Fogelman College of Business and Economics
Past Stellar Student Spotlights - Summer 2025
Summer 2025 Student Spotlights
Favour O.
July 11, 2025
Let’s give a shoutout to Favour O. (PhD, Business Administration – Economics ‘26). Favour is a 4th-year doctoral student and President of the African Student Association (ASA), an active student organization on campus known for hosting events like African Week and A Night in Africa: Faux Wedding during the ‘24-25 school year.
Favour has received several awards including the FCBE Outstanding Economics Graduate Student Award, Barbara Tuckman Memorial Fellowship Scholarship, UofM Division of International Affairs leadership award and was featured in the GSA Spotlights. Other honors include the 2023 Campus Community Excellence Award, Program Track Outstanding Student Award and GSA 20 under 35 Award.
Favour was also named a 2025 ASHEcon Diversity Scholar and was selected to present at national conferences like the NBER Mentoring Program on Aging and Health Economics Research and the NBER Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Conference. Favour received full funding to present research at the 2025 AEA meetings, the 99th WEAI Conference, the SEA graduate student sessions as Memphis rep and the 86th ASBS Conference.
Outside academics, Favour enjoys music, going out with friends, meeting new people, trying spicy food and watching movies.
Tiara Dean
July 3, 2025
Say hello to Tiara Dean, a dynamic junior at the University of Memphis who’s turning passion into purpose as she pursues a degree in Marketing Management. With her sights set on graduating in May 2026, Tiara is already making a name for herself through leadership roles, academic excellence and her entrepreneurial endeavors.
An honors student and proud ambassador for the Fogelman Student Delegate Board, she’s a recurring Dean’s List recipient and an active participant in the CPCD Professional Development Program.
Beyond the classroom, Tiara is the founder and CEO of Dawn of Day Cookies and Desserts, a growing baking business that specializes in cookies and offers a variety of treats—from cakes and pies to gluten-free and vegan options.
Her talents don’t stop there—Tiara also sings, plays piano, writes, takes photos and loves to workout. As a self-proclaimed foodie, she enjoys discovering new restaurants around Memphis with friends.
We’re thrilled to spotlight Tiara’s inspiring journey and the many ways she’s lighting up Fogelman!
Preet Shaw
June 24, 2025
Meet Preet Shah, a standout graduate student in Management Information Systems whose journey through Fogelman has been defined by leadership, global perspective and a passion for both professional and personal growth. Set to graduate in December 2025, Preet exemplifies what it means to be a well-rounded and driven business student.
She currently serves as Vice President of Communication for the Student Delegate Board and President of the International Students Association. She is also a a MILE Program Scholar and participated in the Lowe’s Leadership Experience this past spring.
Preet has gained valuable real-world experience through internships at Hilton (Shared Services Strategy and Global PMO) and AutoZone (Finance) and she is gearing up for her next opportunity with the Revenue Science Team at FedEx.
Outside the classroom, she enjoys photography, pickleball, mentoring international students, traveling and discovering local coffee shops around Memphis. After completing her undergraduate degree in Business Information and Technology in Summer 2024, Preet is now embracing new challenges in grad school. She shares: “I’m very grateful for all the five years Fogelman has given me.”
We’re proud to highlight Preet’s incredible journey.
Adriana Martinez
June 20, 2025
Let’s give a round of applause to Adriana Martinez, a Business Economics major and Spanish minor on track to graduate in Spring 2026. Adriana is a proud member of the Honors College and has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout her academic journey.
Her dedication and excellence have earned her both the Outstanding Economics Undergraduate Student Award and the Dean’s Award for Most Outstanding Student – two incredible honors that speak to her hard work and passion for learning.
In her free time, Adriana enjoys reading across a wide range of genres and scrapbooking to capture cherished moments with family and friends.
Way to go, Adriana!
Sai Dheeraj Vodela
June 13, 2025
Let’s celebrate Sai Dheeraj Vodela, who graduated this past spring. Sai, a MIS major, maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout his academic journey and is passionate about both technology and creative expression.
He has worked as a Technical Assistant at the ITS Service Desk and participated in the 2024 AMIS Cybersecurity Competition, showcasing his dedication to hands-on learning and innovation.
Sai interned under Professor Pavankumar Mulgund on a research project titled “Enhancing Compliance Training with LLM-Powered Conversational Agents,” where he developed an AI-powered FERPA training platform using React JS and prompt engineering. His work has led to the submission of a conference paper for the upcoming 2025 International Conference on Information Systems.
In his free time, Sai enjoys mobile photography, capturing creative moments in everyday life and streaming films from around the world to explore diverse stories and cultures.
Keep aiming high, Sai your future in tech looks bright!
Madison Huntley
June 3, 2025
Let’s shine a light on Madison Huntley a marketing major, Dean’s List member, Presidential Scholarship holder and recipient of the FCBE Academic Excellence in Marketing Award. She is on track to graduate in May 2026.
She was a sports marketing intern for the University of Memphis Athletic Department during her freshman year. Professionally, she has worked as a manager at the busiest movie theater in Memphis. She is a data analyst and an intern at the Keith S. Collins Company.
In her free time, she enjoys walking her dog and watching movies.