Texas Business Hall of Fame

UD Graduates Awarded Competitive Scholarships at Texas Business Hall of Fame

Business Graduates Deemed ‘Future Texas Business Legends’

Two graduate students enrolled in the University of Dallas’ Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business — Luis Almanza, MS ’18, and Susan Horak, MBA MS ’23 — in addition to alumnus Frederick Infante, MBA ’18, were recently awarded scholarships for their entrepreneurial spirit and outstanding leadership during the 36th annual Texas Business Hall of Fame (TBHF) on Thursday, Nov. 1, in Houston. The TBHF awarded each a $15,000 competitive scholarship endowed by The Mitchell Family Foundation.

UD was one of only four universities to announce three scholarship recipients, with 25 schools vying for 36 individual nominations. Each year, the TBHF awards a series of competitive scholarships to outstanding students in Texas who demonstrate business leadership, entrepreneurial achievements, and outstanding moral character.

“Our University of Dallas business awardees will no doubt represent the future legends of Texas business." 

^{— Dean Brett J.L. Landry}

“Our University of Dallas business awardees will no doubt represent the future legends of Texas business,” said Gupta College of Business Dean Brett J. L. Landry. “The University of Dallas’ Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business is committed to staying at the forefront of business education, and we are honored for these business students to receive such notable recognition for their efforts in business thus far."

Frederick Infante moved to Dallas in 1997 from Caracas, Venezuela. He currently serves as a contract specialist for Tenet Healthcare. He earned an MBA degree from the University of Dallas and received his B.S. degree in business administration cum laude from the University of Texas at Dallas. Infante plans to further his career in entrepreneurship. He is honored and grateful for the scholarship opportunity, which serves to further his entrepreneurial dreams in the chemical sector.  

“This scholarship award will help me set the foundation to build my business in the chemical sector. It will also open doors to network with leaders in the industry and legends of business in the future.” _{^{— Frederick Infante}} 

Luis Almanza currently works with American Airlines as a process engineer and data analytics consultant. He will obtain a Master of Science in Business Analytics from the University of Dallas in December. Almanza is passionate about turning data into actionable intelligence that supports better decisions. When he is not wrangling data, he and his wife love to travel and volunteer in their parish.

“The accomplishments of the TBHF legends and directors are very inspiring, and I am proud to be associated with the organization as an entrepreneur with the support of this scholarship. By attending the University of Dallas, all of this was made possible; new entrepreneurial and leadership opportunities arise continuously in the TBHF and UD communities.” _{^{— Luis Almanza}}

Susan Horak received her bachelor’s degree in nutrition/business from Texas Woman’s University. She is currently a graduate student at the University of Dallas and is pursuing a dual degree in Technology Management and a professional MBA degree. Horak is very honored and thankful to the Texas Business Hall of Fame for giving her the opportunity to pursue her future business endeavors in agriculture in her hometown of Farmersville, Texas.

"I am truly thankful for this opportunity. UD has opened doors in my academic and business journey, helping take my dreams and goals to the next level. My vision for a better Texas has taken root with agriculture and housing operations already started in North Texas, and my experience at UD has greatly contributed to the acceleration of my dreams and success." _{^{— Susan Horak}}

UD has a lengthy history with the TBHF, with university scholarship recipients dating back decades. Last year, in fact, the elite business organization honored its first Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) student with the prestigious scholarship: Mark Brightenburg, a current adjunct professor in UD’s Gupta College of Business and director at Fidelity Investments. To date, the TBHF has awarded nearly 700 scholarships to the "best of the best" Texas business students pursuing an education at Texas' leading institutions of higher learning.

The TBHF is a nonprofit organization of 80 directors who are business leaders from cities throughout the state. The organization's mission is to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of Texas business leaders and to perpetuate and inspire the values of entrepreneurial spirit, personal integrity and community leadership in all generations of Texans.

Each year, the TBHF inducts honorees at an annual dinner and awards scholarships to outstanding students deemed “Future Texas Business Legends.”

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