Spotlights

All Students Faculty Staff Alumni

As a high school junior, Nhu Bui attended Haslam’s Business Education for Talented Students (BETS) program, which made the University of Tennessee her top school choice after graduating high school.

Scott Roark

With a background in commercial real estate, Roark is building a real estate education program at Haslam.

Maikel Mikaiel

Mikaiel assisted the Big Orange Pantry by optimizing its supply chain to deliver emergency food assistance to students, faculty and staff.

Tom Van Dorselaer

After a 30-year career with P&G, Van Dorselaer returned to UT to teach marketing, founding the Professional Sales Forum and other successful programs to prepare the next generation of sales professionals.

The Many Faces at Haslam

Are Changing the Face of Business

Lawrence Alexander

Alexander credits lessons learned at Haslam as keys to her success, especially the importance of building relationships.

Marg Basehart

“We welcome students during freshmen orientation and give them hugs at graduation,” Basehart says.

Steve Birdwell

The accounting alumnus credits Haslam for his solid financial understanding, which has supported his successful business career.

Davis Summers

Summers, a senior business analytics major, says what he learns in classes in Haslam has very real applications.

Tori Melerine

Melerine says her experience as an intern in the U.K. will help build important skills that she will apply in future careers.

Pamela Sanchez

Sanchez, coordinator of TakeOff, Haslam’s yearlong program for first-generation students, was a first-generation student, too.

Yemisi Bolumole

Beginning her first semester at UT, Bolumole is most excited about meeting the students and teaching supply chain decision analytics this fall.

Amber Heatherly

Heatherly credits Haslam with helping her learn to balance her schedule of rigorous accounting classes, internships and philanthropy.

Michael Lobel

Lobel is the 2021 Distinguished Alumnus for the Haslam College of Business Department of Accounting and Information Management.

Nelson Pratt

An internship opportunity in a Haslam College of Business finance class changed Pratt’s life, leading him into a career in real estate.

Jared Worsham

Worsham says one of his motivations is helping people connect with others.

Yemisi Bolumole

Beginning her first semester at UT, Bolumole is most excited about meeting the students and teaching supply chain decision analytics this fall.

Joe Robinette

The Robinette Company creates packaging for household names such a Quaker Oats, Moon Pie and many others.

Izabela VanDeest

VanDeest says her favorite part of working in GEE is witnessing the joy of students as they walking across the graduation stage.

Meghan Blackwell

Blackwell encourages current students to hone communication profiency along with analytical and critical thinking skills.

Devin Wilkinson

While studying finance and engineering in the Heath Integrated Business and Engineering Program, Wilkinson has also started a podcast series at Haslam: “Project Inspire.”

Spencer Cross

Cross says a marketing degree from Haslam will aid his goal of becoming a pro golfer.

Neeraj Bharadwaj

Bharadwaj designs all his classes with the goal of students learning the material, applying what they learn and having fun along the way.

Sean Willems

In a fall MSBA course, Willems will teach students how to solve analytics problems in practice. “Data is messy, and we’ll look at how to wrestle with it and make sense of it,” he says.

Jordan Gill

Gill returned to Haslam in 2021 as a lecturer and co-director of the MSBA program.

Kayla Ellis

As an MSBA candidate, Ellis enjoyed real-world projects, "doing market basket analysis and figuring out correlations between products and marketing tools.”

Cam Murphy

Murphy says the ADMBA program gave him the tools to successfully shape the narrative of his family business.

Jordan Walker

Lady Vol and MBA Candidate Jordan Walker excels in the classroom and on the hardwood.

Sharath Sriman

Working at Haslam enables Sriman to affect many people's live in a positive way.

Lauren Cunningham

Cunningham, associate professor of accounting, serves as the director of research for the Neel Corporate Governance Center.

Ashleigh Fultz Centella

For FedEx worldwide account manager Ashleigh Fultz Centella, time management skills she developed at Haslam are essential.

Jeremy Meanwell

Meanwell is pursuing his passion for engineering while studying finance in the Heath Integrated Business and Engineering Program.

Spencer Stires

The program’s value extends beyond the curriculum; I learned just as much outside the classroom as I did inside

Korri Jones

A willingness to give back and connect with students is part of the Volunteer spirit that Jones carries with him.

Allison LeClere

LeClere recently was named the NAFSA Region VII New Professional for her work in international education.

Brady Fernandes

Patriot Threads, Fernandes’ project-turned-business, has donated $25,000 to veteran non-profits nationwide to date.

Anna Hosse

“Without a doubt, the best part about being a student in the Haslam College of Business is the vast amount of opportunities that the college provides to its students,” Hosse says.

Sarah Dodd

“A day in retail is never the same, and that's what I love about working for Lowe's,” Dodd says.

Randy V. Bradley

“Seeing students mature in their thought process and critical thinking, which have to take place in order to excel in a national case competition, is gratifying,” Bradley says.

Clay Jackson

“While learning academics and technical skills, also know that emotional intelligence and soft skills are equally important,” Jackson says.

Merrill Walker

“Some of my proudest moments while working in this field involve students discovering their interests and achieving their goals,” Walker says.

Chloe Pigue

“Being a student leader has completely defined my undergraduate experience,” Pigue says.

Julie Parrish

MSBA student Julie Parrish hopes to use statistics to improve education

Haileab Hilafu

In his research, Haileab Hilafu aims to make it easier to extract actionable knowledge from large datasets

Barbara Haskew

She has been on a mission to blaze a trail for women in higher education.

Spencer Strei

I was surprised that no other UT student had won the award, and I set my sights to be the first

“I’m always looking for a way to make a difference.”

Kaleb Winders

"The Management and Entrepreneurship Department, the faculty and staff, have helped me grow as a student and as a business owner."

Sherri & Jeff Robinson

“If you are doing business anywhere across Tennessee, UT is almost an automatic common denominator with many key leaders."

Andy Dishner and Ken Evans

“The Haslam College of Business provided a great foundation. The connections have been instrumental. We have stayed close over the years to many professors and fellow students."

Clarence Vaughn, III

“Being able to encourage leaders has been a key part of my work. In education, investing in our future leaders and preparing them for the workforce is important.”

Jane Axhoj

“It’s important to be involved on campus and in the community so you can make an impact while you are here.”

Yuanyang Liu

One of Yuanyang Liu's research targets is closing HR departments' capability gap by collecting employee skill data and then applying emerging methods such as predictive analytics algorithms, network analysis and text mining

Roma Koulikov

For Haslam alumnus Roma Koulikov, the key to success is looking ahead.

Vu Hoang

Vu Hoang plans to use his MSBA to help small, family-owned businesses level the playing field with bigger companies

Mark Collins

“Advanced online learning, when carefully crafted, can offer a better experience for the student with better learning outcomes.”

Marshall Ramsey

“There were so many people at UT with angel wings. People who believed in me before I believed in myself.”

Harvey Castro

“The efficiency tools PEMBA has given me have made me a better leader.”

Clark Williams

"Haslam has given me the best quality education that I could ask for because of our emphasis on group work and project-based learning."

Lia Winter

"I am so grateful to everyone at UT who helped by introducing me to their connections, providing feedback on my product and business plan, and supporting our team with words of encouragement."

Ron Ford

"Ron's unique skill set will be an invaluable benefit to GEE, the Department of Accounting, and our business development initiatives."

Connor Clarke

“It’s been exciting to make an impact on people before even leaving UT.”

Rick Turner

“Without the broad, multi-disciplined education I received at the Haslam College of Business, I could not have had such a successful, rewarding career.”

Jim Rosenberg

“Jim’s approach to building long-term client relationships and custom solutions is an excellent fit with Graduate and Executive Education's approach.”

Janay Williams

“I’ve been able to differentiate myself in the job market with a unique skillset that’s versatile and can be used in almost any aspect of business.”

Charles Liu

“I hope to continue my research on machine learning and data mining and collaborate with faculty in different areas.”

Vasha Bhatari

“My experience in the MSBA program, especially the capstone course, fostered my ability to interact well with clients and team members.”

Larry Pratt

Pratt has lived by the motto “keep dreaming and always do the right thing.”

Coonhound Camping

“When Coonhound won first prize, it really showed us that people believe in us and our idea.”

Missie Bowers

"We simply couldn't do what we do without the generosity of our donors."

Michael T. Strickland

"This is an award for the fantastic Bandit family. No one person ever succeeds alone at this level."

Dariana Martre

"I see my education taking me to the next level. I truly believe that my education will give me the platform I need to excel."

Grant Williams

"I’ve worked to prepare myself for these decisive moments, so I can embrace them instead of getting stressed."

Linda Myers

“Although she’s one of the top researchers in the world, she reserves quite a bit of time for us. She teaches our classes, reads our research, and gives us detailed feedback. That level of involvement is extremely rare for someone in her position.”

Carmen Colitz

“My goals are for my hospital to become a world-class specialty and emergency animal hospital, and to make OcuGLO™ a household name.”

Reshma Shah

"A lot of questions you get are open-ended, and an analyst has to come in and breathe life into the project"

Clay Daniel

"It has taught me how to translate what this data says into real-world speech that anyone can understand"

Josiah Ogier

Josiah Ogier’s first trip outside of the United States was the trip of a lifetime as he earned a chance to compete in L’Oreal Paris’ annual Hackathon.

Angel Norman

Angel Norman introduced a new opportunity to her students: the chance to earn Microsoft’s specialist certification in Excel.

Destiny Sirivong

Navigating college as a first-generation student was difficult for Sirivong, and she has always been grateful for the guidance of Haslam’s staff. Now, she gets to return the favor by being a mentor and liaison to students herself.

Timothy Attebery

Executive MBA – Healthcare Leadership Alum Now Leading American College of Cardiology

Corina Cioranu

Lead by Example

Susan Crunk

As a financial advisor, Crunk enjoys crunching numbers and evaluating investments, but interacting with clients is her favorite part of the job.

Reid Parker

Parker is an Eagle Scout, and the scouts’ ethos informs his life choices and his career at Haslam.

Jerry Hanner, Jr.

Jerry Hanner was a member of the Men’s USA Taekwondo Team that won gold and silver medals in Rimini, Italy, in 2001

Marianne Wanamaker

Wanamaker has a reputation as a sought-after economics expert, in part from sitting on prestigious national advisory boards.

Gabe Garfield

Garfield notes that an unexpected benefit of the Haslam MBA program is having the opportunity to work and learn in a high-intensity setting.

Colby Dorcely

Dorcely hopes to return to Haiti and engage in community development through job creation, education and vocational training.

Mark Willoughby

Willoughby’s office is constantly working on developing new opportunities for student engagement and is currently focusing on creating opportunities to integrate alumni at different levels of the student engagement process.

Maikel Mikaiel

Mikaiel hopes that future Haslam College of Business students take advantage of the current opportunities offered to get involved. He also hopes they have additional opportunities to interact with employers through classes like BUAD 100 - BUAD 400.

Susan Crunk

A first generation college student, Crunk came to the Haslam College of Business in the 1970s and found the experience both challenging and eye-opening.

Mike Galbreth

"I am very thankful for the opportunity to serve my alma mater, be closer to my extended family, and be a part of one of the top business analytics programs in the world"

Emily Cagen

"I decided to further my education to give myself more opportunities in supply chain management"

Kieran Kepler

"The field of analytics is wide open, and that makes it interesting to me"

Ted Stank

Stank had his first experience with supply chain as a surface warfare operations officer in the Navy. There he realized the importance of getting what you need when you need it, especially in remote places.

Katie Fowlkes

“I am sure that with the lessons I have learned from our faculty and the confidence they have in all of us, paired with the depth of knowledge I will glean from the CFA, this will aid me in my future career and make me a better analyst,” Fowlkes says.

Mike Coggin

“Students should find mentors and groups of people that align with their personal goals and initiatives,” says Coggin. “It is important to develop a pipeline and network of people who are driven and align with what you want in life."

Megan Flora

“I decided to work at a university because I love the energy you feel when you walk around a large campus,” says Flora. “It’s inspiring to be surrounded by students, faculty and staff who are doing amazing things.”

Max Waibel

“As I began my career, I found there was a difference in the level of preparation and exposures of students from other schools compared to those I gained at UT."

Laura Burgin

“At Haslam, I was surrounded by professors that constantly pushed me to dream bigger, but also equipped me with the skills needed to achieve those dreams."

Lovleen Mishra

"I felt like Nancy Drew, solving mysteries as an analytics detective."

Bogdan Bichescu

“A business must understand how its processes relate to performance outcomes.”

Adam Spannbauer

"I am a big fan of open source software and communities..."

Kendall Grafton

Grafton’s experience at the Haslam College of Business has given her the confidence to be prepared for an exciting and challenging career ahead.

Dan Flint

Flint recognizes that social sustainability, as a part of overall sustainability and related to corporate social responsibility, is under-researched but highly relevant and appreciated within the Haslam College of Business.

Nick Hall

A Family Affair: Nick and Liz Hall had planned to get their MBAs for a while. Both of their companies were supportive and encouraged them to pursue this educational goal.

Liz Hall

A Family Affair: Nick and Liz Hall had planned to get their MBAs for a while. Both of their companies were supportive and encouraged them to pursue this educational goal.

Grace Malone

“I want my classmates to consider that the passion you have for your work is the most important aspect of your job.”

Timothy Munyon

“I count it as a privilege to help equip the next generation of managers with the knowledge they need to compete, lead and serve others.”

Eric Peters

Peters, Haslam Alum and Fulbright Scholar, Publishes Book on Russia Sanctions

Ryan Cunningham

There are so many challenges and fast-paced decisions that need to be made when it comes to transportation that I feel I would be able to thrive and enjoy a position in this area.

Mary Brow

Brow is passionate about her work because she knows first-hand the value it will have in the industry

Rufus King

“I am consistently impressed with the intelligence and the drive of students that I meet,”

Astrid Emkes

"The global spin and challenging nature of the classes really helped get me ready for my first job.”

Emeline Brown

"The Smith GLS program changed the way I view myself, others and the rest of the world around me.”

Mike & Pam Koban

Mike and Pam have supported education through their generosity to the Haslam College of Business.

Amy Jared

“I feel a responsibility and a duty to ensure that our students are competitive for the best jobs on the market.”

Sara Seaman

Analytics, Inspired

Benito Alvarez

“Doctor in Latin means ‘to teach.’ I believe we have an obligation to teach those who are coming up behind us the knowledge and lessons that we have learned—it enriches the future.”

Peggy Fults

“I would like to see all of our senior class donate something during our upcoming Senior Impact campaign, not just for recognition, but to understand the fundamentals of why giving back is so important.”

John Bell

“My research asks, how do we reach people where they live in an urban environment?"

Mary Goss

An avid golfer, traveler and gardener, Mary Goss brings her infectious zest for life

Melissa Hall

Melissa Hall has never shied away from adventure.

George & Peggy Melton

Moving Ahead with Melton’s Scholars

Meg Hutchinson

"That was my first large event and since then the orders have been rolling in."

Ashley Brooks

“The University of Tennessee offers so many volunteer opportunities; it is a great way to get out and meet people at the same time.”

Ksenia Kuznetsova

“I am deeply passionate about building up future professionals and am heavily involved in our campus recruiting efforts.”

Lance Saunders

“Programs like the Integrated Business and Engineering Program (IBEP) are assisting our students as well as the business community in strengthening the parallels between business and engineering."

Heather Hubbard Morgan

“I was comfortable in my role in community banking (I was the CFO at the time), but I could see that the world was changing, and I didn’t want to be left behind.”

Adam Petrie

“Analysts have the insight to comb through the data and provide businesses with nuggets that can help them,”

Ashton Parks

“I became really interested in why these companies were targeting certain customers or choosing specific advertising campaigns.”

Hitesh Rana

“I’d gained knowledge of statistics and learned how to build models, and I used those skills in my internship”

Sunny Sweitzer

“Owning a bakery was never the dream, but I am learning that some of the greatest opportunities are never what was expected.”

Kyle Johns

“Work hard each day and jump at any opportunity to take on additional responsibility, even if the task isn’t exactly glamorous."

Pedro Gonzalez

“A big priority for me is integrating and standardizing our professional development services for all GEE students, particularly the full-time MBA and MS in Business Analytics students."

Camila Metchikoff

"Giving one hundred percent at my job, my home and my class work wasn’t easy. My professors always had my back and knew how hard I was working."

Eric Kelley

"Equally important is my desire to develop my students into life-long learners themselves."

Corinne Guelli

"The accounting department cares so much about the students. The curriculum is difficult but there are professors that want you to succeed and will help you along the way."

Ashley Sams

“UT embraces the idea of family, and it is easy to see once you spend time on this campus."

Ken Shields

“Challenge yourself, be uncomfortable and do something you’re afraid to do."

Wiley Stidham

“During my time here, I hope to have helped someone feel more at home at UT like my professors and friends have done for me, and I hope to give back even a small portion of what I have received.”

Paolo Letizia

"Haslam’s business analytics department stood out to me, especially how they apply analytics to supply chain and operations management."

Brian Bolden

"Growing up outside of Atlanta, one would think I would have wanted to be a Georgia bulldog, but they’d be wrong"

Sophie Xiao

"I love my career because it allows me to share knowledge with students while leveraging my research interests in marketing and innovation."

Rebecca Harmon

“I want individuals with transferrable skills, who care about this company, rather than a perfect resume.”

Stevie Shumate

“I strive to make our students feel like Knoxville is a ‘home away from home.’”

Kali Holt

“It has inspired me to focus on taking my education global in the next three years."

Martha Randolph

“I loved UT so much that after graduating, I immediately became involved in the alumni association.”

Randy Bradley

"When you bring minds together, you can tease out that inflection point."

Linda Myers

"I left with an extremely positive impression of the faculty and staff"

Crystal Brooks

"If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well."

Bill Harrison

"...Our blood continues to run orange"

Ryessia Jones

I was attracted to this program because it’s the same ethos I embrace in my own life.

Kate Athmer

“I want to make a difference in the workforce, and I want to provide career and brand advice for peers, recent graduates and anyone looking to advance"