News & Stories
In other news: July 2023
More insights and highlights from the UNC Kenan-Flagler community
Thought leaders
Morton
- Felix Morton IV, wellness specialist and assistant director for community well-being for the Undergraduate Business Program, has been honored with the 2023 Young Alumni Achievement Award from East Carolina University. Morton, a certified counselor and clinical trauma professional, is a 2013 graduate of ECU.
- Professor Wayne Landsman received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from Babeș-Bolyai University (UBB) in Romania. Landsman, a world-leading accounting scholar, developed the first faculty and student exchange agreement between UBB and UNC Kenan-Flagler in 2016. The title is the highest honor awarded by European universities.
- Jeff Tucker (MBA ’00) is the new director of the Leonard W. Wood Center for Real Estate Studies. Tucker has spent over two decades in the private equity field, most recently serving as co-chairman and CEO of Century Bridge Capital, a real estate investment and development firm. “I’ve been given the unique opportunity … to do something impactful for a place that I love,” Tucker said.
Take a bow
Congratulations to the 61 Master of Accounting (MAC) students who graduated on June 24. Brandon Sink (BSBA ’99, MAC ’00), executive vice president and chief financial officer of Lowe’s, gave the commencement address.
Jacob Pearson
Among student honorees, Molli Walsleben (MAC ’23) received the Robin Bradford Reynolds Award, while Jacob Pearson (MAC ’23) received the Thomas W. Hudson Jr. Award for academic excellence and was co-valedictorian with Hannah Leo (MAC ’23). Pearson will join the Raleigh office of Deloitte as an audit assistant in September.
“I want to thank all of my professors, the MAC staff and all of my family and friends for their continued support throughout this process,” Pearson shared on LinkedIn. “I’m excited for what my future holds and, as always, #gdtbath!”
Standout students and alumni
- Aerospace industry leader Tom Plant (MBA ’20) has joined U.K.-based Acro Aircraft Seating as its executive chairman.
- Barry Simmons (MBA ’16) has been named head of national sales for Wells Fargo Advisors. Simmons previously held positions at JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America.
Becca Wright
- LoPo Diveskins, a Chapel Hill-based startup co-founded by Jill Newbold (MBA ’90) and her sister, Kelly, recently received a $10,000 MICRO grant from NC IDEA to bolster its production of full SPF-coverage swimwear made from plastic bottles collected off the coast of Central America.
- Becca Wright (MBA ’19) talks with Business North Carolina magazine about the success of her delicious gourmet snack business Piedmont Pennies, now found in 300 stores across 25 states.
- Ethos Veterinary Health named Stacy Burdick (MBA ’22) as its chief medical officer. Burdick will lead emergency and specialty teams at its 145 hospitals.
At the top
The American Marketing Association (AMA) has ranked UNC Kenan-Flagler’s marketing area faculty No. 1 for their decade-long research productivity in two top AMA journals between 2013 and 2023.
For the Journal of Marketing and Journal of Marketing Research, UNC ranks No. 1 with 49 publications. For all four premier journals, which also include the Journal of Consumer Research and Marketing Science, UNC is ranked No. 6, tied with Northwestern.
Spotted on social
- Professor Sridhar Balasubramanian has joined Gary Armstrong, professor emeritus at UNC Kenan-Flagler, and Philip Kotler, Kellogg professor emeritus, as a co-author of the textbooks “Principles of Marketing” and “Marketing: An Introduction.”“I am committed to working with Phil and Gary to keep these books at the cutting edge of knowledge,” Balasubramanian shared on LinkedIn.
- Alex Bertelli (MBA ’16), CEO of HavenLock, shared his company’s pledge to donate advanced lockdown systems to all schools in Tennessee as part of its Guardian Angel program.
- Jonathan Peralta (MBA ’23) took advantage of the powerful UNC Kenan-Flagler global network as he met up with fellow alumnus Takuma Matsumura (MBA ’23) while traveling in Tokyo.
Shimul Melwani (far left) and Amy Bugno (far right) with the Assured Admit leadership class
- Amy Bugno, director of career development and employer relations, and Shimul Melwani, associate dean, of the Undergraduate Business Program thanked first-year Assured Admit students after the final leadership and career development course of the semester. “I deeply believe in the potential for this generation to change the world,” Bugno shared on LinkedIn.
Protecting the planet
The Ackerman Center for Excellence in Sustainability wrapped up the semester with its 2023 UNC Sustainability Awards, honoring UNC Kenan-Flagler students and alumni, as well as North Carolina businesses positively impacting the planet. The winners were:
- Distinguished Business: FlexGen focuses on providing reliable access to clean energy through energy storage projects.
- Distinguished Entrepreneurial Venture: Green Heffa Farms, based in Liberty, North Carolina, is a Certified B-Corporation that exclusively uses organic agricultural practices and focuses on protecting soil health and sustainable crop yields.
- Distinguished Alumnus: Bennett Wetch (BA ’07), senior director of global sustainability data and analytics at Nike, is a dedicated mentor for students and often guest lectures at the Business School.
FYI
The 39th annual UNC Kenan-Flagler Undergraduate Business Symposium connects over 400 business-minded students and employers in a dynamic and interactive conference setting and will be hosted in person on Sept. 15.
The Undergraduate Business Program is now registering employer sponsors. To review the sponsorship levels, refer to the 2023 Sponsorship Packet. A link to a recorded information session can be found here. Please email symposium@kenan-flagler.unc.edu with questions or register now. Registration deadline is Aug. 11.
To submit news items to be considered for “In other news,” email jordan.bartel@kenanflagler.unc.edu.