Wilson Fellowship Awarded

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Doctoral student Emilija Djurdjevic has been named the recipient of the 2011-2012 Wilson Fellowship at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. The fellowship is awarded annually to a high achieving fourth-year doctoral student in the Walton College.

“Emilija is truly a Walton College success story, and we are delighted to name her the 2011-12 Wilson Fellow,” said Moez Limayem, associate dean for research and graduate studies.

Djurdjevic, from St. Petersburg, Fla., received her undergraduate degree in psychology with a minor in public health from the University of South Florida. She is currently working on her doctoral degree in management. She has been a key contributor in the management department and the Walton College since she arrived. Her department describes her as being among a rare breed of doctoral students who are able to excel at all aspects of academic life.

“It is such an honor to have been selected as the 2011-2012 Wilson Fellow,” Djurdjevic said. “I am very grateful for all the amazing people and opportunities that I have encountered at the Walton College. This accomplishment would not have been possible without the dedication and support from the Walton College faculty.”

The fellowship, a $12,000 award in addition to an existing graduate assistantship, was established in 2004 with a gift from Larry T. Wilson, president, chairman and chief executive officer of First Arkansas Bank & Trust in Jacksonville, Ark. Wilson received his M.B.A. from the Walton College in 1971.

In announcing the fellowship, the department noted that Djurdjevic's teaching evaluations and research were exceptional. As a graduate student, she has had papers accepted for publication in the Journal of Applied Psychology and in the Human Resource Management Review. She has made a dozen presentations at top management conferences and has a forthcoming book chapter for which she won the Outstanding Author Contribution Award from the Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence.

The management department said Djurdjevic has been integral to its recruiting efforts, speaking to dozens of prospective students. In addition, she has spent considerable time mentoring junior doctoral students and has made a significant contribution to the department’s student culture. Especially noteworthy are her three visits to a conference in Chicago where she helped recruit minority doctoral students.