Event Speakers

Haya Ajjan is the Dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, the Sheldon and Christine Gordon Professor in Entrepreneurship and Professor of Management Information Systems. Ajjan teaches undergraduate and graduate data analytics courses. She was named one of the Top 50 Undergraduate Business Professors in the United States by Poets&Quants. Her research focuses on better understanding the impact of technology use on individuals and organizations and has been published in journals such as Journal of Business Research and European Journal of Operational Research. Ajjan is also a co-author on the Essentials of Marketing Analytics, 2nd edition (McGraw-Hill 2024) and Analytics in Sales (Sage 2024). During her tenure at Elon University, she has served as the Associate Dean of the Love School of Business, the President’s Faculty Administrative Fellow and founded the Center for Organizational Analytics.

Lerzan Aksoy is Dean and Professor of Marketing, at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business. From 2015 to 2022 she served as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Strategic Initiatives. She is the 2022 recipient of American Marketing Association’s Christopher Lovelock Career Contributions to the Services Discipline Award. She currently serves as the President of American Marketing Associationâ’s Academic Council. Dean Aksoy’s scholarship focuses on customer loyalty and she has co-authored 5 books one of which is the NY Times bestseller The Wallet Allocation Rule. Dr. Aksoy, a global nomad who has lived in seven countries growing up, is a Fulbright scholar, and has a PhD in marketing from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, an MBA from George Mason University, and a BS in Business Administration from Hacettepe University, Turkey.

Dr. Joseph P. Bailey is Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Associate Research Professor at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business.  He has been a faculty member at the University of Maryland since 1998. Dr. Bailey's research and teaching examine how businesses can strategically source, design, and deploy innovative technologies.  His most recent research explores how artificial intelligence can be used to help improve the patenting process.  From 2009-2014 and again from 2017-2021, Dr. Bailey was Executive Director of the QUEST Honors Program, a cohort-based program that brings together students in business, engineering, and computer science. During the interim, he was an Edison Scholar at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, developing improved artificial intelligence tools for automated patent search. Dr. Bailey teaches a number of undergraduate and graduate courses in managing R&D, data science, information systems, and experiential learning. He serves on the board of several tech startups. Dr. Bailey has a Ph.D. from the Technology, Management and Policy Program at MIT, an M.S. in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.

Michael L. Barnett is Dean’s Research Professor in the Department of Management & Global Business at Rutgers Business School-Newark & New Brunswick and Editor-in-Chief of the Academy of Management Perspectives. He holds a Ph.D. from the Stern School of Business at New York University and has previously held tenured faculty positions at the University of Oxford and the University of South Florida. He was a Distinguished “Star” Visiting Professor at EGADE Business School from 2015 to 2020 and has held visiting professorships at NYU, Bath, Fordham, Oklahoma, Stevens, and Seton Hall. He has served as a Fellow of the American Council on Education (hosted at Baruch College), an International Research Fellow of the Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation, and a Fellow of the Rutgers Leadership Academy. Mike currently serves as Fellow of the Institute for Ethical Leadership and has previously served as Vice Dean for Academic Programs at RBS, Chair of the Newark Faculty Council, Academic Director of the Rutgers Institute for Corporate Social Innovation, Head of the Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and International Business Academic Area at the Said Business School, Director of Studies for Economics & Management at St. Anne’s College, Research Director of the Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation, Chair of the Social Issues in Management Division of the Academy of Management, Research Fellow of the Patel Center for Global Solutions at the University of South Florida, Secretary of the Faculty Senate at the University of South Florida, and Exide Professor of Sustainable Enterprise at the University of South Florida. Prior to joining academia, Mike was an active duty commissioned officer in the US Air Force, serving as Executive Officer and Squadron Section Commander after completing Officer Training School as a Distinguished Graduate. Mike was one of the earliest McNair Scholars as an undergraduate at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he was also a resident assistant and a community service officer with the University of Missouri Police Department. Mike currently volunteers as a nationally registered emergency medical technician (EMT) with the South Orange Rescue Squad and the Millburn-Short Hills Volunteer First Aid Squad in New Jersey. Mike’s daughter is a senior at Rutgers and his son is a junior at the US Air Force Academy. Mike’s publications are freely available at profmikebarnett.com.

Arun Kumar Bhaskara-Baba is a global technology leader, investor, and strategic advisor to AI startups transforming enterprise supply chains. Known for connecting IT investments to business outcomes, he advocates for moving beyond siloed pilots to scalable digital transformation that drives growth, productivity, and working capital improvements. His thought leadership highlights how Agentic AI can accelerate proposal velocity, simplify manufacturing workflows, and elevate customer experience by linking business KPIs to financial outcomes. He is known for balancing innovation with operational excellence, fostering inclusive teams, and creating sustainable business value. A committed STEM advocate, he partners with universities and school systems to advance digital literacy and AI readiness—from executive education to high school internships and K–12 STEM programs.

Arun served as  Chief Digital & Information Officer at Honeywell Aerospace for the past three years, leading the company’s digital transformation to drive profitable growth and business value. His focus included enhancing the digital customer experience, streamlining new product introduction, and implementing an intelligent supply chain with AI-enabled decision-making.

Previously, Arun was  Global Head of Manufacturing Product Information Technology at Johnson & Johnson, overseeing tech infrastructure at 80+ manufacturing sites across Consumer, Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, and Vision. He led Industry 4.0 implementations, including SmartFactory, closed-loop manufacturing, IoT, and pandemic technologies like wearables and simulation tools. He also led J\&J’s COVID-19 Technology Crisis Management Team.

Arun’s earlier roles include leadership positions at Dell, Ford Motor Company, and Tata Consultancy Services. He actively contributes to STEM education as a founding board member of the Supply Chain Analytics Institute, faculty at Rutgers, course partner with ASU, high school internship mentor, and STEM program sponsor.

He holds an MBA from the University of Michigan, a master’s in Computer Science, and a bachelor’s in Electronics & Communication Engineering, with certifications in  CSCP, PMP, Executive Black Belt, Lean, and Six Sigma. He lives in Phoenix with his physician wife and their two sons—an entrepreneur and a resident physician.

Jeff Bieganek currently serves as the Executive Director of the Graduate Business Curriculum Roundtable (formerly MBA Roundtable), the only global association of business schools that is focused on graduate management education curriculum design and innovation.  Prior roles include, Director of the Omnium Global Executive MBA at the University of Toronto and Director of MBA Admissions and Recruitment for all the MBA programs at the University of Minnesota.  Jeff has served on the Board of Directors of the Executive MBA Council, as well has been active with the Graduate Management Admissions Council.   Jeff currently serves as Chair of the Advisory Board for Northrop at the University of Minnesota.  Jeff has an undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Management.

Bruce Blonigen is the Edward Maletis Dean at the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business. During his more than 28 years with the UO, he has served as department head in economics, associate dean for social sciences, dean for faculty and operations in the College of Arts and Sciences, and interim dean of the Lundquist College of Business. Prior to joining Lundquist College as dean in 2022, Blonigen was the Tykeson Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Oregon. 

He earned both a PhD and MA in economics from the University of California, Davis, and his undergraduate degree, also in economics, is from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. He is also a research associate for the National Bureau of Economic Research, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and an external fellow of the Leverhulme Centre for Globalisation and Economic Policy at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom. His research focuses on trade policy and foreign direct investment, and he has studied the relationship between trade and the growth of cities as part of an NSF (National Science Foundation) research grant. 

Blonigen is also the first in his family to earn a college degree and is passionate about student success. He is cofounder of the UO SAIL (Summer Academy to Inspire Learning) program (https://sail.uoregon.edu), which inspires middle and high school students from low socioeconomic, first-generation, and underrepresented backgrounds to pursue, enroll, and succeed in higher education. 

Davendra Brijlall is a seasoned finance executive with over 16 years of experience leading FP&A and strategic finance functions across global organizations in financial services, technology, and education. He has held key leadership roles at industry leaders such as BlackRock and Bloomberg, where he built high-performing teams and served as a trusted advisor to senior executives.

Recognized for his ability to combine deep financial expertise with a collaborative, business-partnering mindset, Davendra helps organizations navigate complexity, scale operations, and drive sustainable growth. His approach is grounded in strong analytical insight, operational success, and a commitment to aligning financial strategy with evolving business goals.

Davendra holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Rider University and an MBA from Pennsylvania State University. His academic foundation supports his strategic leadership style and reflects his core belief: Every experience is a learning opportunity.

Outside of work, Davendra is a proud husband and father, a creative home chef, and an avid traveler with a passion for exploring new cultures and cuisines.

Nerissa Brown is Executive Associate Dean of Academic Programs and Professor of Accountancy at Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In her role, she provides high-level oversight of the college’s academic programs, both on-campus and online, and oversees multiple units that drive innovation, learning, and engagement across both platforms. Nerissa partners closely with academic units to foster curricular and programmatic innovations, with a particular focus on positioning Gies at the forefront of technology-integrated education. A well-cited researcher in financial reporting, Nerissa is a recognized expert in the field and frequently contributes to leading media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, NBC News, Bloomberg, and NPR. She holds a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Maryland and earned B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of the West Indies.

As executive vice president and chief accreditation officer for AACSB, Stephanie Bryant provides vision, leadership, and oversight of AACSB’s accreditation-related services and strategic direction for the organization. Under Bryant’s leadership, AACSB adopted the 2018 accounting accreditation standards and the 2020 business accreditation standards.

Before joining AACSB in 2017, Bryant served as dean of the College of Business at Missouri State University. During her tenure, enrollment grew to 5,500 students, making it one of the largest colleges of business at any public university in the Midwest. Previously, she was director of the University of South Florida’s School of Accountancy, overseeing a program of nearly 1,000 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral accounting students.

Bryant’s area of academic specialty is information technology security and control, and she has co-authored two textbooks and more than 30 academic articles. She is actively involved in civic and community activities, including Beta Alpha Psi and the American Accounting Association. Bryant received her PhD in accounting and BS in accounting from Louisiana State University and is a Louisiana CPA (inactive).

Dr. Ethan Burris is the King Ranch Chair Professor of Management and the Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, where he founded the Center for Leadership and Ethics and the Business of Sports Institute.   He earned his Ph.D. in Management from Cornell University and has served as a Visiting Scholar at Google and Microsoft.  He teaches and consults on topics relating to leadership, people analytics, talent insights, managing power and politics, building engagement in groups and teams, social enterprise, and negotiations. 

Dr. Burris’ current research focuses on understanding “employee voice” – getting employees to candidly speak up about problems and opportunities for improvement.  In particular, he has investigated how leaders shape employees' decisions whether to speak up or stay silent, and how these voice behaviors influence the performance of the employees who offer their input and the leaders and organizations who receive it.  His research has appeared in several top management and psychology journals, such as Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology and Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, and has been covered in major media outlets such as the Harvard Business Review, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and the Houston Chronicle. 

John A. Byrne is the founder of C-Change Media, a global digital media company of higher education content. C-Change now has five websites, including Poets&Quants.com, the highly popular destination for applicants to the world’s best business schools. Byrne is the author or co-author of more than ten books, including two New York Times bestsellers, and is the former executive editor of Businessweek, editor-in-chief of Businessweek.com, and editor-in-chief of Fast Company. He also is the creator of the first regularly published rankings of business schools for Businessweek in 1988 and the author of several business school guidebooks. He wrote an unprecedented 58 cover stories for Businessweek and is the only business journalist to have written covers for Businessweek, Fortune, Forbes, and Fast Company magazines.

Jennifer Chatman is the Bank of America Dean of the Haas School of Business. Prior to becoming dean, she was the Paul J. Cortese Distinguished Professor of Management. She has served as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, and from October to December 2023, she served as the school’s Acting Dean. 

In her research, teaching, and consulting work, Dean Chatman focuses on how organizations can leverage culture for strategic success and how diverse teams can optimize performance. Her award-winning research has shown, for example, how emphasizing innovation in the context of a strong culture increases firms’ financial success, how narcissistic leaders create organizational cultures lower in collaboration and integrity, and how norms to cooperate can cause members to blur differences among them, even if those differences are useful for group performance—suggesting that collaboration should be calibrated in diverse teams.

She is also the Co-founder and Co-director of the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation and co-hosts the podcast The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer with Sameer Srivastava. 

Dean Chatman earned her PhD at Berkeley Haas, and her BA in Psychology from UC Berkeley.

Francesca Cornelli is the dean of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. She is also a professor of finance and holds the Donald P. Jacobs Chair of Finance at Kellogg. 

Since joining Kellogg in 2019, Dean Cornelli has crystallized the school’s mission to shape empathetic leaders who think globally, unite diverse perspectives, and lead through rapid change and complexity.

As dean, Cornelli has increased Kellogg’s focus on preparing today’s leaders to operate effectively at the intersection of business, science and technology. She spearheaded the creation of Kellogg’s MBAi Program, a joint degree between Kellogg and Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering.  She has also helmed the expansion and enrichment of Kellogg’s programming in healthcare, sustainability and private equity.

A global educator, Cornelli has vast international experience and has taught at some of the top schools in the world, including the London School of Economics, the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, the New Economic School in Moscow, the Wharton School and the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Immediately prior to Kellogg, Cornelli was professor of finance and deputy dean at London Business School. 

Cornelli is widely respected as an accomplished scholar and a leader in business education. Her research interests include corporate governance, private equity, privatization, bankruptcy, IPOs and innovation policy. She has been an editor of the Review of Financial Studies, one of the top three finance journals, and previously served on the board of editors of the Review of Economic Studies and as an associate editor at the Journal of Finance. 

Cornelli helped create and became a board member of AFFECT, a committee of the American Finance Association designed to promote the advancement of women academics in the field of finance. She serves on several boards, including Edizione, GSM Grosvenor Inc., Civic Consulting Alliance, Ryan Specialty Holdings, Inc., and Lyric Opera of Chicago. 

Leonardo (Len) DeCandia is an award-winning supply chain/procurement expert and educator with 40+ years of experience, including 25 years at the C-level at four Fortune 100 companies. Across multiple industries, Len is widely regarded as a pioneering, visionary leader with exceptional organizational skills and a stellar performance record in driving large scale transformations that deliver significant P&L impact. Len retired at the end of 2022 as Global Chief Procurement Officer at Johnson & Johnson and previously held roles as Chief Supply Officer and Chief Procurement Officer at Estée Lauder, AmerisourceBergen and Roche Pharmaceuticals. He is passionate about advancing supply chain’s global practices with a laser focus on driving growth and delivering value for positive share impact. 

As a pioneer in supply chain practices and education, Len is the Founding Chair of the Center for Supply Chain Management at Rutgers University (Established in 2000). He also helped launch both the undergraduate and graduate programs in supply chain management. He currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Rutgers Business School Advisory Board (BSME/MBA) and is an adjunct professor teaching the Rutgers Executive Education module on the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain. Len was recognized as the Global Chief Procurement Officer of the Year in 2021 for his leadership efforts during the COVID pandemic and was honored in 2022 with both the Global Procurement Leaders Lifetime Achievement Award and the Rutgers Business School Distinguished Alumni Award. 

Len currently serves as an Executive Board Advisor to Arkestro, Inc. and as a Strategic Board Member to Transparent Energy. He volunteers as an advisor to the World 50 Group where Len’s knowledge and vast experience is valued by companies seeking to transform their supply chain management processes for productivity, governance and digitization. Len resides in Princeton, NJ and enjoys spending quality time with his family. He continues to publish papers on advanced supply chain practices and technologies

Cathy L. Z. DuBois serves as the Bryan Dean of Miller College of Business at Ball State University. She previously served as associate dean for administration and as associate dean for graduate and online programs in the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship at Kent State University. Prior to her administrative roles, she served as professor of management and information systems, teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in human resource management and organizational behavior, with a focus on responsible management and sustainability. 

Dean DuBois’s research has addressed the role of the Human Resource function in organizational sustainability initiatives, workplace public health issues, workplace gender issues, and organizational training issues, among other topics. Her publications have appeared in journals such as the Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, Human Resource Management, Psychology of Women Quarterly, and Sex Roles. She currently serves on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Management Inquiry.

Dean DuBois has been a champion for positive societal impact, serving in volunteer leadership roles for the United Nations affiliated Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) organization, the AACSB Responsible Management Education (RME) Affinity Group, and for the AASHE STARS Technical Advisors. Dean DuBois holds a Ph.D. in industrial relations and human resource management from the University of Minnesota.

J.P. Eggers the Catherine & Peter Kellner Professor of Entrepreneurship at NYU’s Stern School of Business. Professor Eggers served as Interim Dean (2024-2025) and Vice Dean for MBA and Graduate Programs (2018-2024). He was the founding academic director of Stern’s Technology and Entrepreneurship MBA, an innovative MBA with deep connections to the tech industry and the NYC startup scene. He expanded format flexibility for working professionals in Stern’s Part-time MBA Program with the Online-Modular option. He prioritized career diversification efforts with both SternWorks, a donor-supported program funding student internships with small businesses and nonprofits, and the Executive in Residence program, bringing leading alumni to campus for 1:1 and small group discussions with students and administrators.

Professor Eggers’ research interests span technological change, decision-making under uncertainty, and new product development. He frequently studies the challenges faced by managers and executives in making good decisions and addressing new opportunities in emerging technologies. He has taught across a wide range of graduate populations and program formats. Courses include the introductory strategy core course, an advanced elective in strategy, a course on decision-making using data analytics and experiments, and hands-on experiential learning courses in entrepreneurship and technology development.

Prior to his academic career, Professor Eggers was a strategy consultant with two boutique firms, working with C-level executives on product and technology strategy projects for firms ranging from Nordstrom to NASCAR and from Coca-Cola to YKK Zippers. He also worked as a political consultant on congressional, senatorial and gubernatorial campaigns. He received his BA in History from Amherst College, his MBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University and his PhD in Management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Charles is the Head of Industry for Google's Public Sector, where he is at the forefront of Rapid Innovation. As a passionate advocate for the transformative power of artificial intelligence and data analytics, Charles is dedicated to bringing the best of Google's cutting-edge research directly to public sector customers through innovative solutions. His mission is to empower government agencies, educational institutions, and non-profits to leverage advanced AI capabilities for strategic growth, enhanced public services, and operational excellence.

In his role, Charles works hand-in-hand with public sector organizations, guiding them in the development and implementation of AI strategies that effectively address their unique challenges and opportunities. He expertly bridges the gap between Google's deep research insights and practical application, ensuring Google Cloud's AI platform delivers tangible, measurable impact in critical public services.

A recognized thought leader, Charles frequently shares his insights on the evolving landscape of AI and its strategic implications for the public sector through various publications, presentations, and industry events. He is particularly excited about the potential of generative AI to revolutionize how public sector entities operate, from optimizing citizen experiences and streamlining operations to fostering new product development and public good initiatives.

Richard Evans is the Senior Associate Dean for Research, a Darden School Foundation Trustee and holds the Donald McLean Wilkinson Research Chair at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. His research deals broadly with investment decisions, and his current research projects explore fund manager compensation and incentives, exchange-traded funds, corporate political activity and stock performance, short-selling and quantitative vs. fundamental investment strategies. His work has been published in the Journal of Finance, the Journal of Financial Economics and the Review of Financial Studies and has been cited by the financial press (The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist and Forbes) as well as regulatory agencies (Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S. General Accounting Office and the White House Council of Economic Advisors). He has presented his research to the SEC, Federal Reserve, Social Security Administration and the American Finance Association. He currently serves on the editorial board of the Financial Analysts Journal, as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Financial Economics and as the Academic Director of the Money Management Institute's Executive IQ Program. He has also taught executive education courses for investment professionals from Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Sands Capital Management, and Citizens Bank. He has been the recipient of a Santander Research Fellowship at Cambridge University, a Senior Research Fellowship at the Long-Term Investors think tank at the Università di Torino, and he has served as a visiting faculty member at Nova Universidade de Lisboa. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from the University of Utah and a master’s degree and doctorate in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

As Founder and CEO of the not-for-profit organization BrightStreet, Rob Falzon applies his C-level financial expertise and a commitment to economic empowerment toward accelerating small business growth and closing the credit gap in under-resourced communities. He recently served as Vice Chair of Prudential Financial Inc., where he developed more than four decades of investment management, insurance, and retirement industry expertise.

In founding BrightStreet, Rob has architected a bold vision to transform lives through expanded access to microloans and entrepreneurial support services. Grounded by a comprehensive approach to meeting small business needs, the organization provides catalytic capital and wraparound services to help start-ups, solopreneurs, and microenterprise owners succeed. Under this mission, the program will accelerate economic mobility and neighborhood revitalization in New Jersey’s largest cities, beginning in Newark, by building strategic alliances with corporate sponsors, business development organizations, and local institutions.

Previously, Rob was a central figure in the financial growth and strategic transformation of Prudential Financial Inc., where he rose to become Vice Chair after roles as Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer. His success is built on a consistent track record of incisive strategy, strong investor relationships, and an ability to deliver long-term value through talent development, capital optimization, operational transformation, and financial restructuring.

An influential culture carrier, Rob’s impact at Prudential spans Finance, Investments, Risk, Technology, and Corporate Affairs functions. His leadership was instrumental in major initiatives, including restructuring $35 billion of legacy insurance books, driving hundreds of millions in cost savings initiatives, and launching the company’s signature Living Better, Longer corporate campaign. Known for consistently building high-performing teams, he also championed multiple innovative talent programs to prepare professionals for the future of work.

Rob’s career began in Prudential’s Global Investment Management Group and included time in Investment Banking. Over the years, he built and led major investment platforms in the US and Europe, raised billions in AUM and capital and guided organizations through periods of crisis and growth. For two years, he worked in London as the company’s CEO for its European Real Estate operations, leading a comprehensive turnaround and regional expansion.

Dedicated to serving the Newark community and beyond, Rob is currently a Board Trustee for Rutgers University and an Advisory Board Member of the New Jersey Salvation Army. He also guides the strategic direction of the Newark Salvation Army and Ironbound Red Shield Youth Club as Board Chair. In 2023, he received the Alfonso Ramon Leadership Award from La Casa de Don Pedro for his commitment to the Newark community.

Rob holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BS in Economics from Rutgers University (Phi Beta Kappa).  He is a CFA® Charterholder and a CPA in New Jersey. 

A sought-after speaker and media contributor, Rob continues to lend his voice and expertise to the dialogue around inclusive finance, economic justice, and the future of work.

Dr. Kathy Farrell became the James Jr. and Susan Stuart Endowed Dean of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business on Dec. 1, 2017, after serving nearly a year as interim dean. She led an inclusive strategic planning process that resulted in a new mission, guiding principles and initiatives to advance the college.

Under her leadership, the college launched a business analytics major, a business and law major, the Seacrest Teaching Fellows program, the Inclusive Business Leaders program and several new online graduate and professional development programs. She also increased donor support to double the number of endowed faculty chairs and expanded student services, providing free tutoring, more scholarships and retention-focused initiatives. 

An experienced academic and business leader, Farrell was elected to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Board of Directors in 2023. She previously served as associate dean for four years and chair of the Department of Finance for two years. She serves on the boards of Nelnet Inc., Assurity Inc., Bryan Health and the Lincoln Community Foundation, among other nonprofit organizations.

Farrell joined the College of Business faculty in 1993 and taught corporate finance and banking for more than 20 years. She earned tenure in 2001, became a full professor in 2009 and received both the Distinguished Teaching Award and the University Distinguished Teaching Award.

Her research focuses on executive compensation, turnover and succession, and corporate governance. Her work has appeared in journals including Journal of Business, Journal of Corporate Finance, Journal of Accounting and Economics, and Journal of Banking and Finance.

Before earning her doctorate in finance from the University of Georgia, she worked as an auditor for KPMG and earned her CPA (inactive). She holds a bachelor’s degree from Kent State.

Mark J. Ferguson is the Founder and CEO of Innervation Finance Group Inc., a minority-owned public benefit corporation and fintech innovator advancing equitable access to capital through supply chain finance. Under his leadership, the firm developed InnervationSCF®, a tech-enabled platform that injects liquidity into underserved supply chains—empowering small and diverse suppliers while optimizing working capital for enterprise buyers. A mission-driven entrepreneur and strategic advisor, Mark operates at the intersection of fintech, ESG, and procurement transformation. Innervation partners with leading institutions—including KeyBank, Valley Bank, and JP Morgan Chase —to deliver inclusive financial solutions aligned with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. He is a recognized voice on MWBE access to capital, public-private partnerships, and the design of off-balance-sheet SCF programs for critical infrastructure projects. Mark’s background spans investment banking, public-sector finance, and startup innovation. He is an alum of the Element 46 Tech Accelerator, a member of the Microsoft Black Partner Growth Initiative, Airport Minority Advisory Council, the International Trade Council and a mentor to emerging fintech founders building purpose-driven ventures. He holds degrees in Finance and International Business from NYU’s Stern School of Business and resides in New York.

Susan Fournier is Allen Questrom Professor and Dean at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. Under her leadership, the school advances its mission of developing leaders who leverage the power of business to create value for the world.

Susan is in her 30th year as a marketing academic, 19 of these at Questrom. In 2018, she became Questrom’s first woman dean and its first academic dean in 40+ years.  Prior to Questrom, Susan served on the faculties of Harvard Business School and Dartmouth Tuck, and spent 10 years in various consulting, advertising, market research, and corporate board roles. She earned her PhD from the University of Florida, MS from Penn State, and her Undergraduate degree from UMass Amherst. Susan serves on the board of the business school accrediting organization AACSB.

With 36,000+ Google Scholar citations, five best article awards to her credit, and appointment as a 2022 Consumer Research Fellow, Susan’s scholarship on brands, brand relationships, customer satisfaction, and the brand-shareholder value link is among the most cited in the marketing academy. Her publication record places her in the top 2% of all scientific academic researchers worldwide.

Will Geoghegan is a distinguished business educator and a leading expert in strategic management and innovation, with extensive experience spanning academia and industry. As a Clinical Professor and Chair of Kelley Direct Programs at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, he has played a pivotal role in shaping one of the world’s top-ranked online MBA programs, securing 18 global #1 rankings during his tenure. Recognized for his innovative approach to business education, Will has received numerous teaching excellence awards and was named one of Poets & Quants’ Best 40 Under 40 Business Professors. 

Holding a Ph.D. in Management from the University of Galway, Will’s research and teaching focus on strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship. His work has been published in leading academic journals, including Research Policy, Technovation, and Business Horizons,  and he has contributed to numerous high-impact case studies and textbooks in innovation and strategic management. A sought-after speaker, he frequently presents on emerging trends in business education - particularly the role of technology in MBA programs, and has been featured in Fortune, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal.

Beyond academia, Will is deeply engaged in executive education and consulting, helping senior leaders refine strategy implementation and drive business model innovation. He has designed and led immersive international business experiences for MBA students and executives in global hubs such as Paris, London, Seoul, and New Delhi. His expertise spans corporate strategy, technology transfer, critical problem-solving techniques, university-industry collaboration, and the intersection of digital transformation with business model evolution.

Originally from Ireland, Will has built a global academic career, teaching at institutions across the U.S., Europe, Oceania, and Asia. Outside of his professional pursuits, he enjoys golf, running, snowboarding, and soccer, and he cherishes time with his wife and their 5-year-old son.

Sanjay Gupta is Dean Emeritus and the Eli & Edythe Broad Endowed Professor of Accounting & Information Systems in the Broad College of Business at Michigan State University. From 2015 to 2022, he served as the Broad College’s 11th Dean. Currently, he serves as Co-Chair of the Green and White Council, a signature Presidential initiative aimed at elevating MSU's role in workforce and economic development. 

Prior to becoming dean, Gupta was the Russell E. Palmer Endowed Professor of Accounting, chair of the Department of Accounting and Information Systems and associate dean for MBA and professional master’s programs. Prior to MSU, he held leadership positions in the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, including the first Henry & Horne Professorship in Accountancy and Dean’s Council of 100 Distinguished Scholars.

He is an award-winning teacher and scholar whose research on corporate and individual tax policy issues has been published in leading tax and accounting journals and cited in media, court cases and public policy forums. Gupta has consulted for the Big Four public accounting firms, the U.S. government and Fortune 500 companies. He currently serves on the national board of directors of for-profit and nonprofit organizations. He has also served as advisor and chair of business school accreditation teams for several prominent business schools nationally and internationally.

Gupta received his doctorate in business from Michigan State University, a master of accountancy from Bowling Green State University, a bachelor of laws from Calcutta University in India, and a bachelor of commerce from the University of Mumbai.

Patrick Hopkins is Dean at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, the Conrad Prebys Professor, and Professor of Accounting. Previously, he served as Vice Dean for Bloomington, Executive Associate Dean for Academic Programs, faculty chair for the Undergraduate Program, and faculty chair of Graduate Accounting Programs. 

Dean Hopkins' areas of expertise are professional judgment and decision making, human information processing, financial accounting, and the effects of accounting and auditing on capital markets. His research has appeared in top accounting journals, including The Accounting Review, the Journal of Accounting Research, and Contemporary Accounting Research. He earned the American Accounting Association’s Distinguished Contribution to the Accounting Literature Award as well as AAA’s prestigious Deloitte Foundation Wildman Medal. He served on the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council and is past editor of The Accounting Review. He has also won Indiana University’s Outstanding Junior Faculty Award and many teaching awards, including the Kelley School of Business Innovative Teaching Award. 

Dean Hopkins joined the Kelley School in 1995. He earned his doctorate at the University of Texas and a Master of Accountancy as well as his bachelor’s degree at the University of Florida. He has served on the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s advisory council and is past editor of The Accounting Review. 

Erika H. James became the dean of the Wharton School on July 1, 2020. Trained as an organizational psychologist, Dean James is a leading expert on crisis leadership, workplace diversity, and management strategy.

Prior to her appointment at Wharton, Dean James was the John H. Harland Dean at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School from 2014 to 2020.

An award-winning educator, accomplished consultant, and innovative researcher, she has paved the way for women in leadership both in education and corporate America. Dean James has been instrumental in developing groundbreaking executive education programs, including the Women in Leadership program at the University of Virginia’s Darden School.

Dean James serves on the boards of Morgan Stanley, The Economic Club of New York, Pomona College, and The Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, Inc. She is a sought-after thought leader whose expertise has been quoted by The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, and numerous other media outlets. Her latest book is The Prepared Leader: Emerge from Any Crisis More Resilient Than Before (Wharton School Press), which she co-authored with Lynn Perry Wooten, President of Simmons University.

Gareth James became the John H. Harland Dean of Goizueta Business School in July 2022. James is renowned for his visionary leadership, statistical mastery, and commitment to the future of business education. He brings a powerful optimism and contagious enthusiasm to further Goizueta’s work, not only through the school’s stellar scholarship, but also by continuing to build strong bridges to the business community. He believes in the central role that business plays in society and the impact that Goizueta has in preparing the thinkers and innovators of tomorrow. His ambition to drive excellence and strengthen Goizueta’s future is fueled by his experience in data-informed decision making, strategy, and support. 

James is a noted scholar and researcher. His extensive published works include numerous articles, conference proceedings, and book chapters focused on statistical and machine learning methodologies. His work has been cited more than 30,000 times. James is also co-author of the extremely successful textbook, An Introduction to Statistical Learning. He has led multiple National Science Foundation research grants and has served as an associate editor for five top research journals. The recipient of two Dean’s Research Awards from the USC Marshall School of Business, he is an elected Fellow of the American Statistical Association and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. 

His many accolades also encompass honors for his superb teaching and mentoring. James is a recipient of the Evan C. Thompson Faculty Teaching and Learning Innovation Award and three-time winner of the Marshall School of Business’ Golden Apple Award for best instructor in the full-time MBA program. He has also been awarded Marshall and USC’s highest honors for mentoring junior colleagues and graduate students, including the Dean’s Ph.D. Advising, USC Mellon, Evan C. Thompson and Provost’s Mentoring awards.

Ohad Kadan is the Charles J. Robel Dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. He is also the W. P. Carey Distinguished Chair in Business and a professor in the Department of Finance. Kadan is an award-winning researcher and educator. His research covers different aspects of liquidity, information, risk, and incentives in financial markets. His papers have been published in top academic journals such as Econometrica, the Journal of Finance, the Review of Financial Studies, the Journal of Financial Economics, Management Science, and the Journal of Accounting and Economics. His research was also featured in popular media outlets such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Prior to joining Arizona State University, he spent 20 years at Washington University in St. Louis in both faculty and leadership positions, spearheading the introduction of innovative programs with an emphasis on a values, data, global orientation, and multidisciplinary collaboration. Kadan holds a doctoral degree from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Professor Karolyi is a scholar in investment management with a specialization in international financial markets. He has published extensively in journals, including the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics and Review of Financial Studies, and has published several books, including his 2015 book Cracking the Emerging Markets Enigma. His research is featured in The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, Time, New York Times, Washington Post, Forbes, BusinessWeek, and CNBC. He is a recipient of the Michael Jensen Prize for Corporate Finance and Organizations (2017), the Fama/DFA Prize for Capital Markets and Asset Pricing (2005), the William F. Sharpe Award for Scholarship in Finance (2001), the Journal of Empirical Finance's Biennial Best Paper Prize (2006), and Johnson School's Prize for Excellence in Research (2010). 

He leads executive education programs in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia, and is actively consulting with corporations, banks, investment firms, stock exchanges, and law firms. Karolyi is the Chair of the Working Board of Responsible Research in Business and Management (RRBM) and Vice Chair of the UN’s Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME). He serves as a Global Advisory Councilor for Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). He served as a director of the American Finance Association, is past president of the Western Finance Association, and is past chairperson of the board of trustees of the Financial Management Association International. 

Karolyi received his BA (Honors) in economics from McGill University and worked at the Bank of Canada for several years in its research department. He subsequently earned his MBA and PhD degrees in finance at the Booth School of Business of the University of Chicago.

Charles Keene joined the Tippie College in 2021 as the Associate Dean of the college’s Undergraduate Program. In this role, Keene is responsible for the planning, operations, and communications strategy of the undergraduate program within the Tippie College of Business. A member of the college’s leadership team and reporting to the dean, Keene has oversight of the Undergraduate Program Office (UPO) and its professional staff, including admissions, advising, student experience, and career services.   

Prior to his work at Iowa, Keene was the founding director of the Center for Sales & Customer Development and an associate teaching professor in the Marketing Department at the University of Missouri’s Trulaske College of Business (2010 - 2021).  At Missouri, Keene also founded a first of its kind Inside Sales Lab, an initiative that he has also brought to Iowa. 

Keene has experience in a variety of aspects of business, including retail, production, sales/marketing, credit/administration, as well as project and general management. He works with a variety of small businesses and entrepreneurs in consulting endeavors.

He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, a Master of Business Administration degree from Fontbonne University, and a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Missouri.

Lei Lei received her Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a minor in Computer Science. Her research expertise includes supply chain network design and optimization, operations planning, scheduling, process recovery after disruptions, demand-supply planning, and resource allocation optimization. Lei has over 50 refereed publications – many appeared in leading journals such as Management Science, INFORMS Journal on Computing, Interfaces, IIE Transactions, European Journal of Operations Research, Journal of Operational Research Society, and Naval Research Logistics. She was the founding Chair of the Supply Chain Management Department at Rutgers, and was listed among ROI-NJ Influencers (2021, 2022, 2023), Top 50 NJ Women in Business Influencers (2021), ROI-NJ Influencers-Higher Education (2021), NJ Difference Makers (2020), NJBIZ Top 50 Women in Business (2015, 2023), ROI-NJ Influencers-Women in Business (2025), and received the 2023 Distinguished Achievement Award from her alma mater, College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lei became the Dean of Rutgers Business School (Newark and New Brunswick) in January 2015.  

Anil K. Makhija is Dean’s Distinguished Professor of Finance, formerly till 2024, having served for ten years as dean and John W. Berry, Sr. Chair in Business of the Max M. Fisher College of Business. Makhija is recognized as an expert in the field of finance, particularly capital structure, corporate governance and valuation, and has more than 25 years of experience in academic leadership roles.

Prior to his appointment to dean in October 2014, Makhija served as senior associate dean at Fisher. He has served on the faculty of the business college since 1998 and has held the Dean's Distinguished Professorship and the David A. Rismiller Professorship in Finance. He chaired Fisher's Department of Finance and served as an associate dean of executive education programs, where he was responsible for the development of Fisher's top-ranked Executive MBA program. He was also the founding Academic Director of the National Center for the Middle Market.

Makhija has led consulting and executive development programs for dozens of leading companies in the U.S. and around the world. He has held visiting faculty appointments at respected institutions in Chile, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Hong Kong, India and Korea.

Makhija is a respected and widely published researcher. He is also the winner of numerous teaching awards, including the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching and the Pace Setters Daniel Westerbeck Teaching Excellence Award - the highest teaching honors bestowed by, respectively, Ohio State and Fisher College of Business.

Makhija has been a featured expert in media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The New York Times, Financial Times and Bloomberg Businessweek, among many others.

He has a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an MBA from Tulane University, and a Bachelor of Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi.

David Marchick is the Dean of the Kogod School of Business at American University, overseeing more than 2,000 students across both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Since becoming Dean in August 2022, he has launched initiatives in sustainability, AI, and entrepreneurship, set fundraising records, attracted the school’s largest undergraduate class, and nearly doubled its number of endowed chairs. Most recently, Marchick spearheaded an AI initiative that Times Higher Education’s Poets&Quants called the “most consequential AI transformation in business education.”

Previously, Marchick served as COO of the U.S. Development Finance Corporation, where he supported global vaccine manufacturing during the Biden Administration. He also led the Center for Presidential Transition and spent 12 years at the Carlyle Group as Managing Director, leading sustainability and diversity efforts. Earlier, he was a partner at Covington, focusing on international trade and regulatory matters, and held roles in the Clinton Administration across multiple agencies.

Marchick serves on several boards and is co-author of The Peaceful Transition of Power. He holds degrees from UC San Diego, the LBJ School at UT Austin, and George Washington University Law School.

In 2017, Roger was named the world’s #1 management thinker by Thinkers50, a biannual ranking of the most influential global business thinkers.

Roger has served as a trusted strategy advisor to the CEOs of companies worldwide, including Procter & Gamble, Lego, Ford, American Express, BHP, Steelcase, Amcor, and Verizon.

Roger Martin is a Professor Emeritus at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, where he served as Dean from 1998-2013, Academic Director of the Michael Lee-Chin Family Institute for Corporate Citizenship from 2004-2019, and Institute Director of the Martin Prosperity Institute from 2013-2019. In 2013, he was named Global Dean of the Year by the leading business school website, Poets & Quants.

Prior to his time at Rotman, he spent 13 years as a Director of Monitor Company, a global strategy consulting firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he served as co-head of the firm for two years.

Matusik is a distinguished scholar and educator whose professional expertise spans strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship. As an academic leader, she has a strong record of accomplishment in critical areas, including entrepreneurship and innovation; student success; economic inclusion; and community engagement.

A first-generation college student, Matusik earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics and English with honors from Colby College and a PhD in strategic management from the University of Washington Foster School of Business.

Matusik initially had a successful career in consulting, before moving into academics. She held academic appointments at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University and the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder, and served as dean of the Leeds School from 2017-2022.

At Michigan Ross, she is focused on key initiatives related to financial accessibility, global visibility and impact, cross-disciplinary partnerships, and transformational research and educational experiences.  These initiatives include building out a state of the art facility for the Ross School in Los Angeles to expand select Ross School executive education operations, including the Executive MBA program that has been offered in LA for the past decade, as well as custom executive education programs with corporate partners across the West Coast and globally.   Other initiatives include an election cycle partnership with the Financial Times, innovative cross-campus collaborations with units ranging from the College of Engineering to the University of Michigan Museum of Art, aggressive fundraising efforts to support students, curriculum innovations, greater involvement in supporting the economic growth of Detroit and Michigan, and mechanisms to increase the visibility of the impactful research of Ross faculty.

At the Leeds School, Matusik launched critical initiatives, including an innovative partnership between Leeds and the College of Engineering and Applied Science; the End the Gap Initiative, aimed at supporting the success of women; and Career Impact, designed to align the student experience with skills needed for long-term career success. Her term as Leeds dean saw substantial increases in student achievement, faculty diversity, fundraising, and community engagement. 

Her research, frequently cited in top journals, focuses on strategy, innovation, entrepreneurship, and knowledge assets. She has received multiple awards for research, teaching, and service and also serves on non-profit boards, including her current appointment as Board chair of the William Davidson Institute and Board member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Dr. Tawnya Means is the Assistant Dean for Educational Innovation in the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She leads a unit focused on developing and implementing innovative ideas, technologies, and approaches across the College's educational portfolio. Before this role, Tawnya served in leadership roles in teaching and learning support, providing faculty development programs and resources for instructional innovation and adopting pedagogical best practices. With 20+ years of experience in higher education, course design, and educational consulting, Tawnya has also taught courses in entrepreneurship, strategy, technology, and leadership in remote teams. Tawnya received her B.S. in Education, M.S. in Educational Technology, and Ph.D. in Information Science and Learning Technologies with an emphasis on learning systems design, all from the University of Missouri. She completed the AACSB Post-doctoral bridge program in Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of Florida and a graduate certificate in Leadership and Strategy from the University of Illinois. Her research interests are in online and blended learning, active learning, learning space design, technology for teaching, access to digital learning resources, generative AI for education, and faculty preparation to teach. She has long been a leader in campus initiatives and committees and actively presents at conferences and other institutions and organizations on technology-enhanced learning.

Anuj Mehrotra is the dean and Stephen P. Zelnak Jr. Chair and a professor of Operations Management at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business. He joined Scheller on January 1, 2024, after serving as dean of the George Washington University School of Business. Prior to that, Mehrotra was senior vice dean and vice dean of Faculty Development and Research at the University of Miami School of Business Administration. 

Mehrotra’s research interests are in large-scale optimization and interdisciplinary applications. His work has been published in top-tier academic journals, including Management Science, Mathematical Programming, Naval Research Logistics, and the Informs Journal on Computing. Mehrotra has worked with more than two dozen Fortune 500 companies, and his previous experience includes visiting positions at the Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business and the T. J. Watson Research Center. In 2022, his expertise in his field was honored with a chaired professorship in his name at Woxsen University in Hyderabad, India. 

Mehrotra received his doctoral degree in Operations Research from the Georgia Institute of Technology, his master’s degree in Operations Research from Virginia Tech, and his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in India.

Brian Mitchell oversees the full-time MBA programs, including the one-year and two-year formats, as well as Goizueta’s Global Strategy and Initiatives. Prior to joining Goizueta, Brian spent 20 years in marketing and strategy roles in the pharmaceutical industry, eventually becoming a Managing Director at Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. with ownership of a P&L of over $600 million. Throughout his career, he earned distinguished awards such as Brand of the Year, the Pharmaceutical Global Marketing Award, and the Solvay Summit Award, the company’s highest individual honor. Brian holds a MA degree in Business Administration with honors from Morehouse College; MBA and MPH from Emory University where he earned the Michael Lee Outstanding Student Award; Ed.M. in Higher Education Leadership and Governance from Harvard University where he was a Fellow in the Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership and earned the 2016 Intellectual Contribution and Faculty Tribute award for his research on global partnerships in graduate business education; and as Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership from the University of Georgia with a dissertation on talent management within higher education.

Jeff Mraz is an Audit and Assurance partner at Deloitte & Touche LLP. He is based in New Jersey and has 29 years of experience serving clients across a variety of industries, with a focus on life sciences and consumer and industrial products companies. He is a national audit leader within Deloitte’s life sciences business. 

In his client service roles, Jeff has led numerous global engagement teams, which have included travel all over the world to provide impactful client experiences, including Australia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the U.K., and many more. He has extensive experience serving clients across a wide range of complex accounting and reporting issues. He has also advised several clients in acquisition, divestiture, IPO, and financing transactions. 

Jeff is strongly committed to the development of Deloitte professionals. He serves as a coach, mentor, and facilitator for local and national training programs. He leads campus recruiting for the New Jersey Audit & Assurance practice, and experienced hire recruiting for the Greater Tri-State Audit & Assurance practice. He is also the lead relationship partner for Rutgers University.

He graduated from Rutgers College and the Rutgers Business School in May 1995. He currently serves on the Rutgers Business School Dean’s Board of Advisers and on the Board of Trustees of the River Crossing YMCA. Jeff delivered the commencement address at the May 2023 Rutgers Business School-New Brunswick graduation ceremony.

Jeff lives in Hunterdon County with his wife Stephanie (Rutgers College and Rutgers Business School class of 1992), their two children (Zach and Emily), and their dog (Cocoa).

Philip D. Murphy took the oath of office as New Jersey’s 56th Governor on January 16, 2018. After being re-elected in November 2021, Governor Murphy became the first Democratic Governor in New Jersey to serve a second term in 44 years.

Since taking office in 2018, Governor Murphy has focused on building a stronger, fairer, and more affordable New Jersey for every family. Under his leadership, New Jersey has taken strides in achieving record-high economic growth, expanding critical investments to lower costs for working families, restoring fiscal responsibility to state government, creating new economic opportunities in every community, and shrinking longstanding inequities.  

Over the course of his Administration, Governor Murphy has delivered real tax fairness and relief for New Jersey’s middle class and seniors through a number of new tax cuts — including the most ambitious property tax relief program in the state’s history, the ANCHOR program — while ensuring that the wealthiest New Jerseyans and biggest corporations pay their fair share.

A major hallmark of the Murphy Administration has been revitalizing New Jersey’s reputation as a global leader in innovation. In pursuit of this goal, Governor Murphy has introduced a new set of economic incentives focused on promoting the growth of local businesses and innovative startups, enacted the state’s first tax credits for historic preservation, and expanded credits for brownfields reclamation and redevelopment, among other initiatives designed to put New Jerseyans at the forefront of tomorrow’s economy.

The Governor has prioritized cultivating the most diverse and inclusive innovation ecosystem in the nation by supporting the growth of New Jersey-based start-ups and innovators through initiatives like the New Jersey Innovation Evergreen Fund and New Jersey’s AI Moonshot, which he announced during his 2024 State of the State Address. He also launched the Strategic Innovation Centers program, which has supported major incubators and accelerators across the state in a wide variety of industries, from the life sciences to fintech. Thanks to these efforts, New Jersey is now one of the top states in the nation for venture capital investment and has been recognized as the most-improved state for business, according to CNBC.

Governor Murphy has also positioned New Jersey to lead the world in combating climate change, particularly through the state’s growing dominance in clean energy industries like solar power and offshore wind. As part of these efforts, he has set New Jersey on a course to reach 100% clean energy by 2035, which represents one of the most ambitious clean energy goals in the entire country. And through clean energy supply chain projects at the Paulsboro Marine Terminal, and by creating the nation’s first purpose built offshore wind port at the South Jersey Wind Port in Salem County, the state is poised to create generations of good-paying, union jobs in the renewable industries that will power America’s future.

The Governor has also focused on making New Jersey a leading location for film, television, and digital production, enacting a new incentive program that has attracted billions of dollars in investments to New Jersey since 2021. And he has established New Jersey as a premier destination for live entertainment and sports. During Governor Murphy’s time in office, the state has been selected to host some of the world’s biggest sporting events, including the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Final and the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final.

Additionally, when New Jersey was the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Murphy worked closely with federal leaders, in Congress as well as the White House, to secure life-saving resources and make New Jersey a national leader in vaccine distribution and administration. Because of these efforts, New Jersey emerged from the pandemic as the number one state for private sector job creation in the entire Northeast. This historic economic rebound was supported by the billions of dollars that the Murphy Administration provided in state and federal relief to small businesses, schools, homeowners, tenants, landlords, and middle-class families.

The Murphy Administration has also made monumental progress when it comes to lowering costs and raising wages for New Jersey’s working families. In partnership with the State Legislature, he raised the state’s minimum wage from $8.60 when he took office to more than $15-per-hour, enacted guaranteed paid sick leave, and expanded paid family leave. Governor Murphy has made historic investments into K-12 education, put New Jersey on the path to universal pre-K, and created the College Promise program to provide tuition-free college for tens of thousands of students.

He has supported policies that have driven down the cost of health care, including prescription drugs, and has eliminated hundreds of millions of dollars in medical debt relief for New Jersey’s residents. And he worked closely with the Legislature to enact the most significant affordable housing law in 40 years, ensuring that new housing will be built fairly, equitably, and without delay.

Moreover, the Murphy Administration has made generational investments modernizing New Jersey’s infrastructure, from creating new, dedicated funding streams to support NJ TRANSIT to securing full funding to complete the Gateway Program, which will double transit capacity along the Northeast Corridor.

Governor Murphy has expanded protections for the state’s immigrant and LGBTQIA+ communities. He has made New Jersey a national leader in enacting gun safety laws that have resulted in the number of shootings in New Jersey falling to their lowest levels on record. And, in anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s disastrous overturning of Roe v. Wade, he enacted a landmark law that protects the fundamental right to an abortion throughout pregnancy and has made New Jersey a safe haven for reproductive care.

Since day one of his Administration, Governor Murphy has worked to establish New Jersey as a model state for social and racial justice by decriminalizing marijuana and cultivating a thriving adult-use cannabis industry, expunging the records of numerous non-violent offenders, and launching a first-of-its-kind clemency program for New Jerseyans in need of second chances. He has created the nation’s strongest provisions for environmental justice and has put a focus on eliminating stigma and promoting a compassionate approach to tackling opioid misuse. He has consistently protected and strengthened New Jersey’s democracy, including enacting automatic voter registration, in-person early voting, and restoring voting rights to individuals on probation or parole. And Governor Murphy has successfully appointed five Justices to the New Jersey Supreme Court, all with bipartisan support.

While establishing New Jersey as a progressive leader in every area of public policy, Governor Murphy has also made historic progress in restoring New Jersey’s financial health. He became the first Governor in a quarter-century to make a full annual pension payment, which he has now done for four years in a row. Additionally, after 11 credit rating downgrades under the prior administration, Governor Murphy has secured seven credit rating upgrades for New Jersey. Under his leadership, New Jersey has seen record budget surpluses and the retirement of billions of dollars in state debt.

Governor Murphy currently serves as the Finance Chair of the Democratic Governors Association. Previously, he served as the Chair of the National Governors Association and the Democratic Governors Association, and made history as the first Governor to lead both organizations simultaneously.

Career Prior to Becoming Governor

From 2009 until 2013, Governor Murphy served as the United States Ambassador to The Federal Republic of Germany, a position to which he was appointed by President Obama.

Governor Murphy has been deeply engaged in civic life and philanthropic pursuits. In 2002, he began his involvement with 180 Turning Lives Around, a Monmouth County women’s shelter where he ultimately served as Board president from 2005 until 2009. That experience led the Governor and First Lady to establish the teen helpline 2nd Floor.

Additionally, Governor Murphy was a member of the Board of Directors of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, a non-profit organization which works with local community development associations to transform urban neighborhoods across the country, from 2002 until 2009.

In 2005, he chaired the New Jersey Benefits Review Task Force. He also co-chaired, with former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano and the late Professor Roger Wilkins, a national task force on public education in the 21st Century for the Center for American Progress.

In 2006, he was appointed National Finance Chair of the Democratic National Committee by Chairman and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean. During his tenure, which ran until 2009, Democrats recaptured both houses of Congress, and his efforts helped build the infrastructure that elected President Obama in 2008.

In 2014, Governor and Mrs. Murphy founded New Start New Jersey, a “think-and-do tank” dedicated to seeking new policy directions to grow New Jersey’s economy and middle class. The Murphys partnered with the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University to create the New Start Career Network, which is focused on helping long-term unemployed New Jerseyans over the age of 45 re-enter the workforce.

From June 2015 until March 2017, Governor Murphy proudly served on the National Board of the NAACP.

In December 2018, Governor Murphy was named one of four honorees of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award from the nonprofit organization run by the family of the late Sen. Kennedy for his efforts to ensure social justice and equal economic opportunity. Among the other three honorees was former President Barack Obama.

Prior to entering public life, Governor Murphy worked for over 20 years at Goldman Sachs, starting as an intern in 1982 and ending in 2003 as a member of the firm’s management committee. During his business career, he led offices in Frankfurt, Germany, and Hong Kong.

Family Life

The youngest of four children of the late Walter F. Murphy, Sr. and Dorothy Murphy, Governor Murphy was born in Boston, Massachusetts on August 16, 1957, and was raised in both Newton and nearby Needham, Massachusetts.

The Governor is a graduate of Needham High School, Harvard University, and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He has been awarded numerous honorary degrees.

Governor Murphy and his wife, Tammy Snyder Murphy, reside in Middletown, located in Monmouth County, and are the parents of four adult children: Josh, Emma, Charlie, and Sam.

Dr. Maciek Nowak is the Dean and Joseph H. and Maria C. Schwartz Distinguished Chair at The Peter J. Tobin College of Business at St. John’s University. Before joining St. John’s, Dr. Nowak was a Professor of Supply Chain Management at Loyola University Chicago, where he held several key leadership positions, including Senior Associate Vice President for Strategic Planning and Implementation, Interim Dean of the Quinlan School of Business, Associate Dean of Faculty and Research, and Department Chair. He has also been a faculty member at Georgia Southern University, a visiting scholar at Northwestern University and the University of Tunis - El Manar, a visiting professor at Creighton University, and a Fulbright Scholar at the Warsaw School of Economics.

An esteemed expert in supply chain management, Dr. Nowak has an impressive portfolio of publications in leading business journals. He earned his Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and holds a bachelor's degree and two master’s degrees in engineering from the University of Michigan. His research has involved collaboration with major organizations such as Federal Express, United Parcel Service, the Polish Post Office, Home Depot, and Bosch. Additionally, he has secured research grants from the Small Business Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. State Department.

Dr. Nowak’s leadership extends beyond academia. He served as President of the Transportation Science and Logistics Society, where he organized two major conferences. He was also a board member of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS), serving as VP of Sections and Societies, and has been a dedicated board member of the Redtwist Theater in Chicago.

Omotayo (Tayo) Okusanya is a Managing Director at Deutsche Bank, leading the REITs equity research team. A 20+ year veteran on Wall Street, he has previously led REIT Research Teams at Credit Suisse, Mizuho, Jefferies and UBS. He has received citations for excellence from Institutional Investor’s All-America Research and Forbes Magazine’s Best Brokerage Analyst, among others.

Tayo holds an MBA from Harvard Business School (Honors) and is a proud undergraduate of Rutgers University with a double major in Accounting and Computer Science (Summa Cum Laude) in 1996. Tayo remains active at Rutgers Business School as the Chairman of the Road To Wall Street program and also a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board.  He is also on the board of two non-profits focused on improving the lives of children - The Embrace Kids Foundation and Covenant New Jersey.

In his spare time, he enjoys running marathons (44 and counting across all seven continents), travelling (52 countries and counting) , fashion and old school R&B/hiphop.

Michael is a Decision Analytics Manager at ZS, based in Princeton, New Jersey. He focuses on partnering with clients to execute pipeline & inline brand opportunity assessments, launch planning & strategy design/execution, and the development & operationalization of forecasting systems/platforms. Michael has deep domain expertise across therapy areas with respect to both US and Global pharmaceutical commercial forecasting. Michael provides thought leadership for client teams across Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing, Commercial Forecasting, etc. 

Prior to joining ZS, Michael was a Senior Production Planner for Howmet Aerospace, where he led the end-to-end procurement, manufacturing, and logistics workflow for +10 turbine engine programs across 5 clients.

Michael received his BS in Supply Chain Management & Marketing from The Rutgers Business School (Summa cum Laude), Rutgers University, where he also received his MBA, dual concentration in Global Business & Strategy (Summa cum Laude).

As a proud two-time alumnus of RBS, Michael finds many ways to give back to the RBS community. Michael is serving his second term on the Rutgers Business School Alumni Association Committee as University Outreach chair, while also serving as a student mentor for his fifth year within the Rutgers TeamUp Mentorship Program. Michael also volunteers his time as a guest lecturer across RBS courses, an MBA New Student Orientation Alumni Panelist, a Case Competition Panel Judge, and an active guest speaker across several RBS student body organizations/clubs. He is also currently partnering with RBS Staff to develop a course centered around Transformative Supply Chain Leadership.

Paul Pavlou is the Dean of the University of Miami Patti and Allan Herbert Business School. He is also the Leonard M. Miller University Chair Professor. Paul’s research has been cited more than 90,000 times by Google Scholar, and Thomson Reuters recognized him among the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds’ based on an analysis of Highly Cited Researchers. Paul was ranked No. 1 globally in publications in top Information Systems journals from 2010 to 2016. He earned a Ph.D. in Information Systems and a master’s in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California.

Paul is a Distinguished Fellow of the INFORMS Information Systems Society. He won several Best Paper Awards for his research, including the Sheth Foundation Award for Long-Term Contributions to Marketing’s published in the Journal of Marketing (2019), and the Maynard Award for the Most Significant Contribution to Marketing in the Journal of Marketing (2015), to name a few. Paul received $3,500,000 in grants from funding agencies, such as the National Science Foundation (NSF). His research appeared In top journals and his research spans several disciplines (information systems, data science, marketing, operations management, and management sciences) with emphasis on artificial intelligence, business analytics, and digital strategy.

Corey C. Phelps became the John and Karen Arnold Dean of Penn State's Smeal College of Business in July 2024. As the dean, he oversees all aspects of one of the largest business schools in the nation. Smeal offers highly ranked programs to more than 8,000 students at all levels; supports the research activities of faculty members in six academic departments; is home to a network of leading research centers in business; and features an alumni network of more than 94,000 Smeal graduates around the world.

Phelps brings a wealth of experience in higher education and business, having previously served as the dean, Fred E. Brown Chair of Business, and professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy at the University of Oklahoma Michael F. Price College of Business. Prior to his role at the University of Oklahoma, Phelps held significant leadership positions at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management, where he was associate dean of executive education. He has also been a faculty member at HEC Paris and the University of Washington Foster School of Business.

Phelps holds a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in business administration from New York University’s Stern School of Business and an MBA and bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University. His research on strategy, entrepreneurship, and innovation has been widely published and cited more than 10,000 times. He is the author of Cracked It! How to Solve Big Problems and Sell Solutions Like Top Strategy Consultants and has delivered keynotes and executive training to dozens of organizations around the world.

At Smeal, Phelps aims to continue advancing the college’s mission by fostering an inclusive, innovative, and forward-thinking environment that prepares students to become leaders in the global business landscape.

Jamie Darin Prenkert is the 13th dean of the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. He began his tenure on July 3, 2023, leading a school of 5,000 current students and 400+ faculty and staff, with 60,000 alumni in more than 100 countries. In addition, Professor Prenkert is the Investors in Leadership Distinguished Chair. 

Prior to joining the Carlson School, Prenkert served as Executive Associate Dean for Faculty and Research and Charles M. Hewitt Professor at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University-Bloomington. During his 20 years at Indiana, he served in several administrative leadership roles and taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses. 

His research focuses on issues of employment discrimination and the human rights obligations of transnational corporations. He is the lead coauthor of a leading business law/legal environment of business textbook, Business Law: The Global, Ethical, and Digital Environment, currently in its 18th Edition. 

Prior to joining the Kelley School faculty, Dean Prenkert was a senior trial attorney for the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He also practiced with the law firm of Baker & Daniels (now Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP). 

He earned a J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School and a B.A., summa cum laude with honors in Political Science, from Anderson University. 

David Rosenstein (he/him) is a dynamic and energetic talent strategist and personal branding expert. Often called a "Human Energizer Bunny," David works at LinkedIn, advising HR and talent acquisition teams across North America on how to find and retain top talent. He has skyrocketed through LinkedIn with four promotions in under four years and was recently named among the Top 1% of 8,000+ global employees.

David is also a sought-after keynote speaker, celebrated for his punchy, tactical job search advice. From delivering his university’s commencement speech to headlining conferences in cities like New Orleans, St. Louis, and New York, David has become a go-to voice for business students nationwide. Recently featured by CNBC, his talks are known for being energizing, actionable, and deeply relevant to today’s job market. 

With over eight years of experience coaching university students and young professionals, David has seen every side of the hiring equation. He’s landed competitive roles himself, guided hundreds of others to do the same, and now partners directly with recruiters - giving him a rare lens into what today’s top employers are really looking for.

A proud alum of the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and former AMA National Student Marketer of the Year, David blends his marketing roots with cutting-edge talent strategy. His ability to connect workforce trends with tactical advice makes him a trusted voice for students, educators, and hiring leaders alike. David also draws upon 15+ years of professional magic performance, a background that informs his stage presence and public speaking style.

David lives in New York City and can often be found running, seeking the best Pad Thai, and mentoring LGBTQ+ youth.

Dr. Joyce E. A. Russell is Dean Emeritus and Professor of Management at the Villanova School of Business (VSB) where she continues her writing, coaching and teaching. She served as The Helen and William O’Toole Dean of VSB from 2016 to 2023. In this role, she served as the chief executive, academic and fiscal officer for VSB and represented the school locally, nationally, and globally to the University community and to all external constituencies. 

Prior to joining VSB, Dr. Russell served as both Senior Associate Dean and Vice Dean at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. In these roles, she was a major force in shaping the student experience at all levels. Her duties included oversight of the school’s undergraduate, MBA, Specialty Masters and executive programs, and the development of the school’s global, university and corporate partnerships. She was also consistently honored for being one of UMD’s outstanding teachers. Before UMD, she was a tenured full professor in the College of Business at the University of Tennessee, where she received many teaching and research awards. 

Dr. Russell is a sought-after keynote speaker and is a licensed Industrial and Organizational Psychologist and Executive Coach and has over 30 years of experience consulting with numerous global organizations. Her expertise is primarily in the areas of leadership development, negotiation tactics, executive coaching, and organizational climate and culture. She was honored with the 2021 Patricia Flynn Distinguished Woman in Business Education Award, given annually by the Women Administrators in Management Education (WAME), AACSB. She also received the 2018 Women of Distinction Award from the Philadelphia Business Journal for her professional achievements. She has served in many leadership roles on professional boards in business education.

Dr. Russell writes a column on Leadership and Careers for Forbes.com and previously wrote a weekly “Career Coach” column and answered reader questions in a monthly online chat for The Washington Post. She has published more than 50 articles, books or book chapters, and has presented her research at national and regional conferences. She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Vocational Behavior and previously served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Applied Psychology, Human Resource Management Review and Performance Improvement Quarterly. She received her PhD and master’s degrees in industrial and organizational psychology.

Vallabh (Samba) Sambamurthy is the Albert O. Nicholas Dean of the Wisconsin School of Business. Recognized as an impactful administrator, attentive leader, and preeminent scholar in the areas of innovation and digital strategy, Dr. Sambamurthy brings extensive experience to the dean position.

Prior to his current role, Dr. Sambamurthy served as Eli Broad Professor and associate dean of the MBA and professional master’s programs at the Broad College of Business at Michigan State University. He previously served as the school’s associate dean for outreach and engagement and chair of the accounting department, leading the launch of the top-10 MS program in business analytics. He previously held faculty appointments at the University of Maryland and Florida State University.

A leading expert on how businesses compete in the digital economy, Dr. Sambamurthy’s work has been featured in leading academic journals. Several Fortune 500 firms have engaged him as a consultant. Working with executive clients and academic colleagues in China, Taiwan, Singapore, India, and Hong Kong, he has focused on digital business transformations, strategic alignment, governance, and innovation. He has co-authored several books on digital transformation.

Dr. Sambamurthy has been recognized for his contributions to teaching, research, outreach, and mentoring. The Association of Information Systems honored him with the LEO Lifetime Achievement award. He was selected as distinguished fellow of the Information Systems Society at INFORMS, and he received the William Beal Distinguished Faculty Award the highest honor accorded by Michigan State University.

Dr. Sambamurthy received his PhD from the University of Minnesota, his MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, and his B.E. from the National Institute of Technology (Tiruchirappalli, India).

Paul Shagawat, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Transparent Energy, is a recognized leader in energy procurement for Fortune 500 companies and large energy buyers. A proud Rutgers University alumnus, Paul co-founded Transparent Energy in 2009 and has since helped clients source billions in electricity, natural gas, and renewables, using technology to bring transparency and competition to the energy market.

Under Paul’s leadership, Transparent Energy has achieved 15 consecutive years of growth. He is known for his consultative sales expertise, commitment to talent development, and focus on continuous process and technology improvement. With an entrepreneurial mindset and an economics background honed at Rutgers, Paul pioneered real-time online auctions that drive down energy costs by increasing supplier competition.

Paul is passionate about educating clients on energy markets and advancing their business and sustainability objectives. He recently led an industrial client into a multi-year VPPA, supporting the creation of a 100 MW solar facility and 200 new jobs.

Beyond business, Paul is dedicated to purposeful living and community impact. He initiated Transparent Energy’s quarterly giving campaign, supporting organizations such as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Community Foodbank of New Jersey. An engaging speaker, Paul regularly represents his company at industry and philanthropic events.

As the dean of the Lubin School of Business, I am delighted to build on the school's reputation of preparing graduates for rewarding employment and upward mobility. Working with students, faculty, staff, leadership, and alumni, we are continuing this tradition of excellence during what is a critical, competitive, and exciting time for both business and education. As an AACSB-accredited, internationally ranked leader in business education, experiential learning is the hallmark of a Lubin education and it has led to strong outcomes: high undergraduate and graduate placement rates, internships, and student success in competitions. Program innovation and my deep dedication to preparing students for successful careers will continue to move Lubin forward with distinction. Lubin and its outstanding faculty are working diligently to deliver a business education like none other.

Matt Slaughter is the Paul Danos Dean of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, where in addition he is the Earl C. Daum 1924 Professor of International Business.  He is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, a member of the Aspen Institute’s Economic Strategy Group, and an academic advisor to the McKinsey Global Institute.

Ash Soni is Dean Emeritus of the Kelley School, having served as the Dean from 2022 to 2025, and holds the SungKyunKwan Professorship. Previously he served as Executive Associate Dean for Academic Programs for 10 years, strengthening all of Kelley's programs, creating new degree offerings, expanding options for customization, and brokering key partnerships with notable universities, corporations, and organizations in the U.S. and abroad. In 2018, he was presented with Indiana University's John W. Ryan Award for Distinguished Contributions to International Programs and Studies for his work in creating global programs and partnerships. He previously served as Associate Dean for Information Technology, and as Chair of the Department of Operations & Decision Technologies.

Dean Emeritus Soni's areas of expertise are business analytics, emerging technologies, and enterprise systems. He has been one of the lead instructors for Kelley's executive MBA Programs, Kelley Direct Online MBA Program, and various Business Analytics certificate programs.  He is the recipient of more than 20 teaching awards. 

Dean Emeritus Soni received his education first in the United Kingdom with a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Manchester University and an M.S. in Operations Research from Strathclyde University. Later, he completed an MBA and a doctorate in Quantitative Business Analysis and Operations Management at the Kelley School. Prior to graduate work at Indiana University, he was a management consultant in the UK for four years.

David Souder is The Eli and Edythe L. Broad Dean for the Broad College of Business. He previously was the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Research at the University of Connecticut School of Business, and a Professor in the Management and Entrepreneurship Department. He earned his BS from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, with concentrations in Finance and Strategic Management, and his PhD in Strategic Management and Organization from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Souder’s research focuses on corporate short-termism and long-term thinking, and he frequently speaks with media and business groups on related topics. In conjunction with the Network for Business Sustainability, he is the lead author of a systematic review and executive report on ways to incorporate long-term thinking into current business decisions.

David has prior leadership experience as the Interim Campus Director for UConn Stamford, Interim Dean for the UConn School of Business, and the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs. Before joining academia, he worked in the private sector as a strategy consultant based in New York and London.

William F. Tate IV, an award-winning scholar, took office as the 22nd president of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, on July 1, 2025. He also serves as a University Professor and Distinguished Professor.

Prior to accepting the Rutgers presidency, he served as president of Louisiana State University (LSU) and held faculty and leadership roles at the University of South Carolina, Washington University in St. Louis, TCU, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Previous Roles

As chief executive officer of both the LSU system and its flagship campus, President Tate oversaw a public research institution with over 60,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students; 3,000 full-time faculty; an estimated economic impact of over $6 billion; and more than 200 licenses, while holding faculty appointments in sociology, psychiatry and behavioral medicine, epidemiology, and public health. In recognition of his record-setting tenure at Louisiana State University, Dr. Tate received a U.S. Congressional Commendation, along with formal resolutions from both the Louisiana Senate and House of Representatives. 

President Tate served as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, while holding the Education Foundation Distinguished University Professorship at the University of South Carolina. Prior to that, he served as a department chair and dean of the graduate school and vice provost for graduate education at Washington University in St. Louis. In addition, he held the Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professorship in Arts and Sciences. Prior to joining Washington University in St. Louis, he served as the William L. and Betty F. Adams Chair at TCU and as a tenured faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Academic Background

President Tate is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Education. In addition, he is the recipient of numerous research recognitions including being elected to fellow status in the American Educational Research Association (AERA) as well as association-related honors including an Early Career Contribution Award, Presidential Citation, the Distinguished Scholar Award in Mathematics Education, and Distinguished Contributions in Education Research Lifetime Achievement Award-Division G.

He was awarded the Anna Julia Cooper Postdoctoral Fellowship to study social and public policy at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He later completed a second postdoctoral fellowship at the Washington University School of Medicine, where he earned a Master’s in Psychiatric Epidemiology (M.P.E.).

Prior to his postdoctoral training, President Tate earned a Ph.D. in mathematics education with a cognate in human development from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he was a Patricia Roberts Harris Fellow. He also holds an M.A. in mathematical sciences education from the University of Texas at Dallas and a B.S. in economics with a minor in mathematical sciences from Northern Illinois University.

He is married to Kim Cash Tate and they have two young adult children. Kim Cash Tate is an author, Bible teacher, singer/songwriter, and YouTuber. She earned a B.A. from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.

Alex Triantis joined the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School in 2019 as its third dean. During his tenure, he has led the revision or launch of a large suite of graduate degree programs, including Full-time, Accelerated, Flexible and Executive MBA programs, seven MS programs offered in both full-time and online formats, and over a dozen dual degree programs. Carey’s reputation for innovative interdisciplinary research and impactful outreach has been further enhanced through its unique positioning in the Business of Health and in AI, its eight new centers of excellence, and its high-profile events featuring corporate and government leaders in Baltimore and at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C.

Before joining Carey Business School, Triantis served as dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland from 2013 to 2019, and chair of the Finance Department from 2006 to 2011. He previously served on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin and was a visiting scholar at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. Triantis received his PhD from Stanford University and his BASc and MEng degrees from the University of Toronto. 

An expert in the areas of corporate financial strategy and valuation, Triantis has published articles in numerous prestigious academic journals, served on several journal editorial boards, and has consulted and led training for many multinational corporations. Businessweek named Triantis an Outstanding Professor at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Maryland, and he is a two-time recipient of Maryland Smith’s top teaching award for faculty.

Triantis served on the board of AACSB, the global association of business schools, from 2019-2025 (and as board chair in 2023-2024).

Rohit Verma is the Dean and USC Educational Foundation Distinguished Professor at the Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina. 

Verma served as the Founding Provost and Chief Academic Officer for VinUniversity, Hanoi, Vietnam (established in strategic collaboration with Cornell University and University of Pennsylvania) from July 2019 to June 2023. He served as the Dean of External Relations for the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business (May 2016 – June 2019); Singapore Tourism Board Distinguished Professor (January 2014 – June 2019); Executive Director for Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures (July 2015 – June 2018); and Executive Director of Cornell Center for Hospitality Research (July 2009 – June 2012). Earlier in his academic career, Verma served as George Eccles Professor of Operations Management at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah and Associate/Assistant Professor at the Driehaus College of Business and Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University. 

Verma has received several professional honors and awards, including being designated as a Fellow of the Production and Operations Management Society (2023) and a Fellow of the Decision Sciences Institute (2020). Verma received the Excellent Leader Award (2021) given to the five highest-performing leaders across the entire ecosystem of Vingroup with 70,000+ employees worldwide in recognition of the successful launch of VinUniversity. Earlier, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Production and Operations Management Society's College of Service Operations; several Industry Relevance Awards from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research; Skinner Award For Early Career Research Accomplishments from Production and Operations Management Society; Spirit of Inquiry Award, the highest honor for scholarly activities within DePaul University; and Professional Service Award from the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah.

Param Vir Singh is the Carnegie Bosch Professor of Business Technologies and Marketing and Associate Dean for Research at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. He is one of the world’s leading scholars at the intersection of artificial intelligence, digital platforms, and competitive strategy. His research has shaped how scholars and practitioners understand algorithmic personalization, fairness, pricing, and the responsible deployment of AI in market environments. He is a recipient of the INFORMS Information Systems Society Distinguished Fellow Award, the highest honor in his field, and multiple top accolades, including the Don Lehmann Award, John DC Little, and the Don Morrison Long-Term Impact Award. His work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, CNN, Bloomberg, and Forbes, and cited in the U.S. President’s Economic Report to Congress.

As leader of CMU’s Collaborative AI Initiative, Singh is pioneering the use of generative AI to transform business education through interactive, adaptive learning platforms grounded in real-world decision complexity. He also led the renewal of a $5.5 million grant for the PNC Center for Financial Services Innovation, where he served as Director from 2017 to 2024. He serves as Senior Editor at Information Systems Research and Associate Editor at Management Science, and his Ph.D. mentees now hold faculty positions at institutions including Harvard, NYU, Michigan, and CMU. A trusted advisor to corporate, academic, and policy leaders, Singh provides strategic insight into how generative and agentic AI are reshaping governance, innovation, and the future of intelligent decision-making.

Bruce W. Weber, PhD, is the Willem Kooyker Dean of the Zicklin School of Business and a professor in the Paul H. Chook Department of Information Systems & Statistics. Previously, he was the dean of the Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics at the University of Delaware. He has an AB in applied mathematics from Harvard University and an MS and PhD in decision sciences from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Weber’s early career began at the Zicklin School of Business, where he left a lasting mark. He spent three years as an associate professor in the Paul H. Chook Department of Information Systems & Statistics and was the founding Director of the Subotnick Financial Services Center, which today is one of the largest and most technologically advanced educational facilities of its kind and provides experiential learning for students.

Prior to Weber’s tenure at the University of Delaware, he was on the faculty at the London Business School, serving as the founding Chair of the Management Science & Operations subject area.

Shen Yeniyurt is Professor and Vice Dean for Academic Programs and Learning Assurance at Rutgers Business School.  He is also the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Rutgers Business Review (RBR).  Professor Shen Yeniyurt was the Chair of the Marketing Department from 2020 to 2022. He is the founding Co-Editor-in-Chief of Rutgers Business Review (founded 2016) and the founding Co-Director of the Center for Market Advantage (founded 2015). He served as Vice-Chair of the Marketing Department from 2019-2020 and the Vice-Chair of the Supply Chain Management and Marketing Sciences Department from 2012-2013.  He also served as the founding Academic Co-Director of the New Brunswick Undergraduate Program in Supply Chain and Marketing Sciences from 2008-2013. Shen has an outstanding interdisciplinary research record across multiple disciplines at RBS. He was the recipient of the Rutgers Business School Dean’s Research Professorship in 2019 and was a Rutgers University Chancellor’s Scholar (2016-2018). He was also the recipient of the Best Marketing Professor by the Rutgers Business Governing Association in 2011.

Derek is a Product Manager at Google Search, where he focuses on creator initiatives, the user-generated content platform, and Search Labs. Prior to this role, he led end-to-end AutoML (automated machine learning) and GenAI (generative artificial intelligence) platforms at Google Cloud. He also helped launch Google Play’s loyalty program (Google Play Points) and Play’s gift card promotions in Japan.

Before joining Google, Derek worked as a software engineer at Blippar, an augmented reality startup recognized as one of CNBC’s Disruptor 50 from 2015 to 2017.

Derek holds an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley. He is professionally passionate about product management, software engineering, and artificial intelligence.

Outside of work, Derek lives in Brooklyn with his partner and two cats. He enjoys triathlon, improvisational theatre, and oil painting.