Undergraduate Students Receive Honors at Annual Tropaia Ceremony

Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business recognized students graduating with honors from the Undergraduate Program on Friday, May 19, during the school’s annual Tropaia. Watch the video.

During the ceremony, Abraham Mata addressed his classmates to reflect on the past four years on the Hilltop. Mata is the recipient of the Rita Zekas Sielicki Award, which is named after the first female graduate of the McDonough School of Business.

Mata shared his earliest impressions of business school and how he expected to enter a competitive classroom environment. Those fears quickly changed after his first few days at McDonough, where he was struck by the community focus, the emphasis on teamwork, and the supportive network of students, faculty, and staff. 

“While classes may not exactly be a walk in the park and regardless of what your path is here, you are going to face adversity. The difference with Georgetown is that you are surrounded by people who want you to succeed,” said Mata. 

He recalled several instances that exemplified the support of the Hoya community, including after his father’s passing while quarantined for COVID-19. 

“I remember being so shocked that I couldn’t bring myself to do anything,” said Mata. “But it was in that moment of despair that my Georgetown support team was there for me. My deans were there to support me when I couldn’t help myself – they emailed my professors, proctored my postponed exams, and helped me navigate the remainder of the semester. Even my peers sent food to the hotel and sat outside my window to offer some sort of personal support.”

As the Class of 2023 starts their next chapter, Mata reminded them that they always have a community to lean on – whether it’s on the Hilltop or in their personal lives. He also encouraged them to leverage their education and experiences at Georgetown to support those who come after them.

“As we embark on the next phase of our lives, we have to remember it’s our responsibility to help the next generation. I would even go so far as to say it’s our duty, and obligation, to become that dean, professor, or mentor who makes a difference in someone else’s life.”

During the Tropaia program, the following students received awards:

Academic Honors

Valedictorian Award and Dean’s Medal

Julien Matrullo

Salutatorian Award

Emily Chen

Reverend Joseph S. Sebes Award (significant overall contribution to the welfare and reputation of the school)

Anjali Bobba

Othmar W. Winkler Award (demonstrating a strong concern for others and the less privileged, especially in the Washington, D.C., community)

Anthony DeGrado

Undergraduate Dean’s Award (most significant overall contribution in the area of social enterprise or social entrepreneurship either in the local or global community)

Liam Marshall

Rita Zekas Sielicki Award (demonstrating superior achievement in scholarship, fostering a culture of collaboration in an evolving global environment, and committing themselves to the service of their community)

Abraham Mata

Summa Cum Laude Students (3.944 GPA or above)

Naveen Ailawadi

Christopher Antonello

Basil Bseiso

Andrew Caminiti

Emily Chen

Trevor Chubb

Elizabeth Collingsworth

Cate Cox

Emma Garman

Perry Guloien

Grace Huntington

Katherine Jacobe

Christine Ji

Scott Kase

Noah Klein

Anusha Kuppahally

Lesley Lam

Joseph Licitra

Serena Liu

Jennifer Lu

Margaret Maglio

Liam Marshall

Julien Matrullo

Ethan Missner

David Park

Francesca Poupel

Anthony Reznik

Nicholas Rice

Nicholas Sannito

Joseph Santamaria

Benjamin Solomich

Katherine Tavella

Guilia Testa

Changhao Wang

Kullen Yurchak

Accounting Awards

Deloitte Award for Accounting Excellence

Giulia Testa

George Houston Accounting Achievement Award (highest academic achievement in the field of accounting)

Joseph Licitira

Eugenie Ishimwe

Carly Finley

Georgetown University Accounting Society Award for Service and Excellence (excellence in the leadership of and in service to undergraduate accounting students)

Maxwell Godbout

Hoffman-Galasso Family Award (exceptional contributions to the Accounting Department)

Griffin McCombs

Accounting Faculty Award for Academic Excellence

Emma Garman

Finance Awards

Lynn Doran Award for Academic Excellence in Finance

Anthony Reznik

Jon Lynch Award for Achievement in Finance

Emily Chen

Michael and Robin Psaros Award for Excellence in Investments

Jennifer Lu

Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy Engagement Award 

Anthony DeGrado

Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy Award for Excellence in Financial Education

Abraham Mata

Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy Award for Excellence in Finance New Frontiers

Krish Sarawgi

Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy Excellence in Scholarship 

Lesley Lam

Robert and Lauren Steers Award for Excellence in Real Estate Finance

Robert Mongelli

International Business Awards

Interlink Capital Strategies Corporation International Business Scholar Award (outstanding performance in the study of international business)

Arnold Bahati

Ilkka A. Ronkainen Award for International Business and Marketing (high academic achievement in both the marketing and international business fields)

Gigi Fulginiti

International Business Faculty Award for Academic Excellence 

Kaylah Ferrer

Management Awards

Elutions, Inc. Award for Academic Excellence in Leadership and Management Studies

Adora Terezi

NFI Industries Award for Academic Excellence in Management Studies

Ralph Lamberti

William J. Usery Award for Academic Excellence in Negotiation and Mediation

Kathynkah Gontar

William J. Curtin Award for Academic Excellence in Leadership

Trinity Johnson

Swift Glass Company Award for Academic Excellence in Innovation

Chuma Azinge

Ciarrocchi Award for Academic Excellence in Management Studies

Scott Kase

Management Faculty Award for Academic Excellence in Human Capital and Human Resource Management

Graceann Bennett

Marketing Awards

Johny K. Johansson International Marketing Award

Adora Terezi

IMAX Marketing Research Award (excellence in marketing research coursework)

Carly Finley

IMAX Marketing Scholar Award (scholastic achievement in the study of marketing)

Nicholas Rice

Marketing Faculty Award for Academic Excellence

Grace Huntington

Operations and Analytics Awards

Deloitte Award for Operations and Analytics (service and high academic achievement)

Emily Cloonan

PricewaterhouseCoopers Award for Service and Scholarship in Operations and Analytics

Scott Kase

Operations and Analytics Faculty Award for Academic Excellence

Changhao Wang

Faculty Awards 

Faculty Research Award 

Shiliang Cui, Provost’s Distinguished Associate Professor of Operations and Analytics

Joseph F. Lemoine Award for Undergraduate and Graduate Teaching Excellence

Robert Bies, Professor of Management

Dean’s Distinguished Service Award

Pietra Rivoli, Professor of Strategy

Alyssa Lovegrove, Teaching Professor of Strategy, Academic Director of the Georgetown Pivot Program

Peter W. Gonzalez Jr. Award for Excellence in Adjunct Faculty Teaching

Jimmy Lynn, Adjunct Professor  

Academic Council Professor of the Year Student Choice Award

Kirsten Anderson, Teaching Professor of Accounting