DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT
SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2026 | 10:30AM
BONE STUDENT CENTER PRAIRIE ROOMS II & III
Department of Management
STUDENT AWARDS PROGRAM
SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2026
bone student center | prairie rooms ii & iii
WELCOME
10:30 a.m.
Somnath Lahiri
Interim Chair, Department of Management
DEAN’S ADDRESS
10:35 a.m.
Ajay Samant Dean, College of Business
BRUNCH 10:45 a.m.
PRESENTATION OF STUDENT AWARDS
11:15 a.m.
Department of Management Faculty
Scholarship and Award Donors
Awards and Recipients
OUTSTANDING JUNIOR IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Rachel Deerfield
OUTSTANDING JUNIOR IN MANAGEMENT
Jonathan Snelgrove
OUTSTANDING JUNIOR IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP & SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Hunter Ketchum
OUTSTANDING SENIOR IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Bailah Bognar
OUTSTANDING SENIOR IN MANAGEMENT
Christina Oakes
OUTSTANDING SENIOR IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP & SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Makaiya Martin
OUTSTANDING SENIOR IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Elizabeth Johnson
OUTSTANDING SENIOR IN ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Christina Oakes
MANAGEMENT AWARD FOR CITIZENSHIP & SERVICE
Isabella Favela
WILLIAM B. POPPLETON ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
Hannah Retherford
COUNTRY FINANCIAL CITIZENSHIP & SERVICE LEADERSHIP AWARD
Anna Kowall
KOELZ FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP
Ella Kruse
MEANS SCHOLAR FOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
Jeremy Wright
Brennan Thoele
MEANS SCHOLAR FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP PRACTICE
Tyler Rolinitis
Tyler Scheck
Zion Granville
FOLY FAMILY BACK - A - BIRD SCHOLARSHIP
Katherine Beyer
COUNTRY FINANCIAL EXCELLENCE IN MANAGEMENT AWARD
(Bone Scholar Nominees)
Nicole Binda
Nicole Hagen
Hannah Retherford
Jonathan Snelgrove
BOB BRIDDICK MEMORIAL AWARD
Brandon Hill
• STUDENT
Biographies
KATHERINE BEYER is majoring in Management, with a specialization in Human Resource Management. She has worked as a Business Intern Manager at Evergreen Park Community High School. Katherine has served as the Community Engagement Chair for Women in Technology chapter at Illinois State University and was recently elected Vice President of the Illinois State University chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management for the 2026-2027 academic year. Upon graduation, she would like to pursue a career in labor relations, working her way up to becoming a labor relations manager.
NICOLE BINDA is majoring in Business Administration. In the summer of 2025, she served as a Retail Management Intern at Von Maur in Orland Park, Illinois. Prior to that, Nicole has worked as an Omni-Channel Associate and a Fine Jewelry Associate at JC Penney in Joliet, Illinois. She has participated in the Mentee/Mentor Program for Business Week in 2025. Upon graduation, she hopes to obtain a job with Ford Motor Company and after working several years, enroll in a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degree program.
BAILAH BOGNAR is double majoring in Business Administration and Marketing. From June 2023 to July 2024, she worked as a Seasonal Tournament Director for the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, Illinois. During the summer of 2025, Bailah served as a Pricing Intern at Caterpillar in Peoria, Illinois in pricing and revenue management. Since August 2022, she also has been a member of the Illinois State University Softball team where she currently serves as Captain. Additionally, Bailah has been serving on the Illinois State Student-Athlete Advisory Council. Upon graduation, she plans to work for several years before pursuing either a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degree or attending law school to earn a Juris Doctor (JD) degree.
RACHEL DEERFIELD is majoring in Business Administration, with a minor in Communication Studies. Since September 2024, she has served as a News and Sports Department Intern at WZND, the ISU radio station, as well as a Second Look Producer at the campus radio station since August 2025. Additionally, beginning in January 2026, Rachel has worked on the Production Staff of Redbird Productions. Upon graduation, she plans to seek an entry-level management or operations position. Alternatively, Rachel would like to attain an entry-level role in baseball operations, analytics, or sports media.
ISABELA FAVELA is majoring in Management, with a specialization in Human Resource Management. During the summer of 2025, she worked as a Management and Sales Intern at Sherwin Williams in McAllen, Texas. From June 2024 to July 2025, Isabella served as the Philanthropy Chair of the Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity and as the Secretary of Circle K International. She is also a member of Women in Business, the National Society of Leadership and Success, and the Honors Program. During the 2025 spring break, Isabella built hiking trails in Tennessee. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue a career in Human Resource Management as an Human Resource Management Generalist.
ZION GRANVILLE majored in Management, with a specialization in Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management, graduating in May 2025. He was a football player on the Illinois State University football team, serving as a StudentAthlete Advisory Committee Representative and on the Team Leadership Council. In March 2025, Zion founded MindGame, a performance-focused gum, and currently serves as the company’s Marketing Director. Since May 2025, he also has been the Manager at K5sports and since October 2025, the Marketing Director at athleticcoach.
NICOLE HAGEN is double majoring in International Business and Accounting. Additionally, she is in a dual-degree program in International Business at the ICN Business School in Nancy, France. Nicole has worked during the summer of 2025 as a Secretary at the Besserman Law Office in Edwardsville, Illinois. Previously, she served as a Library Assistant at Milner Library at Illinois State University. In the Honors Program, Nicole has been a Community Assistant and an Honors Peer Mentor. Additionally, she has been the Philanthropy and Fundraising Chair for the International Business Association and the Vice President and Treasurer of the Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance. Upon graduation, Nicole plans to either work full time in an accounting firm or pursue a Master’s in Accounting degree.
BRANDON HILL is majoring in Business Administration. He served as a Banking Services Intern at Fidelity Bank & Trust and as a Marketing Intern at HTLF Bank, both located in Dubuque, Iowa during the summers of 2025 and 2024, respectively. Brandon currently is on the Illinois State University Social Media Team and was a Resident Assistant at Illinois State University from the fall 2023 semester through the fall 2024 semester. He is also a member of the Sports Marketing Student Association. Upon graduation, Brandon intends to pursue a career in Sports Marketing, ideally in the sector of advertisement and media creation.
ELIZABETH JOHNSON is majoring in Management, with a specialization in Human Resource Management. During the summer of 2025, Elizabeth worked as a Human Resources (HR) Intern at G&W Electric in Bolingbrook, Illinois. In the summer of 2024, she served as an HR Intern at Flexco in Downers Grove, Illinois. Elizabeth also has worked as a Business Office Student Worker for the Office of the Comptroller at Illinois State University. She currently serves as a Mentor for Phi Gamma Nu, a coed professional business fraternity, and was a mentor for Business Week. Upon graduation, she would like to obtain an HR position, eventually assuming either an HR Generalist or HR Business Partner role. After working for a while, she would like to obtain either a Master’s in Human Resource Management or a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degree.
HUNTER KETCHUM is majoring in Management with a specialization in Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management. From May 2023 through August 2025, he acquired expertise in the skilled trades by working for McGraw-Hooper Properties in Saint Joseph, Illinois. Since December 2025, Hunter has served as Vice President of Scholarship for the Interfraternity Council at Illinois State University. From December 2023 to the present, he has held multiple positions in the Illinois State University chapter of the Farmhouse Fraternity including President, Treasurer, and Recruitment Chairman. Upon graduation, Hunter plans to obtain a position with a property management company with a long-term goal of owning a rental property company.
ANNA KOWALL is majoring in Business Administration. Since January 2025, she has worked in multiple positions at the McLean County Chamber of Commerce as a Membership & Events Intern, an Operation’s Assistant, and, more recently, as Coordinator of Programs & Communications. During 2023-2024, Anna was the Community Service Director of Chi Omega Fraternity. Upon graduation, she will continue her position as Coordinator of Programs & Communications at the McLean County Chamber of Commerce.
ELLA KRUSE is majoring in Management, with a specialization in Entrepreneurship/ Small Business Management, and minoring in Organizational Leadership. She currently serves as a Social Media Consultant with Charlie Donlea Team in Cary, Illinois. She also works as an Office Manager for Rebecca Gould Photography in Glenview, Illinois. During the summer of 2025, Ella worked as a Summer Intern at Telepass LLC in Mundelein, Illinois. At Illinois State University, she has served as the Director of Media Relations for Women in Business and is a member of both Beta Gamma Sigma and the Honors Program. Upon graduation, Ella is looking to obtain a business-oriented position in the publishing industry. A longer-term career goal is to operate her own bookstore and bakery.
MAKAIYA MARTIN is majoring in Management, with a specialization in Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management. Since January 2024, she has worked as a Team Manager at The Village at Mercy Creek in Normal, Illinois. Prior to that, from July 2022 to December 2023, Makaiya served as an Apparel Team Leader at the Walmart in Villa Park, Illinois. Upon graduation, she would like to open her own hair salon and is currently looking for properties for this purpose.
CHRISTINA OAKES is majoring in Management, with specializations in Human Resource Management and Organizational Leadership, while minoring in Sociology. She has been working in the Illinois State University Human Resources Department since April 2024 as an HRIS Data Entry Specialist, a Benefits Intern, and a Benefits Student Worker. Additionally, Christina is currently the Illinois State University Chapter President of Sigma Iota Epsilon, the National Management Honor Society, has served as the Director of Alumni Relations for Women in Business, is in the Honors Program, and has been active in a variety of community service activities. Upon graduation, she plans to obtain a position in human resource management, hoping to eventually assume a leadership role in the field.
HANNAH RETHERFORD is majoring in Management, with a specialization in Organizational Leadership. She currently works as an Operations Student Manager in Events Management, Dining, & Hospitality at Illinois State University. During the summer of 2025, she served as an Administrative Assistant at the Metropolitan Airport Authority of Peoria, Illinois. Hannah currently serves as Vice President of Professional Development for the Delta Omega Chapter of Pi Sigma Epsilon and was an INSPIRE Coordinator for the Business Week Team. Upon graduation, she would like to pursue a career in the corporate aviation industry in either Human Resources Management or Marketing. Alternatively, Hannah may attend the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Control Academy to become an Air Traffic Controller.
TYLER ROLINITIS majored in Marketing, specializing in Marketing Communications and Marketing Analytics, and graduated in May 2025. Since September 2025, Tyler serves as a Pre-Field Representative on the Aftermarket team at Caterpillar in Peoria, Illinois where he previously worked as a Commercial Intern. Besides this internship, he was a Marketing & Social Media Intern at TNT Evolution LLC in Morton, Illinois and a Marketing & Sales Intern at Gina Jeffries State Farm also in Morton. Additionally, Tyler has served as President of the Illinois State University chapter of the American Marketing Association. He is also the founder of TNT Evolution LLC, a supplement brand. Tyler seeks to further develop his expertise in marketing strategy and analytics while expanding TNT Evolution into a nationally recognized brand.
TYLER SCHECK majored in Finance, graduating magna cum laude in May 2025. He has worked as a Corporate Finance Bank Analyst for Caterpillar, Inc. since May 2024. Tyler has previously served as a Commercial Loan/Credit Review Intern at Morton Community Bank during the summer of 2023 and as a Sales and Marketing Intern at Gina Jeffries State Farm during the summer of 2022, with both internships located in Morton, Illinois. Additionally, while at Illinois State University, he was President and Head of Finance of Pi Sigma Epsilon Business Fraternity. Tyler is also the Chief Executive Officer of TNT Evolution LLC, a supplement brand.
JONATHAN SNELGROVE is double majoring in Management, with a specialization in Organizational Leadership, and Marketing, with a specialization in Professional Sales. He has worked as a Management Intern for Dayton Freight Lines in the Summer of 2025. Since February 2025, Jonathan has served as an Admissions Ambassador at Illinois State University as well as a Brand Intern in the College of Business since April 2025. For the past year, he has been the Vice President of the Business Week Team. Upon graduation, Jonathan would like to obtain a management role where he can develop his leadership skills while pursuing a long-term career in organizational leadership.
BRENNAN THOELE is majoring in Finance. In Bloomington, Illinois, he currently works as both a Technician at The Door Doctor and as a Football Official with the Illinois High School Association. Brennan also volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and the Midwest Food Bank. Upon graduation, he plans to obtain a position within the finance industry to gain experience in corporate finance and investing. Brennan’s long-term goals are to launch and operate his own financial planning business and land management business.
JEREMY WRIGHT is majoring in Management, with a specialization in Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management, and minoring in Sociology. During the summer of 2025, he was a Risk and Compliance Intern at Protiviti in Chicago, Illinois. He currently works as a Sales Associate at Von Maur and was a Student Crew Leader in Student Affairs at Illinois State University. Jeremy was the President of Business ACUMEN and is currently the Vice President of Phi Sigma Pi, a national honors fraternity, at Illinois State University. Upon graduation, he would like to launch his own small-business professional consulting service company for minority-owned small businesses in urban areas.
PRESENTER
Biographies
DR. FAEZEH (MEHR) AMIRKAMALI is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management at Illinois State University’s College of Business. She earned her PhD in Business Administration with a concentration in Management from the University of Texas at Arlington, where she specialized in organizational behavior and human resource management. Her research examines work–life boundary management and the integration of AI in human resource management. Dr. Amirkamali teaches undergraduate and MBA courses in human resource management and organizational behavior. She is committed to creating an engaging, supportive learning environment that emphasizes applied learning and the use of emerging technologies.
DR. MONA BAHL has been teaching at ISU for 9 years and is currently an Associate Professor of Management in the College of Business. Her teaching and research interests span the fields of organizational strategy and international management. Her research topics specifically include a) innovation and internationalization behavior of firms, b) knowledge sharing and corporate governance and c) global value chain dynamics. Dr. Bahl’s research has been published in leading Journals such as the Journal of World Business, Strategic Management Journal and Global Strategy Journal
DR. HEIDI M. BAUMANN is an Associate Professor of Management in the College of Business at Illinois State University. Dr. Baumann’s research focuses on three primary areas: performance management, leadership development, and employees’ work-life interface. She has published in leading journals – including the Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Management, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Personnel Psychology –and serves on editorial review boards for the Journal of Management and Journal of Vocational Behavior. Dr. Baumann has over a decade of teaching experience in topics such as human resource management, leadership, and performance management. Prior to entering academia, she held roles at two Fortune 500 companies, Caterpillar, Inc. and State Farm Insurance
DR. XIAN CAO is an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Management Department. She teaches entrepreneurship courses and enjoys helping students develop their ideas and grow into the next generation of founders. Her research focuses on women’s entrepreneurship and its intersection with artificial intelligence. Her work has been published in leading journals such as Journal of Business Ethics, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, and Small Business Economics Outside of academia, she and her husband are working together to build an AI-based medical solutions company aimed at improving healthcare decision-making through advanced technology.
DR. VICTOR DEVINATZ is Distinguished Professor of Management and was the Hobart and Marian Gardner Hinderliter Endowed Professor (2014-15) at Illinois State University. He teaches and has taught courses in labor relations and human resource management. Besides publishing scholarly articles in highly rated journals including Labor History and
Industrial Relations, Dr. Devinatz’ s book, High-Tech Betrayal: Working and Organizing on the Shop Floor (Michigan State University Press, 1999), is an industrial ethnography chronicling his work and organizing in a low-wage medical electronics factory. In 2003, Dr. Devinatz received a Merl E. Reed Research Fellowship in Southern Labor History. He writes regularly on labor topics for Chicago’s StreetWise.
DR. HAKAN ENER is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy. He earned a Ph.D. in Management in France and Singapore. Prior to joining ISU, he created and taught courses in Europe and Brazil. His experience includes serving as the academic director of an international program in which hundreds of mid-career managers created new businesses within large corporations. That program received the “Excellence in Practice” recognition from the European Foundation for Management Development in the “Talent Development” category.
DR. SANDEEP JAGANI is an Associate Professor and Assistant Chair in the Department of Management at the College of Business, Illinois State University. His research focuses on Artificial Intelligence and Automation, Sustainable Operations Management and Technology Management. Dr. Jagani is an Inaugural Fellow of the Adaptive Edge Institute, where he develops AI-powered tools to automate academic processes. Currently, he also co-chairs the 2026 DSI Pedagogy Conference on teaching decision sciences in the age of AI and analytics. Dr. Jagani is dedicated to bridging technology and business education to prepare students for an evolving marketplace.
DOUGLAS MICKLICH has been a long-standing faculty member of the Management Department. He has published extensively in areas of experiential learning and concept mapping and authored three book chapters, two on Information Systems and one on Causal Mapping. Doug received the Outstanding Reviewer Award from the Managerial and Organizational Cognition Division of the Academy of Management in 2024 and is a member of the National Executive Board of Sigma Iota Epsilon, the student division of the Academy of Management. He also is an Information Systems/Business Mentor with SCORE of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
DR. TOBI PRET, Born and raised in Germany, joined Illinois State University in 2020, after living and working in Scotland, Costa Rica, Australia, and New Zealand. He received his Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship from the University of Strathclyde. His teaching interests include strategy and entrepreneurship, and he currently teaches courses in new venture creation, small business management, and organizational strategy. Dr. Pret’s research explores entrepreneurship in the creative industries and the role of context in entrepreneurial practices. His research has been published in multiple journals, including the International Small Business Journal, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, and the International Journal of Management Reviews
Faculty and Staff
Dr. Ajay Samant Dean, College of Business
Dr. Somanth Lahiri Interim Chair, Department of Management
Dr. Sandeep Jagani Assistant Chair, Department of Management
Seann Berrocales Office Manager
Dani Meier Office Administrator
Dr. Avi Datta Director, Means Center for Entrepreneurship
Dr. Nathan Hartman Director, Organizational Leadership Institute
Dr. Barb Ribbens
Director, Varner International Business Institute
Renee Allison
Armstrong Amoah
Mehr Amirkamali
Mona Bahl
Yongmei Bally
Alex Barelka
Heidi Baumann
Edith Busija
Xian Cao
Ashish Chandra
Askar Choudhury
Jeff Correll
Victor Devinatz
Meredith Downes
Hakan Ener
Peter Foreman
Cass Hermacinski
Heather Jia
Katy Koe
Doug Micklich
Tobi Pret
Theresa Sanchez
Brice Seifert
Robert Shoop
Jamie Wieland
Tina Williams
Gary Wolbers
Anna Zabinski
About Us
The Department of Management develops motivated students into professionals who excel in today’s dynamic and challenging business environment. We are the largest department on campus with close to 1400 students. The Department of Management operates within the College of Business, an institution experiencing increasing national recognition.
PROGRAMS
Business Administration
Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management
Human Resource Management
Organizational Leadership
CENTERS AND INSTITUTES
Carson & Iris Varner International Business Institute
George R. and Martha Means Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
Organizational Leadership Institute
AMONG OTHER THINGS, WE ARE:
One of 189 business schools in the world to have both business and accounting accreditation by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
Sixth ranking in a row as as one of the top 100 undergraduate business schools by Bloomberg BusinessWeek magazine
Recognized in Princeton Review’s Best Business Schools for our MBA program
Part of a university that has been named by Kiplinger Personal Finance as one of the “100 Best Values” in undergraduate education
Attracting an increasingly talented pool of students from across the state of Illinois and throughout the Midwest.
Thank You
The Faculty and Staff of the Department of Management would like to congratulate all of this year’s award recipients.
We would also like to thank family, friends, and donors for their support of our program and for joining us on this special occasion.
