Welcome New Faculty
Sept. 26, 2019 - Katherine OliverThe VCU School of Business is pleased to welcome an outstanding group of new faculty! We couldn’t be prouder of our new hires. Each brings unique experiences and interests that will enrich our students, research and community.
Manika Avasthi - Instructor for Business Essentials, Undergraduate Studies
Education: MBA in HR Management and BA of Science, both from the University of Lucknow in India; Collegiate Professional License
Prior role: adjunct professor, VCU School of Business
Interests: service learning and facilitating connections between students and the business community
Elizabeth Baker – Associate Professor – Information Systems
Education: Ph.D. in Business, Information Systems concentration from Virginia Commonwealth University; MBA from the University of Arizona; B.S. in Physics and Astronomy from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Prior role: associate professor, UNC Wilmington’s Cameron School of Business
Research interests: strategic enterprise information systems, information technology management - systems admin/cybersecurity, post M&A IS integration, cross-cultural information systems adoption, commercialization of intellectual property, IT in Healthcare
Shannon Harris – Assistant Professor – Supply Chain Management & Analytics
Education: Ph.D. in Business Analytics and Operations from the University of Pittsburgh; B.S. in Systems Engineering and Operations Research from George Mason University
Prior role: assistant professor, The Ohio State University’s Fischer of School of Business
Research interests: predictive analytics, statistical modeling and optimization in healthcare
Brett Massimino - Assistant Professor - Supply Chain Management and Analytics
Education: Ph.D. in Business Administration, Operations Management from The Ohio State University; MBA in Supply Chain Management from Lehigh University; B.S. in Computer Engineering from University of Pittsburgh
Prior role: assistant professor, Cornell University’s Johnson College of Business
Research interests: supply chain management within digital economies, the confidentiality of digital assets exchanged among supply chain partners, and the operational challenges of transitioning from traditional to digital environments
KT Schaeffer – Professor, Art Direction – Brandcenter
Education: M.S. in Communications from VCU Brandcenter, B.A. in Communication Art & Design from Virginia Commonwealth University
Prior role: leveraging design to create the unimagined experience for top companies such as Anthropologie, NIKE, Sugar Paper, Hamilton Beach and The Martin Agency
Interests: creative problem solving and teaching others how to see great design, product development or an environment from a different perspective
Tom Scharpf - Professor, Art Direction - VCU Brandcenter
Education: M.S. in Communications from VCU Brandcenter; B.F.A. in Visual Communication Design from University of Dayton
Prior Role: executive creative director/executive vice president at Leo Burnett, Chicago, where he led the global Samsung mobile account
Interests: creatively guiding students and global brands across digital, social and traditional mediums
Daniel Stephenson – Assistant Professor – Economics
Education: Ph.D. in Economics from Texas A&M University; B.S. in Economics from Campbell University
Prior role: postdoctoral researcher, Economic Science Institute at Chapman University
Research interests: experimental economics, game theory, behavioral economics, mechanism design, contests
Cesar Zamudio - Assistant Professor - Marketing
Education: Ph.D. in Management Science from the University of Texas; B.A. in Marketing from Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico
Prior role: assistant professor, Kent State University’s College of Business Administration
Research interests: human and employer branding, mobile marketing, online reviews, sensory marketing, celebrity endorsements and brand alliances