Released April 14, 2005

Hattiesburg- The College of Business at The University of Southern Mississippi recognized more than 40 students for exceptional academic performance during its annual awards banquet on April 11.

Two students with the highest grade point average were awarded the Delta Sigma Pi Scholarship Key Award, the college's top academic honor. Recipients are Julie Keen, a senior accounting major from Picayune, and Shalini Chandra, a senior management information systems major from Laurel.

Dr. Charles Sawyer, professor of economics, was named recipient of the BellSouth Outstanding Faculty member award. This award is selected by members of the Business Student Advisory Council and is based on teaching, research and service to the college. Sawyer has been a member of the Southern Miss business faculty since 1983 and has authored more than 30 professional journal publications and two textbooks.

In addition, 71 students were inducted into the Southern Miss chapter Beta Gamma Sigma, a business honor society, during ceremonies preceding the banquet. Membership in the society is limited to the top seven percent of business administration juniors, the top 10 percent of seniors and the top 20 percent of graduate students.

The following student awards were presented at the banquet:

Accounting and Information Systems awards -- Accounting Faculty Awards: Brittany Ainsworth (senior, Mendenhall, Miss.), Erin Hutchinson (senior, Columbia, Miss.), Joshua Kramber (senior, Diamondhead, Miss.), Chris Paciotti (senior, Beaumont, Texas), Cindy Cole (senior, Picayune, Miss.), Valerie Simmons (MBA student, McComb, Miss.); Beta Alpha Psi Outstanding Member Award: Ashley Asken (MPA, Brandon, Miss.), Michelle Shaw Rayner (MPA, Ellisville, Miss); Haddox Reid Burkes and Calhoun Award: Lori Kindel (senior, Hattiesburg) and Kayla Morgan (senior, Hattiesburg); Kenamond Award: Emily Johnson (2004 graduate, Wiggins); Jarvis Maxey Award: Carol Vann (senior, Hattiesburg); Mississippi Society of CPAs Scholarship: Julie Keen (senior, Picayune, Miss.); MIS Faculty Award: Jennifer Shultz (senior, Grand Haven, Mich.) and Shalini Chandra (senior, Laurel)

Economics, Finance and International Business awards -- Atley Graham Memorial Scholarship Award: Jennifer Keefe (senior, Longwood, Fla.); C. Caruthers Sullivan Memorial Scholarship: Lindsay Campbell (senior, Bush, La.); Economics Faculty Award: John Gibson (junior, Clinton, Miss.); International Business Faculty Award: Alison Miller (senior, Newton, Miss.); Wall Street Journal Award-Economics: William Bryan (senior, Madison, Miss.); Banking and Finance Award: Reid Bourgeois (senior, River Ridge, La.); Finance Faculty Award: Lacey Lee (senior, Macon, Miss.); Wall Street Journal Award-Finance: Michael Sullivan (senior, Bay Springs); and Parham Bridges Real Estate Award: Nicholas Adams (senior, Lucedale, Miss.)

Fashion Merchandising awards -- Outstanding Senior in Fashion Merchandising Award: Sara McQueen (senior, Brandon, Miss.); Most Promising Professional Award: Laura Barnett (junior, Gulfport)

Management and Marketing awards -- Martin Stegenga Award in Management: J.T. Blalock (senior, Hattiesburg) ; Stan Brooking Award in Management: Chandra Herion (senior, Spring, Texas); American Marketing Association Award: Amber Rivers (senior, Yazoo City, Miss.); Marketing Leadership Award: Kimberly Swan (senior, Purvis, Miss.); Mississippi Power Company and Marketing Faculty Award: Kelly Gambrell (senior, Taylorsville, Miss.), Kimberly Swan (senior, Purvis, Miss.); Outstanding Student in Sales Award: William Jeff Jernigan (senior, Vicksburg, Miss.); Marketing Innovation and Creativity Award: Amber Rivers (senior, Yazoo City, Miss.); Phi Chi Theta Golden Key Award: Jessica Gordon (senior, Biloxi); Phi Chi Theta Outstanding Member Award: Marlo Hardiman (senior, Grenada, Miss.)

Tourism Management awards -- American Hotel Foundation Award: Stephanie McDonald (junior, Metairie, La.), Charles Holmes (junior, McComb, Miss.); Advisory Board Award: Allison Sims (junior, Madison, Miss.), Jennifer Cornette (sophomore, Madison, Miss.), Angela Dobbe (junior, The Woodlands, Texas); Margaret McCarthy Award: Hiuchi Au (junior, Biloxi); Merchants Company Award: Jennifer Cornette (sophomore, Madison, Miss); Mississippi Restaurant Association Award: Brad Brooks (senior, Lucedale); Purple Parrot Company Scholarship: Max Adcock (sophomore, Ridgeland), Carlie Doolittle (senior, Mobile, Ala.); Distinguished Order of Zerocrats Award: Charles Holmes (junior, McComb, Miss.); Vicki Miller Scholarship Award: Jessica Dowd (junior, Slidell, La.), Angela Dobbe (junior, The Woodlands, Texas)

Graduate awards -- Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award: Shariha Ali (MBA student, Hattiesburg); Outstanding Graduate Assistant: Mindy Morris (MBA student, Laurel) and Sengupta Subhasish (MBA student, Hattiesburg).

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