Honors Seminar Winners
Spring, 2011

Outstanding 1st Year
Justian Rich

Outstanding 2nd Year
Adedoyin Adenekan

Outstanding 3rd Year
Christian Midder

Outstanding Coordinator
Dynastie Graves

Fast Track Award
Sheila Okororie

Bert J. Hash, Jr. Mentoring Award
Christian Midder

High Distinction Graduates
Lynda Aboagye, Chelsie Brantley, William Copeland, Abimbola Erogbogba, Sherre Leach, Samantha Tinkamanyire

Allen A. Boston Award for Excellence in Performance
William Copeland

Stanley W. Tucker Award for Excellence in Leadership
Samantha Tinkamanyire

Award for Excellence in Service
Samantha Tinkamanyire

Congratulations to all of the award recipients!

First Place ($1,000)
Darian Berry - Industrial Engineering
William Copeland - Accounting
Linnet Gitaari - Finance
David Okuwobi - Finance

Second Place ($600)
Gassimou Bah - Business Administration
Steven Garcia - Industrial Engineering
Pravin Khadka - Accounting
Mary Kariuki - MBA
Janea Lowery - Industrial Engineering

Third Place ($400)
Latina Davis - Industrial Engineering
Justian C. Rich - Finance
Isaac Richardson - Industrial Engineering
MiSean Williams - Business Administration

Honorable Mention
Vernon Bright - Industrial Engineering
Alex McNeely - Industrial Engineering
Tiffany Preston - Accounting

On November 11, 2010, four teams – each comprised of a mixture of business and engineering students – presented their case analyses and recommendations to a panel of Boeing representatives and Graves School faculty member, Dr. Abby Radhakrishnan. The final competition was the culmination of a month-long process for the teams. It began on October 7, when Graves School Honors Program graduate Andrue Abernathy, who is now a Boeing employee, and his colleagues visited Morgan to kickoff the competition. The teams then worked diligently to digest and analyze the case. Along the way, Boeing representatives were available to act as mentors to the teams. The hard work put in by the teams was evident as they presented their findings to the panel of judges. All of the participants expressed gratitude to the Boeing Corporation for providing this opportunity to learn more about LEAN concepts, manufacturing, Boeing – and, perhaps most importantly, about each other. Few had worked across disciplines before, and they agreed that a key benefit of the competition was participating on the cross-functional teams. Congratulations again to all of the participants, and many thanks to Andrue and Boeing for bringing the competition to Morgan!

Congratulations to all of the award recipients!

Outstanding 1st year Student - Zandilli Lucien

Outstanding 2nd year Student - Marian Addai

Outstanding 3rd year Student - Samantha Tinka

Outstanding Student Coordinator - Sheila Okororie

Fast Track Award - Marian Addai

Bert J. Hash, Jr. Mentoring Award - William Copeland

Allen A. Boston Award for Excellence in Performance - Cedric Jefferson

Award for Excellence in Leadership - Tristin Ewell

Award for Excellence in Service - Kwame Adjei

Student Moderators - MiSean Williams, Zandilli Lucien, Tristin Ewell, Reve Polite, Christopher Perry, Michelle Dirickson, Zaneta Egiefameh, Shriti KC

Alumni Award - Bert J. Hash, Jr.

Executive-in-Residence Award - Kenneth Banks

Honors student speaks at Awards of Excellence Banquet

For the past year, honors student Cedric Jefferson has served as the MSU Student Ambassador for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), a national organization that provides merit-based scholarships and other support for students who attend public Historically Black Colleges and Universities. As the campus Ambassador, Cedric helped increase awareness about the program among students and administrators at Morgan. In April, Cedric's hard work was rewarded when he received an invitation to speak at the TMCF's 3rd Annual Awards of Excellence Banquet held in Baltimore. The event recognizes leaders nationwide who exemplify professional and civic excellence, as well as those who have a passion for civil rights, justice, and education. Cedric, who spoke eloquently about the positive impact of the TMCF program, summed up his experience by saying, "It was a great privilege and honor to speak to an audience of such high caliber and prestige." Congratulations, Cedric!

Graves School Honors Students Place 3rd in National Competition

Honors Program students Lynda Aboagye, Marian Addai, Christopher Antoine, and Sheila Okororie – all of whom are members of the MSU Chapter of the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP), traveled to St. Louis in March to participate in the National Collegiate Conference of the AITP. The group competed in the Graphics Communication Competition, during which they used their skills in digital media production to help create an ad campaign. The team secured a 3rd place finish among 17 teams from across the U.S. Congratulations to this talented team on their outstanding achievement!

Graves School Honors Program Students Serve on Boards

Moyo Oluyinka is entering her second year as a member of the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross – Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Region Blood Services Division. Moyo, who is the only college student serving on the Board, works with fellow Board members to educate the public about the need for blood donation and to increase the number of blood drives held in the Baltimore-Washington area. Nahila Bertrand, a senior Finance major in the Graves School Honors Program, has been appointed by Governor Martin O'Malley as the Morgan State University Student Regent for 2009-2010. Nahila joins an accomplished group of alumni and business executives who form the University's Board of Regents, which is responsible for the governance of all matters related to the University. Many congratulations to Moyo Oluyinka and Nahila Bertrand!

Graves School Honors Program hosts Baltimore Debate League Awards Dinner

On Saturday, May 30, 2009, the Graves School Honors Program hosted the Baltimore Urban Debate League's (BUDL) Annual Awards Dinner. Over 400 students, staff, coaches, family and friends joined BUDL in celebrating A Decade of Debate in the Calvin & Tina Ballroom at the Morgan State New Student Center. BUDL award recipients, including middle and high school students, competed successfully in debates throughout the year against over 200 fellow debaters from the Baltimore region and beyond. The BUDL program enriches the academic experience and overall development of students from Baltimore City's public middle and high schools through participation in debate-based educational activities.

Many congratulations to the 2008-2009 Baltimore Urban Debate League winners – and, we hope, future Morganites!

3rd Annual Spring Celebration Graduation Dinner Celebrates Students' Accomplishments

On Friday, May 15, 2009 the Honors Program held its 3rd Annual Spring Graduation Dinner at the Westin Baltimore Washington Hotel in Linthicum, Maryland. What a night to remember! Guests, including faculty, staff, students, graduates, family, friends and program supporters, enjoyed the spring weather during a reception on the Westin's open patio. The group then moved inside for the dinner program, during which Honors Program Executive-in-Residence Ken Banks, President of Banks Contracting, shared words of wisdom with members of the Class of 2009. Three graduates – Andrue Abernathy, Erin Birckhead, and Ardyn Brooks - were honored for reaching—the highest rung—on the ladder by completing the requirements for both the Graves School Honors Program and the University Honors Program. Andrue Abernathy was also presented with the Allen Boston Award for Excellence in Performance. The award was recently renamed in honor of Allen Boston, Morgan alumnus and retired partner of Ernst & Young, who was also presented with an Alumni Award for his dedication to the founding of the Graves School Honors Program. The Honors Program also presented awards to Stanley Tucker, President & CEO of Meridian Management Group Inc., and Marcia Tuck, Senior Vice President, Retail Administration at SunTrust Bank, who are stepping down as Co-Chairs of the Advisory Board. Many congratulations and best wishes to the Class of 2009!

4/09 MSU Community Donates over 300 Units of Blood

The Graves School Honors Program coordinated two highly successful blood drives during the 2008-2009 academic year. Working with the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, and with corporate partner Target Corporation, Graves School honor students hosted the first two-day blood drive during the Fall, 2008, semester, and returned in the Spring with a marathon one-day, 12-hour drive. Morgan students responded in large numbers, donating over 300 units of blood during the two drives. In addition, students met with blood recipients, who gave them firsthand accounts of the importance of blood donation. The April blood drive was held in conjunction with Morgan's Spring Health Fair, which provided students with a chance to learn more about how to lead healthy lifestyles. Drive participants were both heroes and winners ‐ they received t-shirts, coupons, gas cards, iPods, and other prizes. Many thanks to the Greek organizations – Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Delta Sigma Theta, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Alpha Nu Omega, to the MSU ROTC, the YWCA, NABA, the Graves School Finance Club and to the entire Morgan State University family for helping the American Red Cross save lives!

Honors Program students travel to London, England

Graduating seniors Andrue Abernathy, Erin Birckhead, and Ardyn Brooks traveled to London, England, to get a taste of international business and culture.

The students, who were accompanied by Dr. Victoria Miller, visited the renowned London School of Economics. In addition, the group took in several of the major cultural sites, including Big Ben, Buckingham Palace – where they witnessed the famed changing of the guards – and the Tower of London. The students agreed that having the opportunity to visit another country was a highlight of their time at Morgan. Many congratulations to Andrue, Ardyn and Erin for completing all requirements for the University and Graves School Honors Programs.

Graves School Honors Program Welcomes New Board Members

The Graves School of Business and Management Honors Program welcomed two new members to its Advisory Board: Mr. Gareth Warren (—05), currently with GE Capital Markets, and Ms. Monyka Berrocosa, founder and owner of MyCity4Her.com. Gareth P. Warren earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management. He is an Associate Syndications Representative for the General Electric Capital Markets Group in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Ms. Berrocosa, a Montreal, Canada native, is an entrepreneur and advocate for women-owned businesses. She is a graduate of McGill University's prestigious management program, with an associate's degree in psychology and social studies. She has lived in Baltimore since 1998, and in 2006, she established MyCity4Her.com, an online community for women business owners.

Graduation dinner celebrates student achievement

On Friday, May 16, the Honors Program held its 2008 graduation dinner at the Douglass-Myers Maritime Park Museum in Baltimore.

New Brochure Released

The Honors Program has released a new brochure outlining key aspects of the program.

In Business For Your Future

The Graves School of Business and Management (GSBM) Honors Program is designed for high-achieving and success-oriented students who are destined to become leaders in business and industry. Our students graduated from high school in the top 10% of their classes with proven track records that exhibit their dedication, intelligence, and ambition.

The GSBM Honors Program has a rigorous set of courses and activities that complement the technical material being taught in the classroom. The Program includes Honors section courses, Honors Seminars with top executives, paid internships at major corporations, and developmental opportunities - all aimed at fostering the academic and professional development of our students.

Contact Us to request a copy of the brochure and learn more about the Program.