February 23rd, 2012

2012 Awards for ExcellenceThe Montana State University (MSU) Alumni Association and the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce recognized forty top MSU seniors and their faculty or staff mentors including four College of Business (CoB) students and faculty mentors on Tuesday, February 21, 2012. Student winners were nominated by faculty in their college or department and chosen by an award selection committee. Honorees are of senior standing and maintained a minimum 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. They all have an exemplary record of campus and community activities, involvement and service. The student honorees each selected a faculty or staff member who had been most inspirational and influential in their development at MSU. Excerpts from their nominations are included below.

The College of Business students and mentors who were honored at the banquet were:
Kaitlyn Ash, accounting and finance, Bozeman, MT / Angela Woodland

“Kaitlyn Ash is one of those wonderfully unexpected people one rarely encounters…in fact she is also an eight-time amateur karate champion. That accountant/karate champion combination is hard to find! Kaitlyn’s combination of characteristics makes her a person one wants to be around and a person likely to achieve amazing success” –Angela Woodland

“Angela Woodland is a knowledgeable and fun professor who truly cares about her students…I admire Dr. Woodland’s dedication to her work and to her students.” –Kaitlyn Ash

Jodie Kunesh, accounting, Chetek, WI / Marc Giullian

“Jodie Kunesh can be described by two words: tireless and enthusiastic…I do not know how she can do so much and do it all so well!” –Marc Giullian

“His door is always open …Marc is very patient. If I didn’t get something the first time, he would look for a different way to explain until the concept was understood.” –Jodie Kunesh

Carl Nystuen, finance, Lakeside, MT / Dave Foster

“Carl Nystuen thrives on challenge! …he has completed this challenging academic schedule [three majors and one minor] while excelling as a student athlete in track and cross country, while also actively and continually engaged in a number of high profile campus groups and activities.” –Dave Foster

“…Dave’s door was always open for guidance or a friendly conversation, making me feel like I had strong support in the College of Business. I also had the pleasure of learning the fundamentals of international marketing and leadership through Dave’s impeccable teaching styles.” –Carl Nystuen

Molly Zander, accounting, Great Falls, MT / Angela Woodland

“She is a hard worker, dedicated, strong, determined, brace, and willing to take risks… she is of high integrity, strong character, and is extremely personable. I expect that Molly will be successful in all her pursuits and will make a real different in the profession of accounting.” –Angela Woodland

“When I think about the type of person I want to be, I think of Dr. Woodland. She exudes confidence, professionalism, success, inner-strength, and a well-roundedness that I aspire to. Her standards and expectations in the classroom are high, which is refreshing and appreciated …outside of the classroom, she takes the time to listen, offer advice, encourage, and inspire her students to do more than they ever though possible…” –Molly Zander