Michigan Tech College of Business Newsblog

Category: Scholarships

College of Business Student Selected as Gates Scholar

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Jaylen Body is no stranger to scholarship applications. The Warren, Michigan, native who attended Chandler Park Academy was a finalist in both the Impact Scholarship and Leading Scholar events on campus earlier this year.

Michigan Tech student Jaylen Body

The two competitive awards served as a warm up for Body who would later learn about the Gates Scholarship from his college counselor.

Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Gates Scholarship is intended for minority and low-income, college-bound students. Body was one of 300 students to earn a full-ride award out of an applicant pool of nearly 35,000 across the nation. The three-phase scholarship process began back in summer 2020, culminating in a five-day virtual conference in spring 2021.

“The Gates Scholarship is a foundation for my future; putting ‘Gates Scholar’ on my résumé makes me stand out as a driven and determined person, and that makes me feel incredibly proud,” Body says. Michigan Tech student Jaylen Body

Jaylen began his college search early. By the 10th grade he was sold on Tech’s business program and already connected to many faculty and staff on campus. “I knew I wanted to go to a college with an atmosphere that was not only academically innovative but also made me feel comfortable for being different.”

Browsing YouTube, he found “Jack’s Vlogs.” The quick-hitting, student-produced videos gave him a preview of Tech’s atmosphere. “Those videos really made me fall in love with campus,” he adds.

For Body, who is pursuing a dual major in accounting and management, his goals on campus go beyond simply earning a degree. “I truly hope to make as many contributions as I can to help foster the growth of Michigan Tech. It’s my second home and I want it to be the best it can possibly be.”

About the College of Business
The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, construction management, economics, engineering management, finance, management, management information systems, and marketing, as well as a general business option. Graduate degrees include the TechMBA®, a Master of Engineering Management, a Master of Science in Accounting, and a Master of Science in Applied Natural Resource Economics.

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Chow Recipient of MIS Alumni Scholarship

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Congratulations to Fiona Chow, recipient of the Management Information Systems (MIS) Alumni Scholarship. The MIS Alumni Scholarship is an endowed scholarship created and funded by College of Business MIS graduates. Selection criteria include being an MIS major (or dual major) with a strong academic standing, a demonstrated commitment to the degree program, and professional communication skills.

“Being honored with this scholarship makes my final semesters at MTU much more meaningful. With the support of this scholarship and our alumni, I feel confident in my ability to fully focus on academics while giving back and making an impact through campus involvement,” Chow says.
Fiona Chow
The fourth-year MIS student, who will graduate in December 2022, is interning this summer as a data engineer with Polaris, Inc. Chow is researching and integrating a new weather data source into the powersports leader’s analytics database and creating an application to better understand supplier capacity information, while learning new programming languages including SQL and R.

Jeff Wall, associate professor of MIS, says that Chow is ambitious, focused, and driven—with a bright future ahead. Her career interests include data analytics, data science, brand management, entrepreneurship, and research and development. She says that she is a curious person who is interested in learning about ways to bring people and solutions together through technology.
Fiona Chow
On-campus, Chow serves as project manager of SENSE Enterprise (Strategic Education Through Naval Systems Experiences). She is responsible for overall Enterprise strategy, leadership, direction, and growth. She is also an Orientation Team Leader, a founding member of the MTU Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) chapter, a College of Business student ambassador, IRHC broomball player, and participant in swing club lessons and Ridge Roamer climbs.

About the College of Business
The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, construction management, economics, engineering management, finance, management, management information systems, and marketing, as well as a general business option. Graduate degrees include the TechMBA®, a Master of Engineering Management, a Master of Science in Accounting, and a Master of Science in Applied Natural Resource Economics.

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Outstanding Man in Business 2020-21

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Fourth-year management information systems (MIS) major Chris Arbuckle is the 2020-21 Outstanding Man in Business.

photo of Chris Arbuckle

The Lake Orion, Michigan, native serves as vice president of the Organization for Information Systems, treasurer of Phi Kappa Tau, vice president of administration for the Interfraternity Council, a member of the Order of Omega Honor Society, and was an Orientation Team Leader. He says that being involved in these campus organizations has given him opportunities to work with others, developing the leadership skills required for the future.

As an MIS student, Arbuckle has applied his classroom knowledge into a company website, consulted for a local business, and created a database for his fraternity to better manage membership information.

One of Arbuckle’s MIS professors, Jeff Wall, had this to say: “Chris is an excellent student and an active participant in the campus community. He demonstrates vision and carefully plans his path toward the future. He’s developing into an amazing leader.”

This summer Arbuckle is interning with 3M in the Transformation, Technologies, and Services program where he’ll be working with cloud computing migration. Upon graduating next spring, he plans to pursue a career in business analytics, using his skills and experiences to find technical solutions for business needs.

Outside of his academic and career experiences, Arbuckle enjoys snowboarding, mountain biking, and being outdoors.

About the College of Business
The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, construction management, economics, engineering management, finance, management, management information systems, and marketing, as well as a general business option. Graduate degrees include the TechMBA®, a Master of  Engineering Management, a Master of Science in Accounting, and a Master of Science in Applied Natural Resource Economics.

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Silver Medal Recipient, Honorary Alum Ross Roeder Remembered

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Ross Roeder, a Michigan Tech Board of Trustees Silver Medal recipient and an Alumni Association Honorary Alumnus, passed away May 11 in St. Petersburg, Florida, after being injured in a car accident. He was 83.

Roeder was a charter member of the McNair Society of planned givers and a past president and life trustee of the Michigan Tech Fund. He served on the National Advisory Board of the School of Business and Economics from 1996 to 2009 and was a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council of the College of Business (COB) for many years.

“We are indebted for Ross’s leadership and service to Michigan Tech,” said Rick Koubek, president. “His passion for Michigan Tech was unrivaled and we are a better institution because of his goodwill.” 

“Ross was a true Husky dedicated to helping ensure that deserving Tech students could afford to attend and had the best education possible to help them be successful in their future lives,” said Gary Anderson ’67, former Michigan Tech Fund board president and life trustee. 

Anderson called Roeder “a great team member and a leader” on the Tech Fund trustee board. “His outgoing positive personality and benevolence rubbed off on all of us, which helped lead us on a very successful fundraising campaign,” he said. “He will be missed by all of us and our sincerest condolences go out to (his wife) Mary Anne and the rest of his family.”

Roeder did attend Michigan Tech — but as his obituary notes, he was not destined to be an engineer. He graduated instead from Michigan State University, and then earned his M.B.A. at UCLA in Los Angeles, where he joined Army ROTC. He served in Army Intelligence and went on to hold executive positions and serve on boards at companies such as Baskin-Robbins, Denny’s and the NBA.

He was also a fervent fan and financial supporter of Michigan Tech’s football program, and was a founding member of Tech’s chapter of Phi Kappa Tau.

“Ross rubbed shoulders with leaders in business, government and sports, yet he was genuinely interested and perceptive to the common person,” said Dean Johnson, dean of the COB.

Although Roeder graduated from larger institutions, he maintained close ties with Michigan Tech throughout his career. And Johnson said the Michigan Tech College of Business held a special place in his heart. “He and Mary Anne quietly supported COB students with scholarships,” he said. “Within the last few months, Ross and Mary Anne actively assisted three COB students seeking employment.”

Roeder also established an endowed scholarship for the College to encourage entrepreneurship and leadership. 

“Ross had all of the traits of a successful leader, but his uncanny perception stood out,” Johnson stated. “Ross could quickly and accurately understand a complex decision facing the College, and then provide sound advice to the COB. I believe his perceptiveness was a key factor in his selection as chairman in many successful firms and organizations, including MTU.”

“After meeting with some COB students, Ross told me that if a special situation arose, say a student struggling to make a tuition payment, to just let him know and he and Mary Anne would take care of it,” he continued. 

“As a role model, Ross demonstrated that hard work can bring massive success — but it doesn’t mean a loss of humility and genuine connection with people to make their lives better.”

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Outstanding Woman in Business 2020-21

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Fourth-year management information systems (MIS) major Macy Pawielski is the 2020-21 Outstanding Women in Business. Originally from Marquette, Michigan, Pawielski says choosing Michigan Tech has been one of the best decisions she’s ever made.
photo of Macy Pawielski
“I’ve not only had amazing career and leadership opportunities, but I’ve made friendships and professional connections—it’s beyond anything I could have imagined for my college career,” she says.

During her time in the College of Business, she restarted the Organization for Information Systems (OIS) Enterprise, providing fellow MIS students with networking opportunities while developing a close-knit community within the major. Today, Pawielski is president of OIS and serves on the Dean’s Student Advisory Council. She is also a member of the Women in Computer Science organization and has been named to the Dean’s List every semester.

Jeff Wall, associate professor of MIS in the Michigan Tech College of Business, says, “Macy is an outstanding student and leader on and off campus. She has demonstrated time and time again that through her passion and dedication she can make things happen. Macy will have a strong career as a leader in industry.”

Pawielski has interned at 3M for two summers—once within the IT optimization team, followed by a role on the enterprise data quality team.

“I’m very proud of all I have accomplished over my years here at Michigan Tech and I’m honored to receive such a prestigious award.”

About the College of Business
The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, construction management, economics, engineering management, finance, management, management information systems, and marketing, as well as a general business option. Graduate degrees include the TechMBA®, a Master of  Engineering Management, a Master of Science in Accounting, and a Master of Science in Applied Natural Resource Economics.

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