Economics student honored with award for commitment to ethics

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Carly Ritterband was named the 2019-2020 recipient of the Virginia Maurer Business Ethics Student of the Year award. She is the fourth recipient of this prestigious award.

The Virginia Maurer Business Ethics Student of the Year award honors students in the Warrington College of Business who have demonstrated a commitment to the role of ethics in business, as evidenced through academic excellence, leadership, personal integrity and civic engagement.

It feels incredible to win this award!” Ritterband said. “It really means that all of my dedication to this team over the last year was worth it and that I led the team successfully. As the captain of the team, there were moments throughout the year when I felt I might not be doing enough for the members and the team (because they were so amazing I wanted to do the absolute best for them). Winning this award tells me that it all was enough and the entire team had a successful year!

“It is also an honor to be presented any award from Dr. Ray. He is the all-around best person that I know, so being recognized by him is always a tremendous honor. His recognition and approval really mean more than the award itself.”

Ritterband will graduate Magna Cum Laude with her BA in economics this spring. She has served as the captain of the Business Ethics Case Competition Team for the past year, is a member of Florida Blue Key and previously served in Student Government as a member of the Student Senate and the Executive Branch in the External Affairs Cabinet. While on the Business Ethics Case Competition Team, she competed at seven different competitions, placing second at the International Business Ethics and Sustainability Case Competition and the Inter-Collegiate Business Case Competition.

“Carly is one of the most talented students I have worked with, both in terms of leadership ability and academic accomplishment,” said Dr. Brian Ray, Director of the Poe Business Ethics Center and Senior Lecturer of Leadership and Ethics. “Warrington’s Ethics Case Competition Team has thrived during Carly’s tenure as captain. No previous ethics case team has ever had more top three finishes. Carly’s tremendous leadership is unquestionably the key component of this year’s unprecedented success. Her legacy of success and high ethical standards will be felt for years to come.”

Ritterband was inspired to study business ethics after taking the Business Ethics course with Dr. Ray her junior year and participating in the Freshman Business Ethics Case Competition.

“I enjoyed the class so much and was so impressed with Dr. Ray that I decided I wanted to stay involved with the program,” she said. “It really was Dr. Ray’s guidance and his incredible class that encouraged me to get more involved.”

She added that she felt it’s important for younger business students to take the Business Ethics course, and that it’s an important topic for students to learn in today’s world.

“The study of business ethics is important to me, but I think it should be more important to everyone,” she said. “I feel that an ethics course should be required of every business student, especially in today’s world. The class may sound like it would teach you how to understand major ethical problems (think Enron), but in reality, it teaches you about day to day things that will come up in any job. From reviewing contracts to proper business dinner etiquette there are so many more things that fall under the ‘business ethics’ topic than people would think.”

Ritterband is proud of all she’s been able to accomplish, and thanks Dr. Ray for helping her along the way.

“I would also like to include a thorough note of gratitude for Dr. Ray,” she said. “He has led me through this year and the team and I would not have been successful without him. His personal guidance and advice have been invaluable to me whether it be concerning the team or my other involvements or my plans for graduate school. I can only hope he continues to answer my calls for years to come!”

Virginia Maurer is the founding director of the Poe Business Ethics Center and served as a Professor of Business Law and Legal Studies. With over 35 years of distinguished research and teaching at the University of Florida, Professor Maurer also served as a visiting faculty member at some of the most prestigious institutions in the world such as Cambridge University, the Helsinki School of Economics and Business, the University of Michigan, and the Institute for Advanced Legal Studies at the University of London.