Awards

Selected and voted on by their peers, this award honors graduating students who have made outstanding contributions to the Columbia Business School community. Open to EMBA-NY, MBA, and MS graduates. 

Class of 2026 Winners: 

Hardik Agarwal, MBA
Angelina Cao, MSM
Rohan Cherukuri, MBA
Jacqueline Deprey, MBAxMS
Tian Cathy Dong, MBA
Alexandra Garcia, EMBA-NY
Kevin Gorton, MBA
Jason Li, MSAFA
Jose Miguel Luna Mugica, MBAxMS
Maral Mohagheghi, MBAxMS
Derek Oliver, MBA
Karan Sharma, EMBA-NY
Archishman Thanneeru, MBA
Emiliano Valencia Lona, MSFE

Class of 2025 Winners: Gabrielle Darko, Clinton Lewis DeMerritt, Giulia Gargiulo, Divij Gupta, Radhika Jhavar, Hitesh Jonnalagadda, Keertana Krishna, Serena Moss, Connor Rohan, Alyson Williams

Selected by the first-year class and given in recognition of a student’s outstanding skill, care and involvement in the tutoring program. This tutor has shown consistent commitment and dedication to the program and their fellow students with a minimum of 20 hours of service to the first-year students completed. This student exemplifies compassion, respect, and the ability to accurately represent course material. Open to EMBA-NY, MBA, and MS graduates. 

Class of 2026 Winner: Ryan Wong, MBA

Class of 2025 Winner: Shota Yamawaki

Presented annually to the faculty member or administrator who most clearly demonstrates commitment to students through accessibility and an overall contribution to the improvement of student life. Established by the Graduate Business Association in 1982 and named in honor of executive in residence Robert W. Lear. Voted on by MBA graduating students.

Class of 2026 Winner: Scott A. Siegel, Senior Director of Student Life and Engagement in the Office of Student Affairs

Class of 2025 Winner: Medini Singh

Selected by the first-year class and given in recognition of a student’s outstanding skill, care and involvement in presenting class material. Open to EMBA-NY, MBA, and MS graduates. 

Class of 2026 Winner: Ryan Wong, MBA

Class of 2025 Winner: Shatiek Jamal Gatlin

Selected by the graduating MBA students and awarded to a full-time faculty member who exemplifies excellence in the classroom, based on his or her dedication to teaching and ability to communicate knowledge and encourage students. Voted on by MBA graduating students.

Class of 2026 Winner: Daniel Guetta, Associate Professor of Professional Practice in Decision, Risk, and Operations Division

Class of 2025 Winners: Brian Lancaster and Bruce Usher

Selected by EMBA-NY graduating students, the Columbia Business School Executive MBA Faculty Commitment to Excellence Award is an honor established by the EMBA Class of 1991 in memory of Professor Margaret K. Chandler. It is presented to faculty members who make exemplary, outstanding contributions to the EMBA class experience.

Class of 2026 EMBA-NY Saturday Winner: Daniel Guetta

Class of 2026 EMBA-NY Friday/Saturday Winner: Brett House

Given to graduating students who have made outstanding contributions to the operations of the School working “behind the scenes,” as selected by the administration. Open to EMBA-NY, MBA, and MS graduates. 

Class of 2026 Winners: 

Mustafa Amjad, MBA
Marianna Caballero Tuesca, MBA
Zeyu Chen, MSFE
Rohan Cherukuri, MBA
Zachary Costa, MSAFA
Alexandra Garcia, EMBA-NY
Kevin Gorton, MBA
Gregory Jones, EMBA-NY
Christine Y. Kim, MBA
Kristal Liu, MSAFA
Emma Malenka, MBA
Sofia Martins, MBA
Joe Mozden, MBA
Jiaqi (Lily) Pan, MSM
Caraun Reid, MBA
William Christopher Szczecinski, MBA
Taewan Yoon, MBA

Class of 2025 Winners: Dorly Bouguignon, Gabrielle Darko, Alexander Gandolfo, Shatiek Jamal Gatlin, Harry Alexander Johnson, Jr., Dev Mehrotra, Serena Moss, William Tappan Parsons, Alyson Williams, Yaniv Yatziv

Selected based on outstanding character, scholastic achievement, participation in School affairs and potential for civic, business and professional leadership. Open to MBA graduates. 

Class of 2026 Winners: Jacqueline Deprey, MBAxMS

Class of 2025 Winner: Nicholas Bilcheck

This award was established by the University Trustees and the Board of the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) to celebrate all who build Columbia University’s Spirit. The Campbell Award is presented by the CAA to a graduating student at each School who show exceptional leadership and Columbia spirit as exemplified by Bill Campbell ‘62CC ‘64TC, chair emeritus of the University Trustees and CAA co-founder. Open to EMBA-NY, MBA, and MS graduates. 

Class of 2026 Winners: Maral Mohagheghi, MBAxMS

Class of 2025 Winner: Clinton Lewis DeMerritt
 

The Theodora Rutherford Inclusion Award highlights students who have centered inclusiveness in their student experience at Columbia Business School. Selected students will have demonstrated a commitment to the values and experiences that were central to Theodora Fonteneau Rutherford, the School’s first Black graduate student. Theodora, who earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1924, was one of the first Black individuals to graduate from a top business school in the United States and later, became the first Black woman Certified Public Accountant in West Virginia.

Despite facing over 30 years of discriminatory laws and regulations in her field, Theodora built a distinguished career as an educator by leveraging her exceptional education and aptitude. She appreciated immersing herself in different cultures, and was an important mentor to her students. Selected students must articulate how they embrace the values and experiences that defined Theodora and how they’ve supported the School in becoming a more inclusive space for their peers:

Diverse Experiences: From being immersed in different cultures to exploring unconventional pathways, diverse experiences are fundamental to shaping perspectives and supporting self-reflection.

Professional Perseverance: Challenges are a part of every journey, particularly ones around careers. Pathways are never linear and challenges often become catalysts for change. How individuals overcome challenges help define who they are as a person.

Leading Inclusively: There are many different ways to be an inclusive leader. Such leaders use their voices to advocate for change and encourage their peers to support various initiatives that drive their organizations toward being a more inclusive space for all students.

Open to EMBA-NY, MBA, and MS graduates. 

Class of 2026 Winners: 

Theodore Davidson, EMBA-NY
Evan Gunn, MBA
Wendy Catalina Ogando, MBA
Ronald James-Terry Taylor, MBA

Class of 2025 Winners: Clinton Lewis DeMerritt, Hitesh Jonnalagadda, Keertana Krishnan, Maleni Palacios Delgado

Awarded to a graduating woman who has shown overall academic excellence in the area of Marketing. Open to MBA graduates. 

Class of 2026 Winner: Beca Almeida, MBA

Class of 2025 Winner: Sommer Howard

Presented annually to a graduating student who has demonstrated outstanding work in the field of Decision, Risk, and Operations. Open to MBA graduates. 

Class of 2026 Winner: Emma Malenka, MBA

Class of 2025 Winner: Simão Correia

Presented annually to a graduating student who has demonstrated outstanding work in the field of Management. Open to MBA graduates. 

Class of 2026 Winner: Sidharth Agarwal, MBA

Class of 2025 Winner: Andrew Yeager

Presented annually to a graduating student who has done outstanding work in the field of Economics or Human Resources. Open to MBA graduates. 

Class of 2026 Winners:

Mfundo Radebe, MBA
Jessica Weiss, MBA

Class of 2025 Winner: Elisa Martinez

Presented annually to a graduating student who best demonstrates dedication to the public and non-profit sector and who exemplifies inner strength and personal integrity. Open to MBA graduates. 

Class of 2026 Winners:

Mustafa Amjad, MBA
Chandler Gregoire, MBA

Class of 2025 Winners: Tadesh Inagaki and Francesca Bruna Pipino

Awarded for superior skills in the area of Tax theory, practice, or research. Open to MBA graduates. 

Class of 2026 Winner: Harold Hinckfuss

Class of 2025 Winner: Jared Lang

Awarded for excellence in the area of Accounting. Open to MBA graduates. 

Class of 2026 Winner: Giacomo Tritto, MBA

Class of 2025 Winner: Aurelio Rospigliosi

Recognizes a graduating student with an outstanding record in the study of Marketing who shows promise of future contributions to the field. Open to MBA graduates. 

Class of 2026 Winner: Isioma Odita, MBA

Class of 2025 Winner: Courtney Dodge

 Presented annually to a graduating student who has demonstrated outstanding work in the field of Finance. Open to MBA graduates. 

Class of 2026 Winner: Dimitry Karavaikin, MBA

Class of 2025 Winner: Haneke Manoharan

Named in memory of Nahum Melumad, the James L. Dohr Professor of Accounting and Business Law and a member of Columbia Business School’s Accounting Division for more than 20 years, is the highest honor given to one member of each graduating class based on outstanding scholarship and significant contribution to the Columbia community. Open to EMBA-NY graduates.

Class of 2026 Winner: 

Class of 2025 Winner: Bessie Zavidow