and Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise Chief Economist Gerald Cohen were among Carolina experts offering their takes on big-picture issues of 2025, including geopolitical risks affecting proposed tariffs and the supply chain, new tax policies and global economic stability. Cohen also spoke with ABC 11 about the possible impact of tariffs on businesses and consumers and shared his thoughts on five economic trends to watch in 2025 for the Kenan Institute.
• Professor Stephen Arbogast looked at how President Donald Trump’s second term could unexpectedly advance the U.S.’s energy transition in light of climate change.
• Professor Paul Friga was one of 11 business leaders sharing their insights in a special edition of Business North Carolina offering “insights on navigating change.”

Standout students and alumni

• Parker Smith (MBA ’19) will lead Jack Lingo Asset Management’s (JLAM) newly opened office in Charlotte. Smith, JLAM’s director of investments, most recently served as director of investments for Grubb Properties in Charlotte.
• Matt Polsky (BA ’25), a business minor, was a semifinalist in the 2025 NFL Big Data Bowl, a football analytics competition judged by NFL team analysts. He placed in the top 10 for his project using pre-snap motion characteristics to predict whether a motioning player would be a decoy or actively involved with the play post-snap.
• Cindy Rahman (BSBA ’03) was named president and CEO of March of Dimes. She joined the maternal and infant health nonprofit as a senior vice president and chief marketing officer in 2019. 
• Zachary Marks (MBA ’06) was named executive vice president and head of real estate development for Enterprise Community Development. He previously worked for the Housing Opportunities Commission for 12 years.
• Jennifer Kettnich (BSBA ’08) joined Mattel as vice president of investor relations. She most recently helped lead investor relations at the Walt Disney Company.
• Martina Ballen (BSBA ’80) and Bobby Purcell (BSBA ’77) were appointed to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame’s board of directors. Ballen has worked for UNC Athletics since 1987 and is senior associate director of athletics for business and chief financial officer. Purcell, a special assistant to North Carolina State University Athletic Director Boo Corrigan, was executive director of the Wolfpack Club from 1991 to 2020.
• Jayant Aphale (MBA ’02) was named vice president of technical operations for clinical stage biotechnology company aTyr Pharma. He has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for more than 30 years and most recently served as president of Apex Global Advisors.
• Erin Bernhardt (MBA ’02) was appointed global vice president of the graphic and label materials division at Beontag, which produces smart tags and self-adhesive labels, including NFC, RFID and Bluetooth technology. She worked in various roles at the Eastman Chemical Company for 20 years, most recently as vice president and general manager of Eastman Performance Films.
• Zachary Abdou (BSBA ’19) joined the Columbus Blue Jackets as senior manager of hockey operations. He previously served in various roles with the Carolina Hurricanes.
• Donna Stoddard (MBA ’79) was named dean of the faculty at Babson College. She has worked at the school for 30 years.
• Rodney Scott (MBA ’12) was named vice president of architecture for hh2 Cloud Services. He was previously vice president of architecture at LINQ.
• Michelle Thompson (BSBA ’89) was appointed to the board of managers for the Innovate Fund. She is the CEO of accounting firm Cherry Bekaert.
  

  The latest class of Phillips Ambassadors

• Four members of the Undergraduate Business Program’s Class of 2026 were named Phillips Ambassadors: Bonnie Zhang, John Swinea, Freeda Alvarez and Karina Samuel. New Phillips Ambassador Jahara Dawn Anderson is a pre-business major. The Phillips Ambassadors Program, offered through the Carolina Asia Center and UNC’s Study Abroad Office, is made possible through a gift from Earl N. “Phil” Phillips Jr. (BSBA ’62). Through the program, eight UNC undergraduates receive a scholarship for study-abroad programs in Asia, including Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.
• Fridah Mbwaya (BSBA ’22) and Sanjeev Musuvathy (BSBA ’23) were awarded Schwarzman scholarships, fully finding a master’s degree in global affairs at Beijing’s Tsinghua University. Mbwaya’s interests include economic development, global business with a focus on Africa and the economic empowerment of women. She is a senior associate consultant at Bain & Company. Musuvathy plans to study insights from China’s investments in global emerging markets. He is a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group.