Contact:
Geof Becker
412-268-3486

For immediate release:
October 2, 2006

Carnegie Mellon MBA Student Named William G. McGowan Scholar

Second-year MBA student Colin Raney has been named this year's William G. McGowan Scholar.

PITTSBURGH—Colin Raney, a second-year MBA student at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business has been named the William G. McGowan Scholar for the 2006-2007 academic year. As a McGowan Scholar, Raney will receive an $18,000 credit for tuition.

The award, provided by the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund, is named after William G. McGowan, who organized MCI Communications Corp. in 1968 and helped to create a competitive telecommunications market. McGowan Scholars are selected based on student essays, faculty recommendation, academic performance, involvement in campus and community activities, leadership abilities, and character.

"I'm extremely proud to receive the William G. McGowan Scholar award. Mr. McGowan's example of business innovation, success and charitable activities is a powerful inspiration," said Raney, a Texas native. "Like McGowan, I believe that with enough determination and leadership anyone can be successful in life. I also believe it is essential to balance your own success with the advancement and education of others."

At the Tepper School, Raney has pursued independent study in marketing and product design along with his required MBA coursework. He was elected president of the Graduate Business Association (GBA) and founded two well-received programs, GBA Impact and Tepper Prepper. GBA Impact encourages GBA members to begin a program to improve something at the Tepper School. He urged members to choose programs that require them to solicit help from fellow students as a means of fostering growth in leadership. Tepper Prepper pairs second-year MBA students with incoming students to help teach interviewing and networking skills. Raney worked with the Dean's Office, the Career Opportunities Center, the Student Services Office and student leaders — evidence of his networking and leadership skills — to create the program.

The William G. McGowan Scholars Program is among many opportunities for Tepper School students to obtain financial assistance for their education. Overall, 78 percent of Tepper MBA students receive some form of financial aid.

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About the Tepper School of Business: Founded in 1949, the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon (www.tepper.cmu.edu) is a pioneer in the field of management science and analytical decision-making. The school's notable contributions to the intellectual community include six Nobel laureates and a consistent presence in the top tier of business school rankings. The Wall Street Journal recently ranked the Tepper School as the third-best business school in the United States.