Alumni & Friends News

Responding to massive challenges such as the coronavirus pandemic requires the ability to skillfully perform as part of an ensemble cast. It’s hard to imagine anyone better suited for the role than Andrew Thomas (MD ’95, MBA '00), chief clinical officer of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

For many accounting graduates, passing the CPA exam can be a daunting task. It was for Mackenzie Hitchcock, but the MAcc alumna did far better than simply pass the exam. She earned accolades for her performance on it.  

NXTSTOR, an app created by recent finance graduate Brandon Gotlieb that matches users with rentable storage spaces, is set to launch June 19.

The first thing people notice about Lindsay Karas Stencel (MBA '09, JD '09) is her outgoing personality, brightly colored clothes and flamboyant earrings. There’s plenty of substance behind all this style.

What happens when you’re able to spot a deadly pandemic, but the playbook for responding to it is a century old? 
For alumnus Will Lange, president and general manager of Honeywell’s Personal Protective Equipment division, the answer meant acting quickly and decisively in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak.  

Press Southworth III (BSBA '75), CEO of the Jazz Arts Group, is among the more than 15,000 Ohioans who have contracted COVID-19 and lived to tell the story. He shares his thoughts on falling ill and his subsequent recovery.

In addition to producing bourbon, gin and other liquors, Columbus distillery Watershed is now making and selling its own hand sanitizer. Owner Greg Lehman (BSBA '01) says it's the company's way of keeping people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic while also bringing back employees who had been laid off.

Hard working, academically talented and naturally curious, Sarah Boylan has always placed a premium on education. Check out her journey to becoming an engineer at Acura, and how a business leadership certification she earned at Fisher is complementing her engineering skills at the auto manufacturer.

Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman FBI Cincinnati presented the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award to Columbus businessman and Fisher alumnus Laith Khalaf this week.

The Harry T. Mangurian, Jr. Foundation is making its largest-ever gift to The Ohio State University – $10 million to support dementia and leukemia research, cancer drug development, health and wellness initiatives for student-athletes and scholarships for graduate business students at Fisher.

Terina Matthews-Davis (MA ’96, MLHR ’98) is a double Buckeye whose enthusiasm and support for Ohio State knows no bounds. A senior vice president and head of Corporate & Investment Banking Program Management at Wells Fargo, Matthews-Davis shares the story of her success as a student, why she gives back and why Ohio Stadium continues to occupy a special place in her heart.

Harley Blakeman (BSBA '17) overcame self-inflicted hurdles to become an entrepreneur dedicated to helping others who made similar mistakes find jobs.

From first serving as a criminal prosecutor in Chicago to finding his calling as an entertainment lawyer, Hal “Corky” Kessler (BSBA ’71) has consistently leaned on the skills and principles he acquired as an undergraduate marketing student at Ohio State.

Legacy can be a funny thing: if you spend too much time trying to manufacture one, then that singular focus can become what you’re known for. Letting your decisions, your work and your priorities speak for themselves, however, can leave a quiet, powerful and indelible mark on others. It's something that Bill Troxil (BSBA ’75) has tried to do for his sons, Ryan and Will.

Assistant Dean and Chief Diversity Officer Cynthia Turner has always been a trailblazer. In 1996 she became the first African-American woman to earn a PhD in accounting from The Ohio State University and now, more than 20 years later, she is the first such woman to be named to the dean’s leadership team at Fisher in its recorded history.

Check out the story of Harley Blakeman (BSBA '17), a former felon who graduated from Fisher with a business degree, whose new venture is connecting companies with formerly incarcerated individuals in search of work.

Throughout his career as a professional football player and now as an entrepreneur, Chimdi Chekwa’s (BSBA ’11) accounting degree from Fisher has been there for him all along.

Spend just a few minutes scrolling through Gary Price’s social media feed and it’s easy to see what he’s passionate about: accounting, diversity and inclusion and Ohio State. A lot of Ohio State. While it’s only a snapshot into part of Price’s life, @garyprice_osu provides a glimpse into just how much pride the 1983 graduate has for Ohio State and the lengths he’s willing to go to support not only students but even strangers-turned-friends.

Bill Baumel (BSBA '90), the managing director of the Ohio Innovation Fund, has the background to lead the $40 million venture capital fund, which he's helped build into what  he calls the top venture entrepreneurship training for students in the country.

A decorated U.S. Army veteran, Press Southworth III (BSBA ’75) shares his story about being a first-generation student at Ohio State, the accounting and business leaders that shaped him, and the career shift that took him from accounting into the arts.

As part of its 2019 Alumni Awards celebration, The Ohio State University Max M. Fisher College of Business proudly honored six individuals for their leadership, dedication and service across a number of industries and in communities throughout the United States.

For Mark Yale Harris (BSBA '61), creativity has been a constant throughout his professional career — in business as a co-founder of Red Roof Inns, and now, as a renowned sculpture artist.

From sharing his story with Fisher students, to serving on the college’s Dean’s Advisory Council, to supporting graduate students through scholarships, Jesse Tyson’s (MBA '76) pride in his Ohio State roots is immense. Now, that legacy of engagement is a permanent part of the Fisher campus. Together with his wife, Cheryl, the family was recently honored for their generosity in the creation of the Cheryl and Jesse Tyson Diversity and Inclusion Suite.

Ohio State students and alumni such as Cal Wible (BSBA '49, MBA '50) have made the Buck-I-SERV alternative break program a gift to communities in need and an example for others to follow. Journey to Florida with a recent contingent of students to see how these efforts brought joy to their young charges.

“Dedicated to what I believe in.” That, in her own words, describes Janelle Jordan (BSBA '98) to the core, and her dedication to Ohio State and her Buckeye family is undeniable.