KU News Release

KU School of Business doctoral program announces student awards

LAWRENCE — Nine students in the University of Kansas School of Business doctoral program earned recognition and $27,050 in cash awards for outstanding teaching and research skills at the doctoral commencement banquet May 17 in the Kansas Union. Three students selected for teaching positions at major universities also were honored.

“The caliber of these placements shows that the KU School of Business Ph.D. program continues to produce top educators and researchers across the field,” said School of Business Dean William L. Fuerst. “We’re proud of all the accomplishments made by our highly talented group of Ph.D. students.”

The students who have accepted full-time university teaching positions are Patrick McClelland, Clarksville, Va., University of Delaware ; Jake Messersmith, Lawrence, George Washington University; and Hilla Rantala, Vantaa, Finland, the University of Wyoming. Esma Nur Cinigioglu, Istanbul, Turkey, who received her doctoral degree in spring 2008, will return to to her home country for possible placement there.

Awards presented were:

— Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, a $20,000 research award
— School of Business Dissertation Fellowships for doctoral research agreements
— John O. Tollefson Best Paper Award of $500 cash for works published or selected for publications by a KU doctoral business student
— Max E. Fessler Dissertation Award, a $500 research cash prize
— Wendell Holmes Teaching Excellence Award, worth $4,050
— Constance Ducey Teaching Award of $500

Funds for the Tollefson, Fessler, Holmes and Ducey awards are managed by KU Endowment, the independent, nonprofit organization serving as the official fundraising and fund-management organization for KU. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment is the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.

The small and highly selective doctoral program at the KU School of Business fosters a close working relationship between students and professors. Ten new doctoral students will begin the program in the fall. For more information about the program, including student profiles, go to www.business.ku.edu/phdprofile.

Award recipients are listed below by hometown, educational information, parents’ names (when available) and recognition.

DOUGLAS COUNTY
From Lawrence 66049
Jake G. Messersmith, spring 2008 doctoral degree in business; bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; John O. Tollefson Best Paper Award; Messersmith will teach at George Washington University.

Shane Moser, doctoral student in business; master’s degree in statistics from Oregon State University; master’s degree in accounting and information systems from KU, fall 1997; bachelor’s degrees in business administration and mathematics from KU, spring 1996; Olathe South High School, Olathe, Kan.; Ewing Marion Kauffman Dissertation Fellowship and School of Business Dissertation Fellowship.

VIRGINIA
From Clarksville 23927
Patrick McClelland, spring 2008 doctoral degree in business administration; master’s degree in business from KU, summer 2000; bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County; He has accepted a teaching position at the University of Delaware.

ARGENTINA
From Buenos Aires
Miguel Aguirre, doctoral student in business; master’s degree in business administration (information systems and finance) from Indiana University; bachelor’s degree from University of Buenos Aires; Wendell Holmes Teaching Excellence Award and John O. Tollefson Teaching Award.

CHINA
From Jilin City
Ze Wang, doctoral student in business; bachelor’s degree in business administration from Renmin University of China, Beijing; Constance Ducey Teaching Award.

From Taiyuan, Shanxi
Qian Wang, doctoral student in business; bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Wuhan University, Wuchang, China; School of Business Dissertation Fellowship.

From Wuhan
Ying Huang, doctoral student in business; bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Wuhan; School of Business Dissertation Fellowship.

FINLAND
From Vantaa
Hilla Rantala, spring 2008 doctoral degree in business; master’s degree in economics from KU, spring 2004; bachelor’s degree in economics from KU, spring 2002; daughter of Pirkko and Timo Rantala; John O. Tollefson Teaching Award; Rantala plans to teach at the University of Wyoming.

TURKEY
From Istanbul
Esma Nur Cinicioglu, spring 2008 doctoral degree in business; bachelor’s degree in management of information systems from Marmara University in Istanbul; Max E. Fessler Dissertation Award; Cinicioglu plans to seek a teaching position in Turkey.

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