News & Stories
In other news: March 2025
Thought leaders
- Professor Christopher Petsko was named a rising star by the Association for Psychological Science, which recognizes outstanding psychological scientists in the early stages of their post-PhD careers. Petsko researches how stereotypes influence or distort perceptions of other people.
- Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise Chief Economist Gerald Cohen talked to USA Today about consumer perception of inflation and its relationship with wage rates.
- Professor Brad Staats shared insight on creating adaptive and innovative organizations during the Senior Executives Association Leadership Summit.
- Research from Professor John Gallemore explores whether anti-tax avoidance regulation curbs industry concentration.
Tyler Coffee (BSBA ’26)
Standout students and alumni
- Susan Kansagra (BSBA ’00) was appointed chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. She was most recently the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ assistant secretary and state health officer.
- Rick Barakat (BSBA ’96) was named deputy athletics director and chief revenue officer for Carolina’s Department of Athletics. He was previously executive vice president of business development for Greensboro-based Diamond Baseball Holdings.
- The student-managed private equity real estate fund, the only one of its kind, was featured in SSA, the Self Storage Association magazine.
- Tyler Coffee (BSBA ’26) was one of five Carolina students awarded the Eve Carson Scholarship, which provides $15,000 to go toward senior-year tuition and $5,000 for a summer experience of the scholar’s choice.
- Lisa Kaylie (MBA ’97) began serving on the Chapel Hill and Orange County Visitors Bureau advisory board. She is the executive director of Extraordinary Ventures, a nonprofit creating job opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities.
- Wellness Company CEO Peter Gillooly (BSBA ’10) was selected as the Top CEO of the Year by the International Association of Top Professionals.
- Andy Wright (MBA ’11) was named managing director of Charlotte-based investment bank BlackArch Partners. He joined BlackArch in 2019 after working in various positions at Grant Thornton LLP and Wells Fargo Securities.
- Vincent Mariano (MBA ’22) was named head of corporate strategy and development at Motiv Electric Trucks. He previously served as director of North American Fleet Sales for trucks and buses at ChargePoint.
- Beau Atkinson (BSBA ’26), Will Hardy (BSBA ’25) and Garrett Jordan (BSBA ’25) were among the members of the Carolina football team named to the 2025 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Team.
- Renaldo Chapman (MBA ’14), DoorDash vice president of brand and creative, gave his take on how to know if an expensive Super Bowl ad is truly effective.
Spotted on social
- In recognition of International Women’s Day on March 8, we asked alumni to share lessons from women mentors that continue to guide their careers. Watch the video here.
- The Wood Center for Real Estate Studies marked its first UrbanPlan experiential education collaboration with ULI Triangle, Professor Eric Maribojoc wrote on LinkedIn. It included student teams pitching development proposals to a mock city council (above right).
- Clay Haley (MAC ’24), a U.S. Army veteran and an audit and assurance assistant at Deloitte, shared his emotions after receiving his physical diploma. “I will forever be thankful to UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School for teaching me the skills I needed to succeed in the accounting profession and for giving me something to be excited about as I navigate separating from the Army,” he wrote on LinkedIn.