LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business and Management will announce the winners of the 9th Annual George Awards, which honor some of the finest members and partners of the Graziadio community.
The George Awards—named after Graziadio School of Business and Management benefactor and Imperial Bancorp founder George L. Graziadio Jr.—recognizes students, alumni, faculty and corporate partners who exemplify integrity, stewardship, courage and compassion while enriching the business world through their superior skills and entrepreneurial spirit.
“We are proud to showcase these individuals and their contributions to our community and society-at-large,” says Keith Hinkle, senior vice president for advancement and public affairs and chief development officer, Pepperdine University. “George Graziadio’s generosity and legacy live on through these awards, which are given to leaders who inspire us and demonstrate the best of the Pepperdine spirit.”
This year’s student recipients are Anne Guillebeaux, Tamarra Allen, Jen Oh, Maegan Scott, Shea O'Reilly and Michelle Konstantarakis. Student award recipients must have maintained a minimum 3.5 GPA, completed at least two trimesters, and be outstanding leaders in the classroom.
Alumni Elizabeth Vilardo, M.D. (PKE ’99) and Darren Pitts (MBA ’95) will receive the Waves of Service and Alumni Service awards, respectively. Dr. Vilardo serves as CEO of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and has been named a “Top Doc” four times by San Francisco Magazine. Mr. Pitts is Executive Vice President at Velocity Retail Group and serves on the Pepperdine Alumni Leadership Council.
Nelson F. Granados, PhD, academic co-director of the Institute of Media, Entertainment, and Culture and assistant professor of information systems, will be honored with the Faculty Member Award. Dr. Granados’ research has appeared in top information systems journals such as MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, Management Science, and the Journal of Management Information Systems. He is the recipient of multiple awards and recognitions and is the author of more than 80 articles, serving as a regular contributor to Forbes, where his work has been selected as an “Editor’s Pick.”
IBM will receive the 2017 Corporate George Award in recognition of the company’s four-year recruitment partnership with the Graziadio School and ongoing focus on leadership and service. Adam Buffum (MBA ’13), sales leader at IBM, has worked to strengthen the company’s recruiting relationship with the Graziadio School and will accept the award on IBM’s behalf.
George Award recipients will be honored during a ceremony at Casa del Mar in Santa Monica and will receive their awards from George Graziadio’s granddaughter, Lisa Kerscher, and daughter, Alida Calvillo.
About Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business and Management
A leader in cultivating entrepreneurship and digital innovation, the Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business and Management focuses on the real-world application of MBA-level business concepts. The Graziadio School provides student-focused, globally-oriented education through part-time, full-time, and executive MBA programs at our five Southern California locations, Silicon Valley and Santa Barbara campuses, as well as through online and hybrid formats. In addition, the Graziadio School offers a variety of master of science programs, a bachelor of science in management degree-completion program, and the Presidents and Key Executives MBA, as well as executive education certificate programs. Follow the Graziadio School on Facebook, on Twitter at @GraziadioSchool, Instagram and LinkedIn.
