Points of Pride
US News and World Report 2025 rankings for Carson College programs include No. 21 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Business, No. 26 Best Online MBA Programs for Veterans, and No. 33 Best Online MBA Programs.
CEO Magazine ranked the Carson College of Business online MBA and executive MBA programs as No. 27 out of 83 and No. 27 out of 60 in its 2025 rankings of global recognition. The online MBA moved up in the rankings from No. 38 in 2024.
Two Carson College students earned the highly competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. Gilman awards are for undergraduate study abroad and made to students receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at two- or four-year colleges or universities.
Meredith Sanders, a senior majoring in international business with a minor in marketing, is researching sustainability at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland this spring.
Faith Carr, a freshman majoring in marketing with a minor in interior design, will study in France this summer via the Voiland School of Design and Construction’s interior design faculty-led study abroad program.
MBA student and US Air Force Second Lieutenant Angelina Fletcher was recognized by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General David W. Allvin, for her outstanding performance while stationed in Japan.
Katrina Mendez worked in business assurance and finance at Central Plateau Cleanup Company, Asereth Madrigal worked in a documents and configuration management group for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Silvia Gomez-Hernandez interned with Washington River Protection Solutions as a procurement support analyst. All these internships are considered tryouts for full-time positions upon graduation.
Gary Anderson (’88 Mktg.) was appointed to the board of directors at Regency Centers Corporation, a real estate investment trust in Jacksonville, Florida. In June, Anderson retired from Prologis as chief operating officer, where he held leadership positions including CEO.
Bryan Brooks (’16 MBA) is vice president of student affairs, enrollment management, and strategic communications at Florida Polytechnic University. Previously, Brooks was vice president for communications and community engagement at Northwest Florida State College.
David Delafield (’01 Busi. Admin., ’02 MBA) is chief financial officer of Perkins Coie, a global law firm headquartered in Seattle. Previously, Delafield was CFO at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP and Providence Health & Services. He also worked at Deloitte and Microsoft in consulting and corporate accounting roles.
Terry Kelly (’80 Accounting) was inducted to the Hooptown USA Hall of Fame. Kelly was a founding board member of Hoopfest, the largest outdoor basketball tournament in the world, with 425 courts spanning 45 city blocks in Spokane every year. Kelly led the state in scoring average for all classifications his senior year of high school in 1976. He started more than 80 straight games for WSU’s basketball team, culminating in a NCAA tournament appearance in 1980 under coach George Raveling.
Kelly practiced law for more than 36 years and now serves as part of WSU Foundation’s advancement leadership team, as its general counsel and assistant secretary to the board.
Taylor Lange (’17 Mktg.) began a new position as a business development leader-North American strategic partnerships at Amazon within the fashion and fitness space. She is based in New York and formerly spent six years leading Amazon’s vendor services team for baby products.
David Marek (’87 Busi. Admin.) is CEO of ReAlta Life Sciences, a Virginia biotech company focusing on acute inflammatory and rare diseases. Marek was formerly CEO and a member of the board of directors for biopharmaceutical company Myovant Services, and held roles at WebMD Health, Saatchi & Saatchi Healthcare Advertising, Eli Lilly and Co., and AstraZeneca.
Oliver Meinzer (’99 H&RA, ’03 MBA) started a new position as vice president of global operations, rooms, and guest experience innovation and fulfillment at Marriott International. In his new role, he oversees the development and activation of innovative products and services to enhance hotel operations and guest experience. He utilizes cutting-edge digital solutions to drive brand loyalty and align program deployment across continents. Meinzer was previously vice president of global operations, digital, and mobile guest services and has held other leadership positions within the company. He is chair of the Carson College School of Hospitality Business Management Advisory Board.
Connor North (’24 Accounting, Entrep.) started a new career as a patient support specialist at Solventum, a health care solutions company. He works with case managers, nurses, and materials personnel to ensure they have the processes in place to efficiently send patients home on negative pressure wound therapy devices.
Assaf Onn (’97 H&RA) is CEO of Anaergia, a global renewable fuels company. Onn has been chief operating officer of Marny Investissement since 2008 and has more than two decades of experience in managing large operations throughout central and eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Dan Peterson (’89 H&RA) is senior vice president of operations at national hotel management company Avion Hospitality. Peterson was executive vice president of operations with CSM Corporation in Minneapolis and has more than 25 years of experience in hospitality operations, including with Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt.
Patrick Schiess (MBA ’24) was recently hired as senior director of information technology at InSpectre Solutions. Patrick is a former officer and 12-year veteran of the US Air Force.
Hospitality Professor Christina Chi recently received the University of Delaware Michael D. Olsen Research Achievement Award recognizing scholars who have made significant research contributions to the body of knowledge in the hospitality and tourism industries and who are known for their commitment to graduate education.
Jenny Kim, W. Terry Umbreit Distinguished Professor and PhD program coordinator with the School of Hospitality Business Management, was the keynote speaker at China’s Annual National Conference of the Industry-Education Integrative Community for the Modern Lodging Industry. The annual meeting was held in Qingdao, Shandong, China, in December 2024. Kim delivered a speech on the impact of emerging AI and technology on hospitality workforce and businesses.
Paul Warner, executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship in the Carson College of Business, recently judged an entrepreneurial competition at CamEd Business School, a private business school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Warner and International Business Institute Director Jeff Joireman have been exploring ways to build international partnerships that align with CCB’s mission.
Finance and Management Science Department Chair David Whidbee has agreed to extend his appointment as senior associate dean for faculty affairs and research, effective August 16. He began serving in this role in 2023 under Debbie Compeau’s interim deanship prior to her dean appointment in 2024. Whidbee has continued to lead the department, ensuring stability and continuity within the unit while also playing a vital leadership role in the college’s recent AACSB accreditation process and other college-wide initiatives.
“Dr. Whidbee’s deep understanding of our college, combined with his thoughtful approach to decision-making, makes him an exceptional choice for this role,” Compeau says.