MBA Class of 2026 Celebrated for Leadership, Service, and Academic Excellence at Annual Awards Gala
Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business honored the MBA Class of 2026 during the annual MBA Awards Gala, recognizing graduates who made exceptional contributions to the school and broader MBA community throughout their time on the Hilltop.
Sudipta Dasmohapatra, senior associate dean of MBA programs, addresses the Class of 2026
The MBA Awards celebrate students, faculty, and staff who exemplify the core values of the Georgetown MBA experience through leadership, service, academic excellence, and community impact. Award recipients were nominated by peers, faculty, and staff and recognized during the gala celebration ahead of commencement ceremonies.
“One of the defining aspects of the Georgetown MBA experience is the way our students support and uplift one another during their time in the program and beyond,” said Sudipta Dasmohapatra, senior associate dean of MBA programs at Georgetown McDonough. “The MBA Awards Gala is an opportunity to celebrate the individuals who have strengthened our community through leadership, collaboration, and service. We are proud of all our graduates and look forward to the impact they will make as Georgetown alumni.”
During the event, students reflected on their experiences in the MBA program and celebrated the accomplishments of the graduating cohorts before crossing the commencement stage. This year also marked the graduation of the inaugural Flex MBA Online class.
The awards and honorees included the following students, faculty, staff, and organizations.
Community Awards
Daniel Walker McNeal Award (recognizes a student who exemplifies the characteristics of the McDonough MBA program, including Jesuit values, ethical standards, academic excellence, service, and community involvement)
Folahan Akinyemi
Community Builder Award (recognizes outstanding leadership and contributions to building a supportive MBA community)
Abe Ali (FXO)
Parth Barot (FX)
Nayonika Basu
Delaney Brower
Sachi Khemka (FX)
Michael Wysong
Sustainability Award (recognizes exceptional commitment to sustainability initiatives)
Shahla Fatemi (FXO)
Reed McDonough
Global Leadership Award (recognizes individuals who have made substantial contributions to global business and intercultural appreciation)
Ahmed Farid
Chris Hui
Impact Through Inclusion Award (recognizes leadership and dedication to fostering a more inclusive community)
Jake Al-Haffer
Aveline Argo (FX)
Ana Lis Guimarães
Isabella Tay (FXO)
Creativity and Innovation Award (recognizes exceptional creativity and innovation in improving processes, solving problems, or creating opportunities in support of the MBA program)
Aladin Aljaberi (FX)
Katarina Montague
Phu Nguyen
Ravi Maddhini
Outstanding Student Organization Award (recognizes an MBA student organization for leadership and service to the community)
South Asian Business Alliance
Community Fellows
Fola Akinyemi
Mersadies Bonilla (FXO)
Ryan Flenniken
Sara Louise Hines (FXO)
Perby Senal (FX)
Academic Honors*
Valedictorian Award
Full-time MBA: Mari-Clare McNamara
Flex MBA: Anders Hansen
Flex MBA Online: Cristina De la Torre
Salutatorian Award
Full-time MBA: Joel Johnson
Flex MBA: Maggierose Connell
Flex MBA Online: Sara Louise Hines
McDonough Scholars (recognizes the top 10% of each Full-time, Flex, and Flex Online MBA class based on final GPA upon completion of the degree)
Ahmad Aljaberi
Folahan Akinyemi
Kshish Ashish
Brianna Belisle
Marcos Capote Troncone
Maggierose Connell
Haley Davis
Cristina De la Torre
Joshua Dempsey
Bruce Donoghue
Harsh Gadodia
Arunaditya Ghosh
Jason Goodman
Anders Hansen
Sara Louise Hines
Yin Huang
Michael Ibonye
Joel Johnson
Sachi Khemka
Di Liu
Sheetal Madnani
Brendan McDearmon
Mari-Clare McNamara
Jeffrey McNerney
Sandeep Mishra
Jonathan Monane
Mackenzie Norton
Will Phelps
Sullivan Rocha
Stasia Rogacki
Joseph Stefano
Jonathan Trunfio
En-Hua Wang
Michael Wysong
Faculty and Staff Awards
MBA Excellence in Teaching Award
John Mayo, Elsa Carlson McDonough Chair; Executive Director of the Center for Business and Public Policy
Evelyn Williams, Distinguished Teaching Professor of Management
Ronald L. Smith Distinguished Service Award (recognizes exceptional commitment to supporting students’ academic, professional, and personal success)
Anya Kulagina, Assistant Director, MBA Program Office
Jada Brown, Associate Director, MBA Program Office
During the annual awards gala, Georgetown McDonough also recognized the recipients of the Dean’s Service Award, along with the program’s Leadership Fellows, MBA Program Ambassadors, MBA Peer Advisors, and MBA Admissions Ambassadors. View all of this year’s honorees in the 2026 ceremony program slides.
*Academic awards were not officially recognized during the Gala, as they were determined the day before commencement.