Commencement 2008

Words of Wisdom to the Class of 2008: Choose What You Love

May 9, 2008

Media Contact: Jennifer Johnston
Public Affairs Officer | Vanderbilt University
(615) 322-NEWS | jennifer.johnston@vanderbilt.edu

On Friday, May 9, Jim Bradford, Dean of the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management, led the procession as the 249 Class of 2008 graduates entered the white tent on the Magnolia Lawn to the smiles of families and friends. Of these students, 165 received their MBA degrees; 42, their Executive MBAs; and 28 earned an MSF degree. In addition, 14 represented the first graduating class for the new Master of Accountancy degree.

Howard Lutnick, Chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, delivered a highly personal and moving commencement address. On September 11, 2001, Cantor Fitzgerald lost 658 of its 970 employees—including both Lutnick's brother and his best friend—in the attacks on the World Trade Center. The immediate decision made by the remaining employees after the attack—to dedicate their efforts to rebuilding the firm so that they could donate 25% of their profits to the victims' families—is both a business and a human success story. In the five years following 9/11, as the firm has grown larger and more diverse than in 2001, it has donated over $180 million to the families as well as committing another $10 million, enabling the National September 11 Memorial & Museum to reach its fundraising goal.

Lutnick's address to graduates, which included the counsel to “choose what you love and work with people you like,” was greeted with a standing ovation.

As a preamble to the awards segment of the ceremony, Associate Dean Jon Lehman compared Owen to a winery. In making wine, there are a series of perfected processes, and, while all grapes travel the same path, every now and then “magic happens.” The class of 2008, Lehman states, is that “incredible vintage year.” These students—like grapes—have gone through the same processes as those before them, but with student-driven initiatives such as Net Impact, Project Pyramid and OwenBloggers, they are leaving a legacy that will remembered long after they are gone.

Awards and Recognition for Graduating Students

commencement At an earlier ceremony in the day, Phillip Rutterer was awarded the Vanderbilt Founder’s Medal for the Owen School. This award, originally endowed by Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1877, is given to graduates who achieve the strongest record in personal, professional and academic performance. Philip also earned the Matt Wigginton Leadership Award, awarded for outstanding performance in finance.

LEFT: Jim Bradford congratulates Phillip Ritterer on winning the 2008 Vanderbilt Founder’s Medal for the Owen School. Phillip was also recognized with the Matt Wigginton Leadership Award for outstanding performance in finance.

During the graduation festivities, several other students were recognized for their achievements.

Sharran Srivatsaa, outgoing president of the Owen Student Government Association and co-founder of OwenBloggers.com, was presented with the H. Igor Ansoff Award, which recognizes original and creative contributions to the school.
Phil Goddard was given the Flournoy A. Coles Jr. Prize in recognition of outstanding performance in international management studies.
Two students, Carl Hinrichs and Matt Stockstill, share the Bruce D. Henderson Merit Prize, a newly endowed award for MBA students who, as 1st years, show “brilliance, originality of thought, and thoroughness of investigation.” Hinrichs was also honored with the Financial Executives Institute Award for outstanding performance in both accounting and finance.
Thirteen graduates were presented with the Owen Service Award for outstanding effort and energy in leadership, community involvement and student life. They are: James Butler, Matt Garrett, Erin Hofmann, Heather Kagin, Sameer (Sam) Kale, Jane Kim, Doug Kutella, Cornelia Leslie, Elizabeth Pavlic, Isaac Rogers, Natasha Ross, Asif Shah Mohammed and Mark Shuster.
Dr. Ravi Chari, Professor of Surgery; Division Chief of Liver Transplantation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, received the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence in the Executive MBA.
Steve Brooks, President of Manufacturing Operations, Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc., received the Martin S. Geisel Award for Leadership in Executive Education.
Junlan Jiang earned the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence for the Master of Science in Finance.
Megan Lathrop earned the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence for the Master of Accountancy.

Awards and Recognition for Faculty

Dawn Iacobucci, E. Bronson Ingram Professor in Marketing received the Dean’s Award for Research Impact. An expert on social networks, customer satisfaction and service marketing, Iacobucci has authored 47 papers in refereed journals including Marketing Science, Harvard Business Review, Journal of Marketing and the Journal of Marketing Research. She also co-authored "Marketing Research: Methodological Foundations," the lead marketing research text in the industry, and has authored and edited several additional books on services and integrated marketing.
Steve Hoeffler, Associate Professor of Marketing, received the Dean’s Award for Research Productivity. Hoeffler’s research on such topics as positioning multiple category products, marketing radically new products and the advantages of strong brands have appeared in such journals as Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Psychology, and Journal of Product Innovation Management. Among his current research interests are the marketing of "really new" or novel products and the development of consumer preferences.
Mikhael (Mike) Shor, Assistant Professor of Management, was selected by the MBA class of 2008 to receive the James A. Webb Excellence in Teaching Award. Shor teaches “Game Theory and Business Strategy” and “Pricing Strategies,” two highly-regarded courses in the MBA program.
Nancy Lea Hyer, Associate Professor of Management, was selected by the Executive MBA class of 2008 to receive the Executive MBA Excellence in Teaching Award. Nancy teaches Operations Management to the Executive MBA students and was lauded for the energy, intellect, respect, and enthusiasm she shows in the classroom.

Other awards and recognition

Six students—five MBA students and one Executive MBA—were recognized with 2008 Clarcor Impact! Awards that recognizes leadership within the Owen community during the 1st year of the program. Rising 2nd year MBA students are Kira Bielfield, Ethan Dunham, Patrick Long, Alex Olsen and Bella Parekh. The Executive MBA student recognized with this award is Jesse Marsalis, Captain, 101st Airborne Division.
David Kloeppel, MBA ’96 and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Gaylord Entertainment, received the 2008 Distinguished Alumnus Award for outstanding achievement in professional and public life.

Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management is ranked as a top institution by BusinessWeek, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Financial Times and Forbes. For more information about Owen, visit www.owen.vanderbilt.edu