Latest Jacksonville University Harry and Frances Kinne Scholars announced

Jacksonville University and the Davis College of Business congratulate Erin Sullivan and Brandon Smith as the latest recipients of the prestigious Harry and Frances Kinne Scholar award for graduate business study.

The $10,000 Kinne Scholarship for graduate business students was created through the generosity of Frances Bartlett Kinne, past president and chancellor emeritus of Jacksonville University, and her late husband, Harry. The award, to be used toward the honorees’ tuition in their first academic year, was established to recognize the top applicants applying to DCOB graduate programs.

“I am impressed with the fine quality of the students selected for the Kinne Scholarships, and it will be exciting for me to observe their growth and development, as they pursue their dreams in the Davis College of Business at Jacksonville University,” Fran Kinne said.

Recipient Erin Sullivan graduated magna cum laude from JU in May 2013 with a bachelor of business administration degree in accounting. This fall she began JU’s MBA program with a concentration in accounting and finance.

Sullivan’s professors have noted she is gifted in accounting, and that it shows when she assists students. Her most significant achievement to date has been tutoring students in the tutor center at Jacksonville University. Her goal is to be a professor of accounting at the university level.  She would also like to gain some real-world accounting experience in the corporate world, which will enhance her curriculum when she teaches.

Among her many accomplishments, she is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma business international honor society, Phi Kappa Phi honor society, and has held the position of Vice President of the Accounting Club at Jacksonville University.

Recipient Brandon Smith graduated from Brigham Young University in August 2008 with a bachelor of science in construction management. This fall he began JU’s Master of Science in organizational leadership program.

Smith is the father of three children under age five. He said he plans to use his newfound knowledge to not only enhance his professional career, but to strengthen his skills in everyday family life.

In addition to being a proud father and husband, Smith is an Eagle Scout, a Scoutmaster and a religious volunteer youth leader, as well as being accredited in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) professional building design and construction.

In July, JU student Amalia Vogler was announced as the first recipient of the scholarship. Originally from France, Vogler graduated summa cum laude from JU in December 2012 with a bachelor of business administration degree in marketing, all while studying in her second language. This fall she began JU’s MBA program with a concentration in accounting and finance.

Candidates applying for admission in the MBA, specialized masters or JU’s new doctoral program in business administration are eligible for the Kinne Scholarship. Three Kinne Scholarships will be awarded annually through the generosity of Fran Kinne, who at 96 continues to help move JU forward in meaningful ways, said DCOB Dean Don Capener.

“Fran heard we were turning away some of our best candidates because they lacked the funding or support to continue into an advanced degree,” he said. “She stepped in with her own resources and is actively soliciting for more.”

Future candidates will be chosen by the dean and Fran Kinne each summer from among hundreds of applicants to the graduate business program.

DCOB continues to seek exceptional students to apply for consideration as 2014 Kinne Scholars. To be eligible as a Kinne Scholar, the applicant must have a completed admissions file and submit the scholarship application by Dec. 1 for spring admission, or Aug. 1 for fall admission.

For more information about this scholarship, contact AnnaMaria Murphy, graduate admissions counselor, at (904) 256-7426 or amurphy8@ju.edu.