News Releases 

Having been a first-generation college student, Melissa Larson admits being frustrated by feelings of inadequacy at different times in her life. However, she’s come to understand that there’s not one right path for everyone and that trusting the Lord can help make life enjoyed and not just endured. As a teaching professor of accountancy in the BYU Marriott School of Business, Larson works to inspire confidence in students no matter their goals.

A surfer, a seamstress, and a storyteller. The three Putnam siblings diverge when it comes to their passions and strengths. But their interests align through the Ballard Center for Social Impact at BYU Marriott, where they’ve each found their own way to help businesses do good.

Information systems student Mason Perry was unsure if he should interrupt his graduate studies to complete a study abroad in the Middle East. But he found that following inspiration to defer his plans led to unexpected opportunities.

Five students within the MBA program at the BYU Marriott School of Business received the 2023 Williams Innovative Leadership Award. This award goes to distinguished students who have been nominated by their peers for their demonstration of extraordinary leadership that embodies the values of BYU Marriott. The award winners receive a cash award of $10,000 in recognition of their efforts.

At the corner of Lindsey Street and Elm Avenue in Norman, Oklahoma, sits an institute of religion building. University of Oklahoma undergraduate Travis Ruddle had seen the building often but hardly acknowledged it. In summer 2009, Ruddle diverted from his normal walk across campus and entered the inconspicuous one-story building. Inside, Ruddle found a new life and a new path that would one day lead to teaching in the MPA program at the BYU Marriott School of Business.

While brushing her teeth in the bathroom of the Provo Missionary Training Center, finance student and Brigham Young University track runner Kate Thomas saw a concerning lump on her neck. As Thomas confronted the unexpected cancer diagnosis that soon followed, her mission, career, and life plans were changed forever.

Although millions are spent each year on entrepreneurship training that is intended to help alleviate poverty and elevate the quality of life of entrepreneurs in developing nations, these programs often fail to make an impact. BYU researchers and their colleagues have figured out at least one way to change that.

After spending the majority of his career in corporate accounting, Jonathan Liljegren realized helping students in the classroom elevated his job satisfaction and serves the upcoming generation. As a newly appointed associate teaching professor of accounting, Liljegren shares his passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ and accounting by teaching at the BYU Marriott School of Business.

In a landscape defined by ever-evolving tech—social media, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality—it’s easy for women and men from older generations, frequently unfamiliar with those changes, to feel disconnected. Junior Emily Hooke is determined to change that.

An avid “peak-bagger,” Brett Hathaway spends much of his free time summiting mountains. While his own career path has seemed like a long trail traversing varying professional pursuits, Hathaway—now a new assistant professor of global supply chain in the BYU Marriott School of Business—feels uniquely equipped to provide perspective to students in their own journeys.

For Alayna Grossnickle, Utah’s arid desert climate contrasts the lush landscape of her hometown in Maryland. But over time she has found a family of support in an unexpected place: the Brigham Young University Army ROTC.

From being a 10-year-old who wanted to know anything and everything about dinosaurs, Peter Madsen has always been someone who loves learning. Now, as the recipient of a $2 million grant to research train traffic controllers’ use of algorithms, he shows no sign of slowing down. Even in his role as a professor at the BYU Marriott School of Business, he shares his love of learning with each student who steps foot in his class.

The Romney Institute at the BYU Marriott School of Business annually recognizes an outstanding man or woman who has achieved distinction for management in the public or nonprofit sector. This year’s Administrator of the Year Award was presented to Debby Tucker for her work to end domestic and sexual violence.

More than two decades after he graduated from the BYU Marriott School of Business with an MPA degree, David Tanner still refers back to what he learned at the Romney Institute of Public Service and Ethics. Currently, Tanner consults state leaders, community organizers, and county and city elected officials in his role at the University of Georgia (UGA).

From managing different facets of a family business at a young age to pursuing a finance career after college, Mallory Stack fiercely works to become more versatile in her life perspective and career. A 2018 entrepreneurial management alumna from the BYU Marriott School of Business, Stack continues to gather as many insights from the corporate world as possible.

The BYU Marriott School of Business dean Brigitte C. Madrian has announced Lieutenant Colonel Travis Bailey as the new department chair for the Department of Military Science and head of BYU’s Army ROTC program effective July 17, 2023.

BYU Marriott School of Business dean Brigitte C. Madrian has announced Mike Hendron as the next director of the Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology effective June 17, 2023. He replaces Chris Crittenden who had served as the center’s director since 2021.

BYU Marriott School of Business dean Brigitte C. Madrian has announced the appointment of Ryan Elder as the next chair of the Department of Marketing and Global Supply Chain. Elder took over for the previous department chair, S. Tom Foster, on July 1, 2023.

BYU Marriott School of Business dean Brigitte C. Madrian announced Tom Meservy as the next chair of the Department of Information Systems. Meservy took over the role from the previous department chair, Steve Liddle, on July 1, 2023.

BYU Marriott School of Business dean Brigitte C. Madrian has announced Eva Witesman as the director of the Ballard Center for Social Impact, effective July 1, 2023. She replaces Steven Fox, who had been serving as interim director since May 1, 2023, following the retirement of long-time director Todd Manwaring.