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Student Success

Standout senior enters business proposal in three competitions

Austin Hall wearing a brown corduroy jacket, red tie, and flat cap holding a large check for ,500 made out to "Artcelium" as the winner of the 2026 Michigan Collegiate Startup Challenge.
Austin Hall displays the prize winnings for his business proposal at the Michigan Collegiate Startup Challenge on February 27, 2026.

Austin Hall, a senior business administration major from Hillsdale, advanced to the semi-finals of the 2026 Michigan Collegiate Startup Challenge. Hall pitched his business proposal for Artcelium, a platform that promises to help artists manage projects and discover jobs. Hall earned one of three prizes in MCSC’s Elevator Pitch & Showcase Round, winning $1,500 toward implementing his business proposal. He also finished in the top 25% of participants from nearly a dozen universities across Michigan.

Hall’s entry reached the finals of the 2026 Zillion Solutions Competition hosted by the University of Michigan-Flint Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. This accomplishment added another $350 in funding.

Hall’s business proposal also finished in the top 100 entries at the 2026 Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization Global Conference and Pitch Competition in Tampa, Florida. This experiential learning opportunity was made possible by generous supporters of the School of Management Excellence Fund.

UM-Flint SOM’s Inaugural Sales Competition Team Excels at Regional Tournament

Four people standing beside a banner for the SVSU Regional Sales Competition on October 11 and 12, 2024, with sponsor logos including Morley, United Rentals, and others.
Left to right: Lee, Smotherman, Dzhevaga and Warren.

On Oct. 11 and 12, 2024, four UM-Flint School of Management students participated in Saginaw Valley State University’s Regional Sales Competition for the first time as a competitive team. Coached by Daniel Lake, professor of marketing at SOM, all four students, Alaina Smotherman, Audrey Warren, Kateryna Dzhevaga and Ja’Ron Lee, performed exceptionally well.

Smotherman achieved two perfect scores and was a champion in her division, and Warren also took a perfect score and was the champion in her division. Dzhevaga and Lee were both awarded runner-up in their respective divisions. The team will continue to sharpen their skills in preparation for Northwood University’s competition in February 2025.

Contact Daniel Lake at danlake@umich.edu to learn more about joining future sales competitions.

Student Success

Shaunda Richardson-Snell with long wavy blonde hair wearing a black ribbed turtleneck sweater.

Shaunda Richardson-Snell

Mott Community College has named Shaunda Richardson-Snell as its interim president, following the retirement of previous president Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea. Richardson-Snell is currently the principal at Aquila Advisors in Bloomfield Hills and holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan-Flint.

Ronjia Williams wearing a gray plaid suit jacket, white shirt, and patterned tie with a lapel pin.

Ronjia Williams

Ronjia Williams, MBA 2022, was recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business among People on the Move. Mr. Williams accepted the Senior Vice President role of Printwell Acquisitions Company, Inc. His responsibilities include deploying strategies to help achieve financial and operational goals while increasing ROI. His patentable technique is driving collaboration across the organization to identify opportunities and develop scalable solutions.

Lottie Ferguson with long dreadlocks wearing a red leather jacket and black shirt, arms crossed.

Lottie Ferguson

Lottie Ferguson, BBA 2015, was announced as the new Vice President of Development and Donor Services at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint. Ferguson was previously the Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Flint, under Mayor Sheldon Neeley.

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Shelley J. Bausch

GATX Corporation announced the election of Shelley J. Bausch, MBA 1995, to its board of directors. Ms. Bausch will also serve as a member of the board’s Audit and Governance Committees. Ms. Bausch serves as Senior Vice President, Global Industrial Coatings of Axalta Coating Systems Ltd., a leading global manufacturer, marketer and distributor of high-performance coatings systems that serves a variety of industrial end markets. Ms. Bausch led the Asia Pacific region and the Fluid Technologies business unit for Carlisle Companies Incorporated.

Alison Hopkins wearing a blue shirt with white polka dots standing outdoors with a blurred green background.

Alison Hopkins

BBA-Accounting student was awarded a $15,000 scholarship from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

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Dylan Doherty

An MSA student contributed to a research article with Dr. Cathy Miller and was accepted for a presentation at American Accounting Association Annual Meeting in Denver on August 8-10, 2023.

“We love hiring interns and part-time staff from your college. We hired our current VP of HR as a part-time HR employee from a UM-Flint career fair our Credit Union attended. She started as a part-time HR Assistant, finished her degree from UM-Flint and has been promoted since to HR Manager, Director, and now Vice President of HR and Learning and Development. She is amazing! Our Finance Manager also completed her degree from UM-Flint and was originally hired as a PT Teller. Lots of success stories!”

DeAnna Wallace 

SVP People and Retail Delivery for Financial Plus Credit Union

DeAnna Wallace with medium-length wavy hair wearing a blue shirt and a large silver chain necklace, sitting on a beige chair.

SOM alumni recognized in Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce’s “40 under 40”

“Leaders and Best” are more than words from the Michigan fight song – it is a philosophy the University of Michigan-Flint community embodies daily. The university’s commitment to that philosophy is evidenced in the Flint & Genesee Group’s first “40 Under 40” list, which spotlights young professionals leading the way in shaping the future of the Flint area. The list includes six UM-Flint alumni from the School of Management, all under 40 but already making a difference through their work.

2024

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Shelby Garcia

Bachelor of Business Administration

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Dylan Luna

Master of Business Administration

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Olivia Nagel

Bachelor of Business Administration and Marketing

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Allen Williams

A professional headshot of a smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair. She is wearing a light-pink shirt and a black cardigan with a decorative pendant necklace. Behind her is a wood-grained, paneled wall that is grayish brown.

Amanda Hemeyer

Master of Business Administration

2023

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Nicholas Goldsworthy

Bachelor of Business Administration

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Teresa Lindhurst

Bachelor of Business Administration

A professional portrait of a smiling man with a red beard and hair. He is wearing a purple, button-down shirt and a black ring on his left hand. The background is a vertical, woven tapestry that is light red on an off-white wall.

Kellen Riker

Master of Business Administration
2024 Rising Star by Michigan CPA

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Milton Straham III

Master of Business Administration

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Dylan Straka

Master of Business Administration

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Steve Treece

Bachelor of Business Administration

Logo for Beta Alpha Psi with a gold laurel wreath, featuring the text "2025" at the top and "GOLD CHAPTER" at the bottom.

Beta Alpha Psi’s School of Management chapter received Gold Chapter status for 2024 and 2025.

Courtney Nix, one of our MSA students, received a $10,000 scholarship from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in 2023.

SOM Student Achievement Information

View the School of Management’s retention rates, graduation rates, rates of employment post-graduation, and other statistics at Student Achievement Information. View the incoming fall class profiles for: MBA, MS in Accounting, MS in Supply Chain Management and MS in Leadership & Organizational Dynamics.