The University of Tulsa Collins College of Business

Adam Sparger was recognized as a recipient of the 2026 David R. Lawson Outstanding Senior Award during the Collins College of Business Honors and Awards Ceremony.

An accounting and finance graduate from Broken Arrow, Sparger made an impact across the college and university community through his leadership and involvement. He served as president of the Student Finance Association and held leadership roles in both the Student Government Association and the Student Investment Fund. He was also recognized as a Presidential Scholar and Friends of Finance Scholar.

Whether leading student organizations, representing his peers or helping manage a multimillion-dollar investment portfolio, Adam consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence and service.

Congratulations, Adam!

Research, leadership and a passion for energy.

Anna Lackner was recognized during the Collins College of Business Honors and Awards Ceremony for her outstanding achievements as a student leader, researcher and scholar.

Originally from Tomball, Texas, Lackner graduated with majors in chemical engineering and energy management and minors in economics and mathematics. Alongside her academic work, she conducted research related to carbon capture and sequestration while serving as president of Omega Chi Epsilon and the Tulsa Energy Management Student Association.

Congratulations, Anna!

A former small business owner, a 4.0 student, a certified financial counselor and now an audit associate.

Those experiences helped earn Zach Payne recognition as a recipient of the 2026 David R. Lawson Outstanding Senior Award, the highest undergraduate honor awarded by the Collins College of Business.

During his time at UTulsa, Payne completed internships with EY and CCK Strategies while serving as a certified financial counselor with Tulsa Responds. Today, he works full time as an audit associate at Conklin, Gilpin & Wertz.

Congratulations, Zach, on this well-deserved recognition.

Congratulations to Anna Boevers, a 2026 recipient of the David R. Lawson Outstanding Senior Award, the highest undergraduate honor awarded by the Collins College of Business.

A finance and business information systems graduate from Oklahoma City, Boevers participated in the Honors Program, studied abroad in Rome and held leadership roles in organizations including the Student Investment Fund and Kappa Alpha Theta. She also served as a peer mentor, university ambassador and Friends of Finance Scholar.

The David R. Lawson Outstanding Senior Award recognizes graduating seniors who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, leadership and service throughout their time at UTulsa.

Congratulations, Anna! 👏

Three Tulsa-area organizations received new technology tools this spring through the Business Information Systems (BIS) Capstone at UTulsa, where senior students develop software solutions for real clients as the culminating experience of the BIS program. This year’s projects addressed data management, enrollment planning and food assistance operations.

For The Arc of Oklahoma, students built the OKAIM BRIDGE system to modernize how client data is collected, managed and reported while improving accessibility and strengthening compliance.

For Crosstown Learning Center, students expanded the organization’s waitlist and classroom management system, adding forecasting tools to help maximize enrollment and reduce wait times for families.

For Owasso Community Resources, students created Project P.A.M., a web-based pantry administration system designed to streamline client check-in, reduce duplicate records and improve reporting used for grants and long-term service planning.

“Our BIS Capstone project is an amazing collaboration between UTulsa, Tulsa Area United Way, NTech Collaborative and our industry partners to provide a real-world experience for our students,” Applied Assistant Professor Steve McIntosh said.

“The BIS Capstone was one of the most practical and rewarding parts of my academic experience,” senior Luke Castaneda said. “What made it especially meaningful was knowing our work had a tangible effect on the Tulsa community.”

The recently launched Management Club at UTulsa is creating “a bridge” between classroom learning and real-world leadership. Created in response to student demand, the organization connects students with guest speakers, networking, site visits and professionals actively leading teams and organizations.

“Management majors were asking for more applied exposure beyond the classroom,” faculty adviser Nathan Woolard said. “There was a clear gap between theory and how leadership and management actually show up in real organizations.”

The club has already hosted leaders from Arrowhead Consultants, QuikTrip and Publicis, giving students direct access to conversations about leadership, decision-making and career growth.

“Leadership is rarely black and white,” Woolard said. “Most big decisions live in the gray.”

For club president Heavyn Harris, the mission is simple: “to set future leaders in business up for success.”

There’s still time to sign up for business summer camps! ☀️

These hands-on camps give high school students the chance to explore real careers, learn from industry professionals and experience college life at UTulsa.

⚡ Camp Energy (June 1–3)
Explore energy, engineering and innovation through field trips to hydrocarbon laboratories, energy trading rooms and a pipeline control center - plus hands-on energy trading and risk management activities.

🕵️ Detective Camp (June 8–10)
Dive into forensic accounting, fraud investigation and financial crime solving with auditing challenges, mystery activities and guest speakers from the Secret Service and Department of Defense.

📈 Personal Finance & Investing Camp (June 15–19)
Build lifelong money management skills through investing workshops, field trips, guest speakers and interactive financial challenges.

All camps are open to high school students and cost $50, with scholarships available.

Registration links will be shared in the comments.

In a recent thought piece, Genave King Rogers Dean Akhilesh Bajaj explored one of the defining questions surrounding artificial intelligence and the future of work:

“𝐃𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥?”

Bajaj writes that while AI is transforming how we “draft, decide and collaborate,” the most important question is not what the technology can do, but how organizations choose to integrate it. He warns that AI could “thin the pathways to advancement in the professional landscape,” putting pressure on the traditional middle layer where professionals once learned “the nuances of their trade.”

“Our roles are shifting from ‘producers of content’ to ‘navigators of insight,’” Bajaj writes. “The most valuable skill is no longer the ability to find an answer, but the judgment to know if that answer is right, fair and safe.”

The piece also examines trust, accountability and the importance of building organizations that prioritize “human dignity and skill growth” alongside innovation.

Read the full thought piece in the comments.

The Collins College of Business recently hosted the 2026 Investment Portfolio Challenge, where student teams competed as independent financial advisors tasked with assessing a hypothetical $8 million Student Investment Fund and adapting its strategy to current and forecasted market conditions.

Participating universities included Oklahoma State University, University of Central Oklahoma, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Morgan State University and The University of Tulsa.

🏆 Congratulations to UTulsa teams for earning 1st and 2nd place, with OSU taking 3rd.

Thank you to all participating students and the industry professionals who served as judges and made this year’s competition possible.

At a sold-out Friends of Finance Executive Speaker Series luncheon, Williams President and CEO Chad Zamarin discussed the future of energy infrastructure, the growing role of natural gas and the importance of location decisions for major companies.

Much of his presentation focused on increasing demand for natural gas and electricity. Zamarin said infrastructure expansion will be essential as demand rises from exports, manufacturing and data centers. He also emphasized the speed required to meet new power needs driven by artificial intelligence.

“We are not going to win the race for AI if it takes six to eight years to scale up our AI infrastructure,” Zamarin said.

He closed by returning to Tulsa’s future, saying the city must compete harder for companies and talent through investments in schools, public safety and infrastructure.

“We better start expecting more and doing more with it, or we’re going to keep losing companies and talent.”