Scrolling through memory lane: A year in review at UF Warrington

On and off campus, Business Gators made the year memorable through victories at case competitions, exploring new programs, recognition for outstanding research and more.

Heavener students rang in the new year by winning back-to-back case competitions in Mexico and Canada, representing Warrington ahead of 25+ international competitors.

In February, the Gators football team traveled to Miami to investigate career opportunities with the Bergstrom Real Estate Center.

Twenty-four universities participated in a stock pitch competition, networking and sessions with industry-leading panelists at Warrington’s inaugural Florida Investment Conference, hosted by students in conjunction with the Gator Student Investment Fund and the Finance Professional Development program.

Emmy-winning journalist Jess Jiang was the inaugural Business Journalist in Residence at the University of Florida. At a panel with Jim Hoover, director of Warrington’s Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Center, Jiang spoke about the impact of AI from her experience as Planet Money’s podcast editor.

Kelley A. Bergstrom Real Estate Center Chairman Eddy Benoit, Jr., attended this year’s Real Estate Trends & Strategies Conference with his daughter, Emme Benoit (MSRE ’24). Steven DeRose (BA ’03) served as chair of the event, where he was honored as the Bergstrom Real Estate Center’s Alumnus of the Year.

Aarsh Chokshi (BSBA ’24) and Sophia Castellanos (BSBA ’24) (right) are the latest students to be inducted into the Heavener Hall of Fame; Katherine Gaucher (BSBA ’23, MIB ’24), Anna Haydostian (BSBA ’24) and Kyla Martin (BSBA ’24) (left) were given the Distinction in Leadership and Service Award at this year’s Heavener Gator Globes Award Banquet.

Hallie Neal (MAcc ’24) was honored as the Chrislynn Freed Master of Accounting Outstanding Student of the Year at the Fisher School of Accounting Spring Banquet, where dozens of students and faculty received distinguished awards and scholarships.

Business Gators gained real-world experience strategizing equity investment through the Caimanes Student-Managed Equity Hedge Fund, from which a portion of earnings support scholarships for first-generation UF students.

Graduating candidates from the Doctor of Business Administration program, which celebrated 10 years of impact this year, were celebrated at their Spring, Summer and Fall commencement ceremonies.

KPMG is one of Warrington’s many corporate partners, attending 40+ recruitment events each year to bring more Business Gators to their team.

Heinz recruiters engaged with students in Hough Hall to give them a taste of condiments and corporate opportunities.

Bank of America representatives appeared with 75 other employers at this year’s CareerExpo, where students can initiate relationships with future employers.

MBA students travelled to Norway and Brazil to immerse themselves in new cultural and business environments and gain international consulting experience.

MBA students also travelled to New York City on Warrington’s first-ever Domestic Immersion Experience, where they met Business Gator alumni, toured businesses and expanded their professional network.

Meanwhile, Warrington’s wildlife received a discounted rate on all outdoor classes!

Accounting isn’t a game, but learning it can be – that’s the philosophy of Deloitte Foundation Term Associate Professor Paul Madsen, who takes an atypical approach to make introductory accounting memorable.

John B Higdon Eminent Scholar and Chair Kenny Cheng was named an INFORMS’ Information Systems Society Distinguished Fellow, identifying him as one of the world’s most outstanding contributors to information systems research; earlier this year, he and Assistant Professor Jingchuan Pu were awarded the Antitrust Writing Award, considered the “Emmy” of information systems academia.

Seventeen new faculty members joined the Swamp this year, eager to make an impact in the lives of Business Gators.