Graduating Seniors Honor Smith Undergraduate Faculty

During the past year, the Dean’s Student Advisory Council (DSAC) collected nominations from graduating seniors at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business for the 2017’s Faculty Member of Distinction Award.

Victor Mullins, associate dean of undergraduate studies, attended the 17th Annual Undergraduate Senior Awards Dinner on May 4, saying, “I am elated to acknowledge these exceptional undergraduate professors on behalf of the Senior Class of 2017.”

Julie Pavlovsky was honored with the distinguished faculty award for 2017.

“Professor Pavlovsky is fun, exciting and even made insurance interesting!” a student said. “I can't talk enough about how insightful her class was and how relevant it was to the real world.”

Another student said, “She taught me more about finance than any other class I've taken. She made me want to pay attention and love finance.”

Pavlovsky was cheered for understanding that what happens in the classroom must apply to how the real world operates. “She goes out of her way to give students advice and help them make decisions along their path. I could not have received the interviews, internships, and my post-grad job without her help.”

Pavlovsky received an MBA from the Smith School and a BA in Government & Politics from UMD. She worked for more than 10 years in investment banking and equity research on Wall Street. Her areas of expertise included healthcare, mergers and acquisitions, public equity offerings, and private placements for institutional investors and company management teams in a variety of sectors. She now serves as a lecturer with the Department of Finance and as faculty champion for the Wall Street Fellows program.

Mullins says Pavlovsky “represents the best of our Smith faculty.”

Hassan Ibrahim, who has attended every undergraduate awards ceremony since it began 17 years ago,  won the outstanding faculty award.

Students said Ibrahim “refers to himself as our coach rather than our professor (and) he works with his students to ensure we fully understand every aspect of the class and guides us through our projects.”

They said he is “very supportive,” “super patient” and “willing to take time to talk and work through projects.”

In Ibrahim’s 19 years at Smith, he has been a three-time recipient of the Philip Merrill Award and a two-time recipient of the prestigious Allen J. Krowe Teaching Excellence Award.

Ibrahim, who teaches Project Management and Information Systems Development, has had research published by Harvard Business School, among many others.

He received his Doctor of Science and taught at George Washington University. While teaching at George Mason and Marymount universities, he was nominated for the Outstanding Scholar of the Year Award in the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1996. He has worked for and consulted with a number of industry leaders including the World Bank, McDonnell Douglas, Phillips Electronics, among many others.

“We are very pleased to recognize him,” Mullins said.

William McClenahan Jr. received the Outstanding Faculty Award.

Students said he champions academics.

“He makes you think critically about problems and encourages in-class discussion that requires you to actually do the readings,” one student said.

“He is an amazing teacher who really knows his material and teaches it well,” another said. “It gave me a great insight into how the law works.”

Another student said, “His experience and passion for [business law] is evident in his class.”

McClenahan has been a Senior Lecturer teaching business law, business ethics and business management to undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Logistics, Business and Public Policy since 1998.  He also has taught Business History to UMD students in the Department of History.  

McClenahan earned his Ph.D. in History from George Washington University, where he also taught, and earned his law degree and his undergraduate degree from the University of Louisville. He has been a practicing attorney with the Interstate Commerce Commission, has written and published several books and articles in scholarly journals, has served as an expert witness for several federal government agencies in numerous superfund lawsuits, and continues to be involved in many history projects for law firms, pharmaceutical, consumer products firms, to name a few.  

“We are very fortunate to have him share his many areas of expertise here at Smith,” Mullins said.

Mullins also took a moment at the event to recognize professor Pat Cleveland for all of the students whose lives she has positively affected. Cleveland founded the Senior Awards Ceremony 17 years ago.

“We are truly grateful for your commitment to students, and words cannot express how appreciative I am of the legacy you left behind,” Mullins said.

The Dean’s Student Advisory Council (DSAC) serves as the voice of Smith to help ensure that there is a constant enhancement of programs, classes and procedures so that Smith stays a world-class program, recognized by our peers and top companies. DSAC is comprised of 16 undergraduate students who continually meet with Smith faculty, advisory boards, students, and leaders to elicit ideas and to facilitate the implementation of meaningful, productive changes. All students who have taken on the role of being a DSAC member have done so because of their commitment to work behind the scenes to do their part to ensure that Smith is as great as they know it can be.

Council Members for 2016-17 are: Cece Ukejianya, Jordan Arndt, Gopal Srinivasan, Allison Leap, Bobby Crumbaugh, Kelly Cosgriff, Jessica Lewis, Nicole Lopez, Lina Bauer, Mimi Verdonk, Ben Hawtof, and Aaron Yang.