News & Stories
In other news: November 2026
Celebrating our October graduates
For Jared Utsey (MBA ’26), his time in the Online MBA Program at UNC Kenan-Flagler changed how he approaches his work.
Jared Utsey (MBA ’26)
“Leadership is mostly about clarity. People do their best work when they know the why,” he shared on LinkedIn. “Your network compounds. Some of the most valuable lessons came from classmates.”
Utsey was among the Master of Accounting (MAC), Online MBA and Executive MBA Program students honored during commencement ceremonies last month.
Thanks to commencement speakers Dr. Lara Zibners (MBA ’23), co-founder of Calla Lily Clinical Care, and Mike Szalkowski (MBA ’15), chief financial officer at The Zalik Family Office, for their inspirational messages to UNC Kenan-Flagler’s newest alumni.
In her remarks, Zibners focused on the one thing no one can ever take away from you: your education.
Thought leaders
- A new forecast from the North Carolina Economic Forecasting Initiative at the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise reveals which counties will see improvement in housing affordability in 2027 as pressures ease a bit across the state.
- Professor Aymeric Bellon received a two-year $70,928 grant from the Russell Sage Foundation for his project “Environmental Cleanup Incentives as Place-Based Redistribution: Evidence from the EPA’s Brownfields Program.”
- Research from Professor John Gallemore will soon be published in the Journal of Accounting Research. His paper, “Unintended Regulatory Spillovers: The Impact of Bank Regulatory Oversight on Environmental Enforcement,” explores whether bank regulatory oversight affects the ability of environmental enforcement to reduce industrial emissions.
- The Luther Hodges Scholars Program, part of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. It enters its second decade aiming to influence the kind of leaders that business schools produce.
- Professor Vrinda Mittal shared her research, “Organization of Human Capital in Corporate Lending,” at the Tilburg School of Economics and Management’s weekly finance seminar. She examines how private credit firms have attracted credit professionals from banks over the past decade.
Alumni awards
UNC Kenan-Flagler honored five alumni at its annual Alumni Awards ceremony. The awards recognize members of the UNC Kenan-Flagler community who exemplify the School’s core values of integrity, inclusion, innovation and impact.
Jeremiah E. DeNonno (MBA ’14) received the Dwight W. Anderson Young Alumni Award. He is a senior executive with nearly 25 years of experience across the financial services industry.
Amy Farel Merrill (BSBA ’94) and Craig M. Wardlaw (BSBA ’66), both banking industry veterans, received Merit Awards.
Richard E “Ritch” Allison Jr. (BSBA ’89, MBA ’95), retired CEO of Domino’s Pizza, received the Global Leadership Award.
John L. Townsend III (BA ’77, MBA ’82), a veteran financier with over 30 years in investment management and banking, received the Leadership Award.
Standout students and alumni
- Bennett Cole (BSBA ’88) returned to UNC-Chapel Hill to work with Innovate Carolina as senior advisor to the vice chancellor and executive director of industry partnerships.
- Jared Arrowood (MAC ’11) was named chief accounting officer at Hayward Holdings.
- Matthew Lesesky (BS ’98, MBA ’03) was appointed global head of private equity at Miras Investments.
- For the seventh consecutive year, Jude Ocampo (MBA ’12) was named one of the top 100 lawyers in the Philippines by Asia Business Law Journal.
- Emily Sokal (MBA ’17) was featured as one of Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 honorees for her work as a senior brand manager at Dr Pepper. She sets brand strategy, writes creative briefs and manages agency partners to deliver campaigns including the viral ad with creator Romeo Bingham.
- Arman Samani (MBA ’10) joined Azalea Health as its new CEO.
- Dr. Abhi Mehrotra (MBA ’15), executive vice chair of the UNC Department of Emergency Medicine, was named chair of the board of directors of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
- Meghan Huffman (MBA ’18) was included among this year’s Charlotte Business Journal Power 100: Visionaries.
The Landing
UNC Kenan-Flagler’s new basic needs resource center, The Landing, officially opened on Nov. 11.
The center includes a food pantry that is part of the Carolina Pantry Network, a free used-book library, information about campus resource offices, the School’s lost and found, and a professional clothing closet. The Landing is open to all community members with an active UNC PID.
The Landing is located in Bell Hall 1022, near the front doors that open to Blythe Drive. It is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Spotted on social
- Patricia Collins, associate director of MBA global programs at UNC Kenan-Flagler, represented the Business School during the Partnership in International Management conference in Asia.
Natalie Gramins (BSBA ’01) with students at the Future Business Admits Program networking night.
- Natalie Gramins (BSBA ’01) spoke at UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Future Business Admits Program networking night. “Helping the next class take their first steps is a privilege, and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish,” she shared on LinkedIn.
- Faculty from the Management and Corporate Communication area attended the annual Association for Business Communication conference, where they led discussions and workshops on their research and best teaching practices.