Designed for Distinction
Lindner Business Honors marks 30 years of developing future leaders
In the 30 years since its founding, Lindner Business Honors has driven transformational learning for its students and the college.
Designed to forge exceptional professionals — capable problem solvers and principled leaders — Lindner Business Honors (LBH) has served as our proving ground for innovations that later benefit the entire college. This “build and scale” mindset has powered its evolution and impact as a world-class business honors program.
Throughout 2026, LBH commemorates the 30th anniversary of its first class. We celebrate the legacy of Lindner Honors-PLUS (LHP), Kolodzik Business Scholars (KBS) and Circle of Excellence (COE) with events and activities — most notably the 30th Anniversary Gala on October 23, the Friday of UC Homecoming Week.
Honors origins
From left: Cincinnati businessman Cliff Coors, Carl H. Lindner Jr. and Norm Baker, founding LHP director.
Lindner College of Business namesake Carl H. Lindner, Jr. and Norm Baker, PhD, founding LHP director, welcomed the first Honors class in fall 1997. Their vision was bold — position UC’s business school among the nation’s best. From the start, they went beyond academic rigor, forming an innovative community to continuously adapt and elevate the student experience.
KBS followed in 2008 through the generosity of Marvin P. Kolodzik, BBA ’59, creating an additional pathway for students. The support of Cathy and Robert J. King, Jr. ’78 helped establish COE, which today provides annual scholarships to high-achieving upperclassmen known as PACEsetters.
Honors is doing what Carl intended. It has helped propel Lindner to a different level.
Paul Green, BBA ’90 EY Partner
Co-op cornerstone
Required co-op provided the bedrock for LBH. Leaders embraced its upsides: students acquire experience navigating real-world challenges; employers gain well-prepared, ambitious talent; and the college obtains timely industry insights to spur ongoing innovation.
“I think that early co-op helps students quickly learn what they want to do and if necessary, pivot,” said Maya Hicks, BBA, KBS ’26, analytics and insights manager at Procter & Gamble.
LBH students typically complete four to five co-ops, and this real-world experience — combined with other experiential learning opportunities — launches a robust foundation for their professional careers. Lindner now empowers all undergraduate students to complete multiple co-op experiences. LBH ensured this elevated standard could be successful by engaging in a multi-year pilot program.
Investing in student potential
From left: Cassidy Hook, BBA, KBS ’23, Marvin P. Kolodzik, BBA ’59, and former LBH Assistant Director Judy Magazine.
The original gifts from Mr. Lindner and Procter & Gamble supplied Honors with stability and a pathway to sustainability. Thanks to a growing network of alumni and employer partners, current LBH students receive eight semesters of merit-based scholarships, while additional funds support required first-year study abroad and other co-curricular opportunities. Such investment is vital, helping students pursue meaningful experiences as they learn to think critically and engage deeply.
“Honors’ support enabled me to focus on my studies and find the right opportunities as opposed to having to focus on what opportunity was going to pay the best,” said Kelsey Sucher, BBA, LHP ’20, MS ’21, director of operations at AMEND Consulting. “I appreciated the freedom that came with that.”
For Paul Green, BBA ’90, EY Partner, parent of an LBH graduate and longtime program advocate, that impact extends beyond the students. Green views scholarships as a strategic commitment to the future of Lindner, UC and Cincinnati’s business community.
“Honors is doing what Carl intended. It has helped propel Lindner to a different level,” Green said. “And EY has hired some incredible talent out of the program.”
Developing global business leaders
Expanding students’ worldview is vital to LBH. International experiences have been integral since its launch, testing and refining study abroad programs before scaling them across the college. Early initiatives set the tone for ensuring immersive experiences with global business leaders and organizations.
LBH students and staff on a study abroad experience in Puerto Rico.
“The intent was to meet with CEOs or other company leaders so that we could get a strategic feel of what the company is doing from a global perspective,” said Raj Mehta, PhD, marketing professor and vice provost for international affairs.
Domestic travel is critical, too. During spring 2026 visits to New York, Boston and Chicago, current students learned from the journeys of former students who are now in C-suite roles.
The legacy continues
For three decades, LBH's core tenets — co-op, study abroad, leadership and professional development — have fueled innovation to meet changing employer and student needs. LBH’s legacy lives on through the students, alumni, faculty and supporters who continue to propel Lindner forward — proving that when you build with intention, experiment with rigor and scale with purpose, the impact extends far beyond a single platform.
Featured image at top: Craig Lindner (fourth from left) and LHP Director Asawari Deshmukh (second from right) with LBH students. Photos/Lindner Business Honors.
Honors Turns 30
Throughout the 2026-27 academic year, Lindner Business Honors is celebrating the legacy of its students, programs and supporters with an eye toward innovating and advancing opportunities for future Honors participants. Get involved today.