Class of 2017 Announce Class Gifts, Faculty Marshals and Spring Awards

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business Class of 2017 announced their class speakers and faculty marshals for graduation weekend 19–21 May.

The Class elected as their faculty marshals:

• Marketing Professor

  Luca Cian

• Quantitative Analysis Professor

  Yael Grushka-Cockayne

On Sunday, 21 May, the faculty marshals will lead graduates in their procession down UVA’s historic Lawn during Final Exercises, which begin at 9 a.m., followed by the Darden graduation ceremony at 1:15 p.m. in Flagler Court on the Darden School Grounds.

The class speakers, each of whom are selected by members of each format, are:

• Full-time MBA: Yousaf Sajid

• Executive MBA: Chris Haugen

• Global Executive MBA: Aaron Flynn

The Class of 2017 also announced strong participation in class gift campaigns, giving to the School at a rate of 96 percent across all three MBA formats.

Full-time MBA students participated at a rate of 95 percent and raised $133,472. The Executive MBA class participated at 98 percent and raised $53,842. The Global Executive MBA students participated at 100 percent and raised $17,825.

In total, the three classes raised $205,139 for the Darden Annual Fund.

Students and faculty members also received a series of end-of-year awards.

• The Theo Herbert International Award: Luda Cheng

• The 2016-17 Club Prize for Excellence: Marketing Club

• The 2016-17 Outstanding Faculty Award: Professor

  Yiorgos Allayannis

• The 2016-17 Faculty Diversity Award: Professor

  Lalin Anik

• The Spring 2017 Kitty Smiley Friend of the Student Award: Puneet Sharma

• EMBA Friend of the Student: Professor

  Bob Conroy

• EMBA Transformational Faculty Member:

  Jim Freeland