Five Kellogg students named Siebel Scholars

Prestigious distinction bestowed to recognize leadership and impact

By Adrienne Murrill

Sept. 25, 2007 – Five second-year Kellogg School of Management students have been selected as Siebel Scholars for 2008. They are David Badler, Minit Gupta, Melissa Hogg, Mike Rosskamm and Jodie Zimmerman.

This prestigious annual award endows five top students at 10 leading U.S. universities with scholarships of $25,000 to each person in support of their graduate business, computer science or engineering studies. The deans of each school select candidates at their respective schools based upon the candidates’ outstanding academic performance and leadership.

Senior Associate Dean of Curriculum and Teaching Sunil Chopra said that the Kellogg Siebel Scholars are the best of the school in terms of academic ability and demonstrated leadership. “They truly represent the global leaders that Kellogg helps develop, and this award is recognition of what they have accomplished so far,” he said. “We are confident that they will go on to even greater achievement in the future.”

Each of the Kellogg recipients said that they felt excited and humbled by the distinction. Both Gupta and Zimmerman agreed that at Kellogg there are many hard-working and deserving students and that by being selected, they are truly honored. In addition, they noted that this award creates an opportunity to meet and learn from other scholars, which Hogg and Zimmerman said they look forward to doing this year and in the future.

Here is a closer look at each of the Kellogg winners, some of their extracurricular involvement and their post-graduation plans:

David Badler has found a niche in reaching out to prospective students and the community-at-large while at Kellogg. In 2006 he was a project leader for the Neighborhood Business Initiative, the school’s pro-bono consulting club, and he is the co-chair of new business development for the club this year. He is also a co-chair of student admissions interviewers, was a Day at Kellogg section leader and is a finance tutor. “This award provides enhanced credibility and opens doors to maximize the impact of my second year at Kellogg,” Badler said. He plans to return to management consulting post-MBA at the Boston Consulting Group in Philadelphia, and he would eventually like to pursue a career in venture capital.

Working in the technology consulting arm at Deloitte before attending Kellogg, Minit Gupta chose a summer internship in investment banking. He will pursue this career full-time at Morgan Stanley after graduation. “My summer internship has tangibly established my passion for the finance industry, and I foresee a long-term career in this occupation,” Gupta said. He credits the Kellogg course work for bridging the gap in his financial and accounting knowledge, making a career in banking possible. Gupta is the vice president of finance and professional arenas of the India Business Club, and he would like to become more active in the Investment Banking Capital Markets Club. “Kellogg has acknowledged my commitment to our community and scholastic achievement, and I will offer my continued commitment through these and other contributions.”

Melissa Hogg said that the Siebel Scholarship “will be a great way to stay in touch with the graduate school community and continue to give back.” She has already contributed to Kellogg through the Women’s Business Association, the Social Impact Club and as a Board Fellow. Hogg planned educational and social events for female MBA students through the WBA, and she secured speakers who shared with Kellogg students their perspectives on topics such as social entrepreneurship and urban education through the Social Impact Club. As a Board Fellow, Hogg served as a non-voting board member of an urban Chicago high school. “I am passionate about improving our public education system and ultimately would like to contribute to this cause through a career in the education industry,” she said.

Through the Complete Immersion in Management orientation and Day at Kellogg and as a prospective student chair and a KWEST trip director, Mike Rosskamm has stood out as a leader to incoming students. He is also a section academic representative to the Kellogg Student Association. “I love Kellogg, as evidenced by all the things I’m involved in, and I think it’s a truly remarkable institution,” he said. “What’s special about Kellogg are the people here and how willing they are to give of themselves to the institution and those around them.” Rosskamm is also a co-chair for the Social Impact Club, the Education Industry Club and volunteers through NBI. Prior to attending Kellogg, he taught low-income at-risk youth in Manhattan, and after graduation he would like to continue impacting public education.

“The variety of leadership positions that I have assumed and the impact these positions have enabled me to make on the Chicago community and on my classmates is what contributed to my nomination,” recipient Jodie Zimmerman said. Along with leading NBI, she is a co-chair of the Strategy and Business Development Club, the Kadima club and the Ice Hockey Club. She also teaches entrepreneurship to kids in low-income neighborhoods through National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship. “Having been chosen from among such a talented group of students, I feel it is my duty as an award recipient to leverage my leadership skills to improve the Kellogg experience for my peers,” she said. After graduation, she plans to couple her biology and business backgrounds to work in healthcare.

The Siebel Scholars initiative, which was introduced in 1999 by Siebel Systems Founder Tom Siebel, supports members of communities who are expected to make significant lifelong contributions in their fields. According to the award’s Web site, Siebel’s goal was “to find and nurture the brightest master’s degree student leaders in the nation’s premier business and computer science post-graduate schools; bringing together a community fostering personal leadership, academic achievement, and the collaborative search for solutions to pressing societal problems.”