1990s

DAVE RICKS (BS ’90), Indianapolis, IN, was named the next president and CEO of Eli Lilly and Co., effective Jan. 1, 2017. A 20-year Lilly veteran, Ricks brings a wealth of experience to his new role. Previously the leader of Lilly affiliates in the U.S., China and Canada, he has been president of Lilly’s Bio-Medicines unit since January 2012.

MATT WEST (MS ’91, BS ’86), Hinsdale, IL, was appointed chief financial officer of Nature’s Variety. He previously served as vice president and global treasurer for Kraft Foods Group.

GRANT FITZ (MS ’92) was named chief financial officer at Valassis, a leader in intelligent media delivery based in Livonia, MI. Fitz will be responsible for leading the financial operations, working closely with all divisions to support strategic growth initiatives at Valassis, a subsidiary of Harland Clarke Holdings.

ERIC BYMASTER (BS ’93), Nashville, TN, was named Vanderbilt University’s associate vice chancellor for finance in June following a national search. He will provide strategic leadership to the business officers in each of the university’s schools and colleges, the provost’s academic affairs team and the university’s financial planning and analysis team. A 21-year veteran of higher education administration, finance and planning, Bymaster joined Vanderbilt from Emory University, where most recently he was the associate vice president for finance, administration and operations in the Division of Campus Life.

KENNETH CAROW (PhD ’93) was appointed associate dean for faculty and research at the IU Kelley School of Business Indianapolis. Carow, a professor of finance, oversees faculty research and the process for promotion and tenure. He also works with the IUPUI Academic Deans Council on outreach within the business community. 

LINDA HARRIS (MS ’96), Stone Mountain, GA, was named a Woodrow Wilson Georgia Teaching Fellow for 2016. Each fellow receives $30,000 to complete a special master’s degree program in exchange for a three-year commitment to teach in high- need Georgia schools.

DAVID VARCA (BS ’99), Chicago, IL, was recently named a managing director for healthcare finance at Greystone, where he will be responsible for originating FHA-insured and bridge loans, with an emphasis on providing financing for skilled nursing facilities nationwide. Varca brings more than 15 years of healthcare lending experience to Greystone, most recently serving as principal at Ares Management, where he was responsible for developing and managing senior housing and long-term care balance sheet lending for the company.

2000s

GRANT GIESE (BS ’00), West Lafayette, IN, was named one of the country’s top 40 builders under 40 by Professional Builder magazine. He is owner of Green Goose Homes, a custom home- building company with a focus on energy-efficient and green- certified homes.

DERECK A. TATMAN (MS ’00), San Diego, CA, is now senior vice president of business development and operations at Sequenom Inc.

NISHANT MACHADO (BS ’04) was recently promoted to senior managing director at Mackinac Partners, a leading turnaround and restructuring firm. His promotion comes on the heels of the Michigan-based firm’s growth of its West Coast presence with an expanded office in Santa Monica, CA.

DUSTIN ALLAN (MBA ’05), Indianapolis, IN, was recently named president of the Indiana Creditors Bar Association, which services approximately 40 members representing over 30 law firms. Allen has been a member of the ICBA since 2010. Prior to the recent appointment, he served as vice president of the organization. He is an attorney with Weltman, Weinberg and Reis Co. LPA, a full-service creditors’ rights law firm.

DAVID LEHMAN (PhD ’07), a professor of management at the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce, was recognized for his “transcendent impact” on students with the 2016 All-University Teaching Award. A student of organizational learning and authenticity, Lehman was praised by those who nominated him for challenging assumptions about behavior and using innovative methods to illustrate his concepts.

KYLIE JACKSON (BS ’08), Marion, IN, was named president and CEO of the Marion-Grant County Chamber of Commerce.

THOMAS W. LUTES (BS ’09), Columbus, IN, has joined Lawson, Pushor, Mote & Gamso LLC, a general practice law firm. He also was named to the board of directors for the Bartholomew County Bar Association.

2010s

MEGAN APPLEGATE (BS ’10), Michigan City, IN, was recently honored by Northwest Indiana Times on its annual “20 Under 40” list for 2016. She is a CPA at Applegate and Co., which works primarily with businesses and high-net worth individuals as well as nonprofit clients.

CODY CHULLEN (PhD ’12), Greenville, NC, received the University Alumni Award for Outstanding Teaching at East Carolina University. The award is given annually to the faculty member who best demonstrates seven characteristics of teaching effectiveness: good organization, effective communication, knowledge of and enthusiasm for the subject matter and teaching, positive attitudes toward students, fairness in examinations and grading, flexibility in approaches to teaching and assessing appropriate student learning outcomes.

JONATHAN GANDOLF (BS ’12), Covington, KY, recently joined Braxton Brewing Co. as head of marketing. He previously served as a marketing data analyst at ExactTarget.

MARY BUENTE (MS ’15) and JOHN TOTTEN (MS ’15) were recognized in a recent issue of the Indiana CPA Society’s magazine, inPerspective, for earning among the 18 highest scores on the state’s 2015 CPA exam.

MATT PRATT (MS ’15) was promoted to the rank of major in the U.S. Army. Pratt was selected for the promotion “below the zone,” which is a performance and potential- driven early promotion given to less than 4 percent of any given year group and branch of officers. Pratt, an armor officer, is currently serving as a leadership instructor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

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