Welcome to April 2025 at the Gatton College of Business and Economics! Join Simon as he kicks things off with a look at the exciting Keeneland horse racing season. Even with weather delays, the best season in Kentucky is now in full swing.
This month is also awards season at Gatton! We celebrate the incredible people who make this college great, starting with the Student Awards Day. This year's Dean's Award for Excellence was a close contest among outstanding students from each department: Accounting (Katelyn Cooper), Economics (Mia Provenzano), Finance (Shawn Hibbits), Management (Benjamin Broughton), and Marketing (Ashlyn Davis). Congratulations to the well-deserving winner, Benjamin Broughton! Learn more about his impressive achievements as President of Gatton Ambassadors, a student representative, a Global Scholars/Lewis Honors college student, and a teaching assistant. Hear insights from Dan Halgin on Ben's exceptional contributions.
Our students also had the opportunity to honor their exceptional faculty and staff. Congratulations to Hayley Hollenberg, our Staff of the Year, and Jane Brown Wells, our Faculty of the Year.Speaking of Jane Brown Wells, we were thrilled to honor this year’s Hall of Fame inductees at our annual ceremony. Congratulations to Jane Brown Wells, John Cain, and Silas Deane on this prestigious honor, and to Alicia Reitano for being named this year’s Distinguished Young Alumni. Relive the fun from the Signature Club with Simon’s anecdotes. We were also pleased to welcome past Hall of Fame inductees Laura Boison, Terry Hemmings, and Marsha Couch.
The celebrations continued with the Faculty and Staff Awards. (More details to come in the video!)In April, the Gatton Ambassadors also had a meaningful visit to Sayre Christian Village. Our staff packed care packages, and the ambassadors brought joy by delivering them with donuts and songs. Hear about this heartwarming community engagement.
The month was a whirlwind of events! The Gatton College proudly hosted the 2025 Southeast Marketing Symposium, bringing together marketing faculty and PhD students from across the Southeast for a day at Keeneland and a visit to Castle and Key Distillery. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with colleagues.
Our MBA program celebrated its newly admitted students, welcoming 27 incoming students who had the chance to connect with current students and faculty. We wish them the best as they begin their one-year program!
Gatton also hosted its first-ever Ernst and Young Tax Policy Competition, where student teams presented solutions to a policy prompt. A big thank you to Stephen Lusch for organizing this and to Ernst and Young for their sponsorship and networking opportunities.Rounding out the busy month was the annual ION Conference, fostering collaboration among organizational social network researchers. This year held special significance as we reflected on the impact of Dan Brass.
Finally, we extend our deepest gratitude to Sean and Scott Smith for their incredible generosity to the Gatton College of Business and Economics. Their support for the building, scholarships, and more has been life-changing for countless students and the entire Gatton community. Thank you for your philanthropic leadership and commitment.
Stay tuned to learn more about all these exciting events and achievements at the Gatton College!
