The annual honors highlight the people behind Neeley’s student experience, celebrating teaching, research and service that prepare graduates to lead and contribute at the highest levels of business.
April 17, 2026
The TCU Neeley School of Business recognizes that student success begins with the people who make it possible. At the 2026 Neeley Awards, faculty, staff and students were honored for work that advances the school – from teaching and research to service and leadership – reinforcing a shared commitment to a rigorous, career-building student experience.
The annual event recognized more than 100 members of the Neeley community whose contributions extend beyond individual achievement, strengthening an environment that prepares graduates to lead and contribute at the highest levels of business.
Congratulations to all of the 2026 award winners.
Faculty Awards
Maryrose and Dan Short Teaching Excellence Award
Lan Anh Ton
Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Teaching and Research
Morgan Swink
Deans' Research & Creativity Award
Vassil Mihov
Deans' Teaching Award
Renee Olvera
Distinguished Service Award for the Discipline & Community
Abbie Shipp
Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding School Service
Will Drover
Neeley Promise Award for Leadership & Innovation
Kim Cook
Neeley Research Award
Ellie Falcone
Jeff Chen
Emerging Research Scholar Award
Jennifer D'Angelo
Miles Zheng
Rob Rhodes Professor of the Year
Lance Bettencourt
Undergraduate Teaching Award
Allison Taylor
Graduate Teaching Award
In-Mu Haw
Neeley Connection Culture Teaching Award
Virginia Traweek
Staff Awards
Neeley Staff Member of the Year
Michelle Franklin
Neeley Connection Culture Service Award
Jayna Poprawski
Neeley Outstanding Staff Leader Award
Stephen Jenkins
Neeley Outstanding Staff Team Member Award
Melissa Brand
Neeley Promise Award for Leadership & Innovation
Kevin Kiley
Neeley Early Impact Award
Dom McShan
Neeley Culture Champion Award
Evan Konecky
Neeley Excellence in Collaboration Award
Carrie Kemmer
Neeley Staff Ambassador Award
Jessica Cates
Neeley Staff Legacy Award
Liz O'Keefe
Student Awards
Senior Scholar Award – Department of Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Alexandra Cox
Julia Brondello
Senior Scholar Award – Department of Management & Leadership
Kate Thompson
Senior Scholar Award – Department of Finance
Max Krehbiel
Camille Marinac
Senior Scholar Award – Department of Accounting
Jacob Porter
Senior Scholar Award – Department of Marketing
Alexandra Cox
Abigail Steffan
April Krolak
Senior Scholar Award – Department of Business Information Systems & Supply Chain Management
(BIS) Natalie Lamb
(SVCM) Katie Russell
Graduate Student Awards
Outstanding Classmate in Energy MBA
Julia Ranjbar
Outstanding Classmate in Executive MBA
Ted Vaughan
Outstanding Classmate in Full-Time MBA
Hannah Whorton
Outstanding Classmate in Professional MBA
Evan Konecky
Outstanding Classmate in MAc
Ruston Farrington
Sara Kane
Outstanding Classmate in MS Business Analytics
Nicole Kontogiannis
Outstanding Classmate in MS Supply Chain Management
Connor Thigpen
Accounting Awards
Outstanding Student in Accounting
Titus Fagan
Admire Scholarship
Jacob Porter
William Nickum
Junior Accounting Award
Lauren Murphy
Sanoa Hensley Accounting Scholarship
Jacob Carinalli
Geraldine Dominiak Memorial Award for Excellence
Tristen Smith
Entrepreneurship & Innovation Awards
Outstanding Student Award
Riley Richards
Values-Centered Entrepreneurship Award
Matthew Neves
University Honors College Award
Alexandra Cox
Benjamin Estabrook
Emerging Entrepreneur Award
Colby Ackerman
Corporate Entrepreneurial Award
Jessika Calder
Entrepreneurial Community Engagement Award
Taylor Emery
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Minor Award
Alfredo Ornelas
Finance Awards
Outstanding Student Award
Ben Frost
Wall Street Journal Award
Jackson Allen
TCU Real Estate Club Award
Cat Lacy
Claire Bonnett
Luther King Capital Management Center for Financial Studies Scholar
Parker Kingsbury
Greta Hall
Outstanding Educational Investment Fund Student
Jack Hoover
Meredith Fraker Thompson Memorial Scholarship in Finance
Abby Harris
Ford Lowengart
Peter Locke High Achievement Award in Finance
Alexis Drap
Emma Melz
Management & Leadership Awards
Outstanding Student Award
Julia Elizabeth Brondello
Excellence in Leadership Award
Wesley George Hill
Sofia Davis Nelson
Rob Rhodes Critical Thinker Award
Colin James Raymond
Briana Giovanni Schulte
Polymath Award
Cody Vernon
Strategic Thinker Award
Ellie Kone
Teaming Award
Xavier Enrique Cruces
Samuella Sophie Ntoti
Marcella Guadalupe Moreno
Marketing Awards
Outstanding Senior Marketing Student Award
Charity Ketu
Advertising and Digital Marketing Award
Hailey Helms
Marketing Research and Insights Award
Colin Raymond
TCU Sales Center Leadership Award
Colin Foster
Earl Dyess Award
Grace Gasvoda
Colby Bozarth
International Marketing Scholar Award
Edie Bass
Most Outstanding Graduating Sales Student
Kyla Holder
Most Outstanding Rising Sales Professional
Taylor Lammot
American Marketing Association Leadership Award
Sophia Nelson
Business Information Systems & Supply Chain Management Awards
Center for Supply Chain Innovation Outstanding Student Award
Ava Scotchie
Supply Chain Excellence in Academic Scholarship
Catherine Begun
Business Information Systems Professors' Award
Christine Abels
Business Information Systems Program Technology Award
Riley Durrer
Supply and Value Chain Professors' Award
Easton Black
William Shields Erwin Memorial Scholarship
Blake Swenson
Fort Worth Institute for Supply Chain Management Scholarship
Hang (Heather) Lai
Will Kruzel
Linh Tran Kha
Special Awards
Neeley Promise Award for Leadership & Innovation – Undergraduate Student
Allie Gryboski
Neeley Promise Award for Leadership & Innovation – Graduate Student
Megan Hooks
Delta Sigma Pi Scholarship Key Award
Julia Elizabeth Brondello
Brooke Sidler
