VCU Business

Student of the Year: Naomi Abiyu

It is easy to see why Naomi was selected for the Student of the Year Award. One of her professors shares “Naomi is a student leader both inside and outside of the classroom”. Naomi has been on the Dean’s List every semester and is the recipient of the Charles G. Thalhimer Family Endowment Fund. She has been part of the VCU Undergraduate SGA since coming to VCU and is now their press secretary. Naomi has a leadership position in SCMT and also works in the Office of Sustainability as a supply chain intern. Upon graduation, Naomi will pursue a career in procurement and sustainability.

Distinguished Service Award: Summer Natour

Summer is an outstanding contributor to the SCMA department. She is the current president of SCMT and was also named the first AWESOME Excellence in Education Scholar. Summer represents SCMA in outreach events including preview and accepted student days, and at BOSS and SOVO fairs. She participated in the national Supply Chain Case Competition and received an honorable mention. Summer has ambitious plans for the future. Besides earning an advanced degree, she wants to pursue a career in sustainability and supply chain/procurement strategy. Summer also plans to write a book on how the connection between sociology and supply chain management can transform our world.

Student of the Year: Mackenzie Williams

Mackenzie is an exceptional student who maintains an extraordinary GPA while also being a member of VCU’s field hockey team.  She was part of the team that won the A-10 Championship in 2020-21.  At VCU, she has achieved academic honors as a School of Business Dean’s Scholar and on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and Dean’s List.  Her academic accomplishments do not stop there, as she has also been recognized as an A-10 All-Academic Team member and an NFHCA Scholar of Distinction, which is awarded to student-athletes with cumulative GPAs of 3.9 or higher. Mackenzie’s future plans are to earn a Master's in Supply Chain Management at VCU.

Distinguished Service Awards: Keara Meeley

Keara is academically talented and also gives back to the school.  She has been on the Dean’s List for seven semesters and received the Arconic Community Scholarship valuing the Field of Engineering, Consumer Packaging, Business and Technology.  Keara has served the SCMA department by helping host events and employer spotlights for members of the Sigma Chi Mu Tau Supply Chain Honors Society as its Program Coordinator.  She completed a logistics internship at J.B. Hunt and is currently an intern in the HR department at IGS. After graduation, Keara plans to continue working in Richmond and looks forward to becoming more involved in the community.

Student of the Year: Kylee Tennis

Kylee Tennis’s passion for analytics and research made her an easy choice for SCMA’s Student of the Year Award. Kylee has an outstanding academic record, with a major GPA of 4.0, and was described by a SCMA professor as “diligent and insightful”. Additionally, for over a year now Kylee has been working as an intern with Ember Labs as a Game Sales Analyst. At this point, she has completed over six comprehensive analytic projects for them. After graduation, she plans to work as a Logistics Analyst in the Washington DC area. Congratulations Kylee!

Distinguished Service Award: Shane Rogers

Congratulations to Shane Rogers, the SCMA Distinguished Service Award winner! Even during a pandemic, Shane has found ways to serve both VCU and the community. In the fall of 2020, he was part of the Supply Chain Analytics Project. Recently Shane co-founded and became the Vice President of the Supply Chain Management and Analytics Honor Society: Sigma Chi Mu Tau.  He also volunteers in the community by teaching Jiu-Jitsu to children. Shane is currently an intern at Century Distribution Systems while maintaining a near-perfect GPA. Upon graduation, Shane plans to work full-time while pursuing a master’s degree in statistics.

Student of the Year: Bentley N. Zabicki

A remarkable student, Bentley has earned distinctions both on and off the field. Bentley has been on the Dean’s List every semester in addition to being a School of Business Dean’s Scholar in 2018 and 2019. A member of VCU’s field hockey team, she has been honored on the A-10 All-Academic Team and is a four-time NFHCA Scholar of Distinction. Bentley serves on the VCU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is a member of the SCMA department’s select A+SCILS group. Upon graduation, she has accepted a position with Altria and will be working within the Customer Supply Chain Group.  

Distinguished Service Award: Daniel J. Filippelli

It is easy to see why the department selected Daniel for the SCMA Distinguished Service Award. Daniel has served the department by volunteering at Open House weekends and speaking at Investor Circle dinners. He also serves as a Campus Ambassador for Altria and works as a tutor in the Campus Learning Center. Daniel has excelled academically as well and has been on the Dean’s List for the past four semesters. Following graduation, Daniel will work at Altria in the Customer Supply Chain Group, where he previously worked as an intern. He also looks forward to his upcoming wedding in September!