Nearly 800 Poole College graduates honored at Commencement Ceremonies on May 9

Nearly 800 Poole College graduates were honored at the college’s and NC State University commencement ceremonies held on Saturday, May 9, 2015, the PNC Arena in Raleigh. Three of those received doctoral degrees in economics; 227 received master’s degrees and 564 received bachelor’s degrees. Informal commencement and pre-commencement reception photos taken by Poole College Communications are available on the college’s Flickr site. Contact Photo Specialties for professional photos taken of individual graduates with their diplomas. 

The college’s commencement ceremony, which followed the university ceremony, began with the college’s student commencement address. It was presented this spring by Devan Riley, who graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a concentration in financial analysis. He was on the dean’s list each semester and was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society this year. Read more about Riley and his presentation. 

Board of Advisors Award Recipient

Each year, the college’s Board of Advisors selects one student from among those nominated by the Poole College faculty to receive the college’s Board of Advisor student award. Criteria for this award include demonstrated leadership and engagement, and participation in personal and professional growth experiences here at NC State. Thirty students were nominated for the award this spring and the winner was selected from among the 23 finalists.

The 2015 Board of Advisors Outstanding Student Award recipient is Elisha Kumari Hande. In introducing her, Shannon Davis, associate dean for undergraduate programs, said that Hande “enthusiastically embraced “The Three I’s” during her time in the Poole College.” The “Three I’s” stand for involvement, international and internship – three areas in which Poole College students are encouraged to participate.

Hande was an active leader in several student organizations. She also studied abroad in Vienna, Austria, and she completed two internships. Hande came to NC State from Cheltenham, England, and has also been a member of NC State’s Women’s Tennis Team. She was named NC State Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2015.

Presenting the award was Billy Troxler, president and chief executive officer of Troxler Electronic Laboratories, Inc., an RTP-based company dedicated to developing, manufacturing, and servicing precision quality control and measurement equipment. Troxler is very active within the NC State community and currently serves on the NC State University Foundation Board, NC State Investment Fund Member’s Board, and is chair of the Poole College of Management Board of Advisors.Following is the list of all nominees for the Board of Advisors award.

Outstanding Student Award 2015 finalists

• Wing Yin Beaver
• Christopher Michael Befus
• Cameron Daniel Brown
• Jacob Donald Christiansen
• Sydni Leigh Collins
• Avimilex Margarita Gomez
• Elisha Kumari Hande
• Logan N. Hurley
• Kellie Eileen Janes
• Bryce Marcus Jordan
• Margaret Grace Kenney
• Kenneth James Maloney
• Jonathan L. Ocker
• Jordan Maryanna Overton
• Myah N. Perry
• Devan Ferrell Riley
• Aaron Shaw
• Kyle Lewis Sheats
• Meredith Kelley Solomon
• Qianxiang Tang
• Taylor Morgan Tharrington
• Morgan Haley Thomas
• Richard Eugene Wolfe