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NICOLE PELLEGRINO: Friends and family members, the academic procession has arrived. Leading the graduate procession is the winner of the MBA core faculty teaching award, professor Risa Misch, followed by our PhD candidates, followed by the MBA class of 2024, class speaker and class representatives.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[CHEERING]
Please rise. Now arriving is the MBA class of 2024.
[CHEERING]
Please join me in congratulating and welcoming the MBA class of 2024.
[CHEERING]
Congratulations to the class of 2024.
[CHEERING]
Congratulations to the class of 2024.
[CHEERING]
Congratulations to the class of 2024.
[CHEERING]
Congratulations to the class of 2024.
[CHEERING]
Now arriving is the Johnson Cornell Tech MBA class of 2024.
[CHEERING]
A final congratulations to the class of 2024.
[CHEERING]
Please rise or remain standing and welcome the Johnson Faculty, lead by the SC Johnson College of Business Dean of faculty, Suzanne Shu, and senior director of programs, Professor Glen Dowell.
[APPLAUSE]
Good afternoon. My name is Nicole Pellegrino and I am the Executive Director of MBA Programs at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management. And it is my distinct honor and pleasure to welcome you today to the Johnson Graduate recognition ceremony in honor of the class of 2024.
[CHEERING]
We will begin this afternoon with a little music from Cornell's a cappella singing group. Please join me in welcoming The Hangovers.
[APPLAUSE]
[A CAPPELLA SINGING]
- (SINGING) Give my regards to Davy, remember me to TV Crane. Tell all the pikers on the hill that I'll be back again. Tell them just how I busted, lapping up the high highball. We'll all have drinks at Theodore Zinck's when I get back next fall.
Give my regards to Davy. Remember me to TV crane. Tell all the pikers on the hill that I'll be back again. I'll be back. And tell them just how I am still lapping up the high, high hall. We'll all have drinks at Theodore Zinck's when I get back next fall. I back next fall.
[APPLAUSE]
[A CAPPELLA SINGING]
- (SINGING) I said, your love is lifting me higher than I've ever been lifted before. So keep it up and quench my desire and I'll be at your side forevermore. That's why your love keeps on lifting me. Keeps on lifting me. Lifting me higher and higher and higher. Your love keep on lifting me higher than higher, high.
Well, once I was downhearted. Disappointment was my closest friend. We are. We are. But then you came and it soon departed. And he never, ever showed his face again.
I said, your love keeps on lifting me. Keeps on lifting me. Lifting me higher and higher and higher. Your love keep on lifting me higher than higher, higher. Ba dow, ba dow, ba dow, ba dow. Oh, I'm so glad.
[LAUGHTER]
[INAUDIBLE]
So when I wrap my loving arms around you, I can stand up and face the world. And so your love is lifting me, is lifting me, lifting me higher and higher and higher. Your love keep on. Is lifting me. Keeps on lifting me. Lifting me higher and higher. Higher. Keeps on lifting, lifting me so high.
[CHEERING]
NICOLE PELLEGRINO: Thank you to The Hangovers.
[APPLAUSE]
As we begin the next portion of our program, I would like to take a moment to introduce some of the people on the stage who will be assisting with today's ceremony. To my right, in addition to Dean Shu and Professor Glen Dowell, who led the faculty in this afternoon, are Dean Andrew Karolyi, Dean of the SC Johnson College of Business--
[APPLAUSE]
--Professor Vrinda Kadiyali, who will assist in hooding our PhD students--
[APPLAUSE]
--And Professor Barbara Mink, who has the daunting and inevitable task of reading the graduates names today.
[APPLAUSE]
It is now my pleasure to introduce Dean Vishal Gaur, the 13th Dean of the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management. An award winning teacher and researcher at Johnson since 2007, Dean Gaur assumed Johnson's deanship in 2023. Please join me in welcoming Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean, Vishal Gaur.
[APPLAUSE]
VISHAL GAUR: Thank you, Nicole. Members of the class of 2024, families, and friends, on behalf of the Johnson faculty, I am honored to welcome you to the graduation recognition ceremonies for the 77th graduating class of the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.
[APPLAUSE]
This weekend, we come together to celebrate the accomplishments of 12 PhD candidates, 88 candidates from the Johnson Cornell Tech MBA program, and 289 candidates from our two year MBA program. 28 of you are completing two degrees, an MBA and another Cornell degree such as engineering, law, health administration, public administration, or ILR.
Today, we celebrate your achievements and all that it took to get us here. We celebrate you. But few of us have arrived here without help from others. So candidates, let's show appreciation for those who have provided support along the path to this achievement, families and friends who supported us in so many ways. We thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
I would also like to highlight my faculty and staff colleagues who are here with us today, including Glen Dowell, the Senior Director of MBA Programs, and our esteemed faculty who are not only dedicated to your success, demonstrating this every day both inside and outside the classroom, but are also world renowned for their scholarship in business disciplines and for the impact of their work.
Our staff, likewise, have supported you throughout your journey at Johnson, including admissions, registration, student events, and job search up to and including today. And we all know that an event like this does not occur without many people working behind the scenes in ways we can only imagine. So please join me in thanking the faculty and staff for all that they have done and continue to do to support you and support Johnson.
[APPLAUSE]
Now, let's talk about you and your Johnson experience. First, let's talk about your impact. You've already worked together to apply your knowledge and creativity to make an impact on business and the world. One of the ways in which your impact has occurred is through your experiential learning projects in immersions and Big Red Microenterprises as Johnson board fellows and as EMI fellows, and many others.
For example, two park leadership fellows worked with the city of Ithaca's Task Force for Affordable Housing for their Park Service project. One of you attended the United Nations COP27 summit in Egypt and moderated the first ever roundtable meeting of government ministers and youth for climate action.
One team developed a financial model and growth strategy for Dish Truck, a local veteran owned small business that provides durable dishes to replace disposable dishware. One of the immersion teams helped Starbucks develop a reusable cup supply chain. And another immersion team worked with BFS, a startup in Puerto Rico, to evaluate the market viability of electricity generation from waste as a result of the Hurricanes of 2017.
Another impact of your work is taking shape as students launch new businesses as a result of their entrepreneurship activity. One new business is Green Acres Processing, a seed to solution company building--
[CHEERING]
--yes, building the industrial hemp supply chain for sustainable manufacturing-- go Hailee Greene and Danielle Falcon-- and which has created a buzz in many startup pitch competitions. Another is Cipher, an end to end marketplace to unlock the true value of music by connecting businesses to music professionals and automating payments and licensing agreements.
[CHEERING]
Yet another is Labs to Fabs, a no-code intelligent hardware prototyping platform for everyone. Indeed, three of the five start ups selected this year from the Cornell Tech Studio Showcase, including the winner, are Johnson Cornell Tech startups.
Many of you also worked on life sciences and green tech entrepreneurship projects this year, including H Biome, a venture for microbiome testing using gene sequencing and telehealth. I would also like to highlight another way in which you have already made an impact. It's through your leadership in the community and paying it forward to the next classes.
You have supported each other in many, many ways. You've helped each other succeed in the classroom in not only core teams and leadership fellows, but also Python and financial modeling assignments. You've helped each other in the job search process with practice interviews, CWTs, and moral support. You've invested your time and energy in your community while also pursuing your own professional growth.
Our High Tech Club helped organize a speaker series on artificial intelligence throughout the year. Some of you contributed to the College of Business by mentoring Dyson undergraduate students in their grand challenges projects. And some of you spent the second year of your MBA at Cornell Tech integrating both campuses.
Each generation of Johnson students benefits from those who came before. Think of the many ways in which alumni have helped you, as class speakers, as mentors, and partners in recruiting process. They also helped Johnson financially in ways that benefit our school today and over time, just as so many of you contributed to your class campaign and Johnson's annual fund.
Everyone in our community should be grateful for all that you have done. So would everyone please join me in applauding the achievements, generosity, and dedication of the Johnson class of 2024?
[CHEERING]
So now, as the dean of the school, here's my ask. You knew it was coming. Like deans before me have said, whenever you let a dean speak, there's an ask. But this one is pretty painless and it's very simple. Please, just keep it up. Keep engaging with this community. And keep seeking to make your unique impacts as you continue in your careers.
From a community standpoint, you're now part of over 15,000 Johnson graduates, more than 40,000 college of business graduates, and well over 250,000 proud Cornellians, all bleeding Cornell red, and now all part of your extended family. When I speak with alumni who graduated 20, 40, 50, 60 years ago, they tell me of their professors and fellow classmates and the impact that Johnson had on their careers and lives.
I encourage you to resolve, to stay engaged with your class and with the school. Life takes us in different directions, but these ties are strong. And these are the ties that bind. Be there for your fellow alumni as you you've been there for your fellow students in your degree program. My pledge is that we'll be here for you as, well.
From an impact standpoint, I don't have to encourage you to excel. I know you will. The world faces big problems, but you've already shown that you can make a difference with your compassion, your caring, and your drive for excellence. You are leaders. When a big challenge occurs, rise to meet it. You've proven that you can succeed.
Your Johnson degree will help you on your journey and you will honor that degree with all that you achieve. We can't wait to see what amazing success awaits you. We are immensely proud of you. All in attendance, please help me congratulate the class of 2024.
[CHEERING]
NICOLE PELLEGRINO: Thank you, Dean Gaur. At this time, I would like to acknowledge many of the special awards and designations that are noted in your program today. These include student awards presented at a ceremony yesterday in Ithaca and at a ceremony last weekend on the Cornell Tech campus, students receiving prestigious named scholarships and fellowships, and finally, students who have served in important leadership roles, as well as those who led the Johnson group this morning in the Cornell University ceremony.
These honors are printed in our program, and we offer these and all of our graduates our congratulations on their accomplishments.
[APPLAUSE]
I am now very happy to invite three members of the class of 2024, Derek Ju, Sarah Taha, and Elena Rocanelli Veale to the stage.
[APPLAUSE]
Derek and Sarah served as co-presidents for the Johnson Student Council in 2022, 2023, succeeding in meeting a number of goals and successfully navigating the student body through a year of change. It is my pleasure to turn the mic over now to Derek and Sarah, who will present the Apple Teaching Award.
[APPLAUSE]
SARAH TAHA: Thank you. Hello, and congratulations to the graduate class of 2024.
[APPLAUSE]
It is our pleasure to introduce and give the annual Apple award for Excellence in Teaching. This award is a prestigious honor that is presented by the graduating class to a Johnson School faculty that best exemplifies outstanding leadership, enduring educational influence, and strong ability to motivate students.
During our time at Johnson, we learned that effective leaders empower those around them with empathy. An Arabic phrase that encapsulates this form of leadership is [SPEAKING ARABIC], which translates to "speak so I can see you." Speaking so I can see you implies a two-way relationship in which each person has to be confident that they are welcome to speak without judgment and that they will be listened to.
Remember that in every interaction with others, it matters to be kind, to lead with empathy, and keep an open mind. At Johnson, we have many leaders who exemplify empowerment through empathy. And this year's annual Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching is to a professor who leads through example. The recipient is a Johnson faculty veteran.
She's the first tenured female faculty member at Johnson and the Purcell professor of finance. As an expert and leader in market and microstructure, she has published countless journals and is the author of the book, Market Microstructure Theory. This professor was the first ever female president of the American Finance Association and sits on a variety of corporate boards.
DEREK JU: Oh yeah, and she teaches a few classes at Johnson, too. You may know her from financial markets and institutions and market microstructure. These classes may sound intimidating, but this professor makes the intimidating accessible for everyone. Students have said her lectures are extremely useful to students working in finance, but even for daily life.
Another note, she knows a lot and keeps you interested throughout the entire lecture. Financial markets was the most valuable class I have taken. And lastly, she is knowledgeable, witty, and excellent at guiding classroom discussion on complex topics while letting students find their own opinions on difficult questions. Figured it out yet? Please join me in welcoming our 2024 Apple Award winner, Maureen O'Hara.
[CHEERING]
MAUREEN O'HARA: Well, thank you very much, class of 2024. That was-- it's very much appreciated. I was told I had to say a few words. I'm going to make them a few, because it's hot. But it's fun. I've been here a long time. And I was thinking back about all the students we've had.
And like you today, you are a success. You're a success in many ways, but certainly the one that stands out today is you've earned an MBA degree from Cornell University, and we're proud of you. I'm proud of a lot of our former students. And I was thinking back to ones who've taken fin markets over the years.
And success is a very different thing for all of you. And that's what's kind of fun. One of our former students became a New Hampshire State legislator, kind of an interesting career. Another one became CEO of State Street Global Assets. Another one of my former students wanted to live in Vermont and took a job with an ice cream company. Turned out, he picked the right ice cream company. Ben and Jerry's did do very well. But again, a different kind of job.
Two of my former students who took fin markets founded Jane Street. And five years ago, just five years ago, one of the students in fin markets is now clerking at the Supreme Court. So success is going to be very different for all of you. And you have to define it.
And I think I can safely say for all of those people, success wasn't a straight path. They had to pivot, make decisions. Sometimes they were kind of lost. But they figured it out, and so will you. So if you find yourself being lost, you can always take heart with one thing-- our Alumni and Development Office will always find you, no matter where you are.
I also think all of you will find the path to be successful. And when you do, I know I speak on behalf of all the faculty in asking you to stay in touch with the faculty. It's really fun for us to know what you're doing. Congratulations to you.
[APPLAUSE]
SARAH TAHA: Thank you, professor O'Hara, for those amazing words. Our next speaker is someone who dedicated her time at Johnson to augmenting the Johnson community through her skills of true inclusion and empowerment. Of course, I'm talking about Elena Rocanelli Veale, one of the strong, confident, and unstoppable women that I was so grateful to meet at Johnson.
[APPLAUSE]
DEREK JU: To introduce Elena, I'd like to share a quick story. During last fall break, Elena represented our school at the ROMBA Conference, held by the organization for LGBTQ+ business leaders. She spent three days networking and connecting with other MBAs from all over the world. Meanwhile, I and many of her classmates spent our break in Jamaica doing a very different kind of networking.
Elena hopped on a plane straight from the conference to Jamaica, and without missing a beat, she dove in, re-energizing us, tearing it up on the dance floor and bringing us all together to get lit once more. Because that's what Elena does-- electrocute static situations and unifies people.
I and so many of us are lucky to have Elena as a friend. I've never had a close friend so willing to call me out on my BS and a friend who shows up as herself and truly cares for and listens to others, and not just for me, but for everyone. Elena's involvement is far reaching. She's a Forte fellow, ROMBA fellow, and Johnson Leadership fellow.
She was president of Out for Business, our LGBTQ club, which she transformed to highlight intersectionality and cross school community. Her success earned her the Angel Our Hero Lambda award for LGBTQ+ leadership and community advocacy. As a financial advisor, she led multiple workshops for our classmates, teaching financial literacy, and access to financial success. Please help me welcome Johnson's biggest champion, your 2024 student speaker, and our amazing friend, Elena Rocanelli Veale.
[CHEERING]
ELENA ROCANELLI VEALE: There's a stool for people who are under 5'2, so I'm just going to get on that. Awesome. Thank you so much. It is truly an honor to be representing the class of 2024. It's honestly a little bit crazy to hear all of those really nice things said about me. I can think of two instances in the last few years where people have really thought otherwise.
Not a lot of you know this, but I struggle a lot with my mental health. I have my whole life. I actually started my Johnson application while in a mental health rehabilitation center. And I distinctly remember one of the nurses seeing my application at Cornell and telling me to lower my expectations. To be fair, I think she thought I was off my medication.
[LAUGHTER]
And while I'm happy to prove people wrong, we all know that we become our best selves when we're surrounded by people who believe in us. When I was in college, this, again, was not the case. I was interviewing at a financial services company. It was a large room of candidates and I was sitting at a table where I was the only woman.
The candidate before me was bragging to the table, saying that he was a triple major in math, finance, and econ. Just imagine he was a typical HBS candidate. And then I shared that I was an English major from a liberal arts college. And he interrupted me and said, so then what are you doing here? I turned to him and said, look around. There are 100 of you, and one of me.
At Johnson, this has never been the case. At Johnson, we support each other. We empower each other. And we encourage each other. I have never been surrounded by so many supportive, brilliant, fun, and kind hearted people in my entire life. Johnson students are gritty, unique, and powerful. We are the diamonds in the rough.
Many of us have taken unconventional paths and even doubted ourselves along the way. But we have more than earned our seat at the table. And now we're about to graduate with an MBA from Cornell University. Let's let that sink in for a moment.
Graduating from an Ivy League business school puts us in the upper echelon of the business world. We are no longer the underdogs in the room, despite the fact that many of us still feel the occasional imposter syndrome. Over the last two years, we have bulked up our technical skills, landed the fancy jobs-- you see that catch-- improved our reflexes.
Over the last two years, we have bulked up our technical skills, landed the fancy jobs, and built a strong network. But more importantly, I am confident that each of us experienced tremendous personal growth. This growth is a testament to the community we built here at Johnson. We encourage each other, empower each other, and support each other. Whether it's editing resumes, leading career workgroups, or simply lending a listening ear, we have consistently demonstrated mutual support and camaraderie.
This collective spirit is the bedrock of our Johnson community, and it is what makes us extraordinary. One of my favorite memories from Johnson was on one of the spring break trips last year. This is a different trip than the one Derek mentioned. We definitely traveled a lot, as seen by our instagrams. But I promise we also went to class.
So on this trip, there was a large group of us out at a local dance club. Since Johnson is so diverse, we have a wide variety of music tastes, ranging from reggaeton to K-pop to Bollywood. But there was one song that brought us all together. The DJ played the 2009 banger, Empire State of Mind by Alicia Keys and Jay-Z. When that song came on, we had an unspoken agreement to rush to the middle of the dance floor. We threw our hands up in the air and we screamed the lyrics,
(SINGING) In New York-- (SPEAKING) concrete jungle where dreams are made of. There's nothing you can't do. And you could feel the energy in that dance circle. Even classmates who didn't know all the lyrics could still feel the power of the group.
The heart of that song is about moving to New York City to chase big dreams. And that's exactly what we all did when we came to Johnson to pursue an MBA. We moved to New York, pivoted our careers, invested in ourselves, and dreamed big. Today marks another day in actualizing that dream, and I feel privileged to be sharing it with all of you.
Looking into the future as we become managers, founders, and CEOs, let's not lose sight of the Johnson spirit to lift those around us. Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison said, "when you get these jobs that you have so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you must free somebody else. If you have power, your job is to empower somebody else." As Johnson grads and future business leaders, it is our responsibility to use our success and power to uplift others.
I encourage you to actively seek out opportunities to mentor, advocate for, and support those who may not have the same advantages.
[APPLAUSE]
It is crucial that we set high standards, foster environments that foster inclusivity and respect, and lead by example. I am so excited to see what lies ahead for each of us. I have no doubt that we're going to change the world. And once you make it big, don't forget that I work in private banking and I'm always happy to chat.
[LAUGHTER]
I love you guys. I'm forever grateful for you. Let's hear it for the Johnson class of 2024. Thank you.
[CHEERING]
NICOLE PELLEGRINO: Thank you, Elena, for those inspiring words, and to Derek and Sarah for their tireless leadership of the class of 2024. And congratulations to Professor O'Hara for her very well deserved honor. It is now my pleasure to introduce Andrew Karolyi, the Charles Field Knight Dean of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, and Harold Bierman Jr., distinguished professor of management.
In addition to serving as dean since 2021, Dean Karolyi has published extensively in journals and is a scholar in investment management. Please join me in welcoming Dean Karolyi to the podium.
[APPLAUSE]
ANDREW KAROLYI: I don't know about you, but my heart is swelling with Johnson's spirit. Do you guys feel it? Are you guys feeling this?
[CHEERING]
My goodness. To the class of 2024, the PhDs up here, as well as the MBA graduates, congratulations. Congratulations on all the achievements that we celebrate today. And welcome to the newest stage of your relationship with your Alma mater. As a most valued alumni, you will remain critical numbers of our community. And we're going to continue to rely on your participation and value your voices.
So let me tell you a little bit about how we think about valuing your voices. Each year, we invite alumni from all around the world at various events to join our faculty and staff in defining a particular theme across signature events. This year, we chose deeply responsible leadership. That was the theme. You may have seen me talk about it at various events over the course of the year.
What is this about? Well, for decades now, business leaders have been told that their responsibility was to the bottom line-- to elevate profits and returns to investors over all else. As embodied in one of my favorite Milton Friedman quote, "there's one and only responsibility of business, to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits, so long as it stays within the rules of the game."
Now, in fact, the last bit is often cut off of the quote, short changing some of the subtlety of Professor Friedman. But that's a story for another day. The truth is that business and business leaders have struggled with understanding their ultimate responsibilities, for at least a couple of hundred years. What we're seeing today is that society is challenging leaders to rethink their fundamental responsibilities. And honestly, it's a little bit hard to pin down.
In his 2022 book, Deeply Responsible Leadership, business historian, Geoffrey Jones, asks us to reflect on the history of deeply responsible leaders. And he does this through a series of case studies and some careful research. Here's what he concludes.
He says, "deeply responsible leaders are agile. They have a mindset that can quickly understand opportunities when they arise. They assess situations. They use data as discipline. They formulate strategies. They make decisions. And they take bold actions. They have a growth mindset and they strive to remove roadblocks. They are people-centered, leaders who value inclusivity and belonging, because organizations make better decisions harnessing collective wisdom. They always consider the communities in which they operate and the implications of the operations for the natural environment. And they think about all stakeholders, not just shareholders."
Is it easy to be a deeply responsible leader? Hardly. Jones points out that balancing conflicting stakeholder concerns, among amidst global geopolitical uncertainty, legal risks too hard to comply with, inconsistent regulatory regimes, they all make for a few complexities and force competing priorities.
So it does sound like lofty expectations and tall orders, doesn't it, as you graduate and go out into the world. Well, I'm going to say with confidence that with your newly minted degrees here from Johnson, I believe each one of you are up to the task. At Cornell and throughout the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, our complex, nuanced, and much debated understanding of what constitutes deeply corporate responsible leadership, what drives deeply responsible leaders, and honestly why it all matters in the end, is embedded in our mission to develop the responsible business leaders of tomorrow-- agile, people-centered, data-disciplined, and broadly-stakeholder-motivated.
Now, you won't maybe be surprised that I have a uniquely Cornelian spin on this mission and the concept of deeply responsible leaders, directly from our founding benefactor as a Cornell himself. In a less than well known 1840 letter, 1840 letter, to his son, Alonzo-- that's 25 years before he founded the institution, 25 years, honestly, before he actually amassed much of the wealth that allowed him to establish this incredible institution. He was writing and sharing with his son to consider the virtue in establishing what he calls-- and here's the quote now-- "character upon a fixed principle-- to do right, because it is right, for the sake of right, and nothing else."
Every act should be measured by that rule, is it right? Let a pure heart, prompt and honest conscience to answer the question, and all will be well. Ezra Cornell, 1840. Let's all live up to his lofty founding principles for our university and his pragmatic advice to his own son. We develop business leaders who are here to do the greatest good.
So now you're graduates. I encourage you to continue to bring that advice forward in a Cornellian fashion. Put people first. Draw on the DNA of Cornell in thinking about the ultimate responsibilities of business for people, for society at large, as well as the natural environment. Cornellians are community minded, so think about collaboration and engagement first, less about zero sum games.
Courageously experiment with new ideas and approaches. Develop entrepreneurial solutions to the pressing global problems, such as reducing inequality, advancing climate action, building sustainable cities, championing responsible consumption and production, prioritizing good health, decent work, well-being. Be inclusive and bring this ethos to the organizations you lead as principled business leaders.
Think deeply about your responsibilities and your impact. So as your time at Cornell draws to a close and you embark on the next phase of your journey, remember you're joining an incredibly supportive global community. As Dean Gaur mentioned, 50,000 living College of Business alumni, 250,000 strong Cornell wide. Take every opportunity to engage, connect, and continue to strengthen the network that makes Cornell, our college and our beautiful Johnson School here, so powerful. Congratulations, and go Big Red.
[APPLAUSE]
NICOLE PELLEGRINO: Find our page. We will now proceed to the individual recognition of graduates. Thank you, Dean Karolyi, for your inspiring words. We will now begin recognizing graduates with the hooding of doctoral candidates. Professor Kadiyali will perform the hooding and deans Gaur and Shu will congratulate each doctoral candidate.
VRINDA KADIYALI: Natasha Bernhardt-- Looking Up, How Thinking About Reporting Lines Affects Investors Attributions of Rank and File Problems to CEOs, Kristy Rennenkampff and Rob Bloomfield advisors.
[APPLAUSE]
Yujie Feng, Essays in Health Care and Insurance Economics, Michael Waldman, advisor.
[APPLAUSE]
Anugna Reddy Gondi, Essays on Behavioral Biases and Operations Management, Andrew Davis, advisor.
[APPLAUSE]
Qiwei He, Three Essays on the Efficient Match Between Workers and Jobs, Michael Waldman, advisor.
[APPLAUSE]
Jeffrey Kang, Essays on Consumer Activism and Attention. Stein Vann Osler, advisor.
[APPLAUSE]
Deepak Sirwani, Thinking Fast and Slow About Numbers. Manoush Thomas, advisor.
[APPLAUSE]
Ronghan Michelle Wong, Essays on Various Human Cues Affecting Consumer's Food Preferences. Suzanne Hsu and Catherine Latour, advisors.
[APPLAUSE]
Jiexin Wei, Essays in Sustainable Finance and Capital Markets. Andrew Karolyi, advisor.
[APPLAUSE]
Jiawen Yan, Managing Supply Chain Uncertainty, operational, Financial and Environmental Implications. Elena Bellovina and Li Chen, advisors.
[APPLAUSE]
Elisha Yu, Real Earnings Management and Innovation Externalization, Evidence from Corporate Venture Capital. Sanjiv Borjaj, advisor.
[APPLAUSE]
NICOLE PELLEGRINO: Please join me in recognizing the achievements of our PhDs and wish them continued success in their academic careers.
[CHEERING]
NICOLE PELLEGRINO: As Professor Mink reads the MBA graduate names, she will highlight dual degree candidates, as well as those students who are graduating with distinction, which is in the top 10% of their class.
The MBA graduates will be recognized by program in the following order, beginning with the two year Ithaca MBA, followed by the Johnson Cornell Tech MBA program. And so we begin.
BARBARA MINK: [READING NAMES]
This is beginning to sound like this TikTok video that went viral. I'm going to ruin all the names.
[READING NAMES]
NICOLE PELLEGRINO: Congratulations all of our graduates. You have achieved a great deal and should be very proud. You have been tremendous and we are all deeply proud of you. And you will be missed. I also want to take a moment to thank your many family and friends who are here today, many of whom traveled a great distance to be here. Parents, partners, siblings. close friends, and family, your support of this class cannot be overstated. Their accomplishments are also your accomplishments, and we thank and honor you, as well.
[APPLAUSE]
I would also like to ask you to please join me in thanking the many staff volunteers who are working hard this holiday weekend to make today special for each one of you. Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
Immediately following this ceremony, we will adjourn to a reception in Sage Hall. Food and drink will be served in the atrium, in the cafe, and under tents in the parking lot. I'm told it's approximately 25 degrees cooler in all of those places than it is right here. Please take advantage of seating in tents around the building, as well as rooms throughout Sage Hall. We hope that you will all join us.
As we close, I'd like to take a minute to acknowledge what the class of 2024 means to me. I have the pleasure and the pressure of being the first person that many of you hear from. You likely remember orientation-- well, you better remember orientation-- where I talk to you all about my expectations for all of you, whether you're a Cornell Tech MBA or a two year MBA. PhD students, you didn't have the pleasure or pressure of hearing from me.
But during that time I lay out what my expectations are and what your job is as brand managers of the Cornell MBA brand. I'm here to tell you today in the closing words that you'll hear as a Johnson MBA student, that you have made me extraordinarily proud. I often describe myself as the cruise ship director, so in many ways your journey is also my journey.
But now we're going to split ways. I'll stay here and charter a new cruise ship full of new students, and you're going to go off into the world. Sometimes the waters will be rocky. Sometimes they'll be smooth. But no matter what, we'll be here waiting for you to come back and visit us.
Soon the world will know what I already know, that each one of you is extraordinary. Come back often, whether it's to recruit or just stop by to say hello. I will miss you. We will all miss you. But you will always have a home at Johnson. Congratulations to the class of 2024.
[APPLAUSE]
Now, before we adjourn, please stand and join us in the singing of the Cornell Alma mater, led by Dean Gaur. The words can be found on the back of your program.
VISHAL GAUR: (SINGING) Far above Cayuga's waters, with its waves of blue. Stands our noble Alma Mater, glorious to view.
Lift the chorus, speed it onward, loud her praises tell. Hail to thee our Alma Mater--
(SPEAKING) Look at you--
(SINGING) Hail, all hail, Cornell.
Far above the busy humming of the bustling town, reared against the arch of heaven looks she proudly down.
Lift the chorus, speed it onward, loud her praises, tell. Hail to thee, our Alma Mater. Hail, all hail, Cornell.
[CHEERING]
NICOLE PELLEGRINO: And one last and final time, congratulations to the class of 2024.
[CHEERING]
