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New: Mavs in Morris Hall
Mavs in Morris Hall
Morris Hall has been home to College of Business thinkers and innovators since it first opened its doors in 1968. This last academic year, the College welcomed new faces to the Hall. This group brings a diverse and multicultural blend of experiences, strengths and big ideas that are already shaping the College’s future.
DQ SPENCER, D.B.A.
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT
Dr. DeQuindre (DQ) Spencer is new to the faculty, but the Management professor isn’t new to the College of Business. Spencer graduated in 2009 then spent 15 years working in human resources management before earning his doctorate and returning to his alma mater as faculty.
Spencer’s wealth of industry experiences make him an accessible resource for students who stop by his office seeking everything from career advice to a friendly chat. And since he started in the College during distance learning, he’s happy to be able to keep his door—rather than just his Zoom room— open to any student who needs him.
“It’s refreshing, very exciting to meet the students, see the students and be able to interact with them in person. It gives that opportunity for relationship building and engagement that not only students need, but the faculty need as well. I tell them we can talk about work or about grades or just about life. I’m there as not only an advisor but as a friend and mentor.”
Melissa Diegnau isn’t worried about getting bored. The Management professor teaches all sections of BUS295, Professional Preparation for Business Careers, and for the BBA program, serving more than 300 students per semester.
And if you ask her students, they’ll likely tell you the same thing. Diegnau—who came to Minnesota State Mankato in the early 2000s as an adjunct and has worked in a variety of capacities before accepting a full-time probationary position last fall— is an engaging teacher. One student remarked that the energy changed when she entered the classroom. Another closed out last semester by telling her, “There’s no way someone can be in your class and not learn.”
It’s moments like these that keep Diegnau energized—and to be honest get her a little choked up.
“I love the energy here,” she says. “[The College of Business] feels like home.”
MELISSA DIEGNAU, M.B.A.
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT
Melissa Diegnau isn’t worried about getting bored. The Management professor teaches all sections of BUS295, Professional Preparation for Business Careers, and for the BBA program, serving more than 300 students per semester.
And if you ask her students, they’ll likely tell you the same thing. Diegnau—who came to Minnesota State Mankato in the early 2000s as an adjunct and has worked in a variety of capacities before accepting a full-time probationary position last fall— is an engaging teacher.
One student remarked that the energy changed when she entered the classroom. Another closed out last semester by telling her, “There’s no way someone can be in your class and not learn.”
It’s moments like these that keep Diegnau energized—and to be honest get her a little choked up.
“I love the energy here,” she says. “[The College of Business] feels like home.”
KYLE NASH, PH.D.
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT
Dr. Kyle Nash came to make change. The Baylor University graduate saw an opportunity to take the College of Business to the next level through innovative ideas and a strong focus on technology. A year in, he’s excited about the growth he’s seen in the College and in his students—or as he calls them “future business leaders.”
“One of the things I always try to inject in my courses [is] encouragement to my students,” he says. “I always call them business leaders when I talk to them. It’s one thing I really like the students to remember and build their skills on.”
Nash is also focused on the future his young business leaders will graduate into. With the rapid pace of technology, he concentrates on building skills that will last.
“If students build their skills and their understanding of how a software—like Tableau—works, if they have the basics, the logic of how to analyze data, later on they can basically work with any other computer software.”
TOM CLEMENT, PH.D.
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT
Dr. Tom Clement is a big “get after it” person. The North Dakota native has had a lot of jobs in his life—contractor, educator, motorcycle franchise owner. Most of the roles he takes on have some element of “figure it out as you go.” That’s the same energy he brings to the classroom as management faculty.
“We start day one with projects, getting your hands in there and working on things,” he says.
Clement started with the College of Business last fall, bringing with him 20 years of entrepreneurship education experience. He’s teaching classes in Creativity and Innovation and Entrepreneurship, where he manages to weave in relevant life experience as a business owner and entrepreneur.
“In my entrepreneurship class I did a module on buying and selling businesses because I’ve been on both sides of that,” he says. “You can see the students become really engaged listening to those real-world stories. The book stuff is great, but if you can add in some real-world to that, that’s what they really identify with.”
JOE WESTLIN, PH.D.
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT
Dr. Joe Westlin has a doctorate in industrial organizational psychology.
That means he’s well-equipped to apply scientifically-based solutions to human problems. It’s a useful skillset in a time when the world of work— especially when it comes to human resources—is shifting so rapidly.
“There are a lot of things changing right now in human resources,” Westlin says. “I think one of the biggest things that we’re seeing right now is staffing issues. A lot of companies are short on people.”
Westlin looks at the changing hiring landscape as an opportunity for both faculty and students to innovate. In class, he does this by asking students to think critically, challenge assumptions and practice what they’re learning in real-world settings.
“It gives us an opportunity to sort of frame our conversations about human resources in the direction of how can we actually address the issues that we're seeing right now,” he says.
NGUYEN NGUYEN, PH.D.
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF FINANCE
Dr. Nguyen Nguyen tries to be a teacher that listens. Her goal is to create a supportive, friendly environment that is open to students’ questions, ideas and curiosity—wherever it may lead them.
It’s an ethos she’s modeled throughout her own career that started in banking in her home country of Vietnam and led her to academia in Australia (where she earned a master’s degree), Vietnam (as a teacher at the Foreign Trade University) and eventually to the United States (first in Alabama, where she earned a Ph.D., and then to Mankato).
“I originally had a Bachelor of Accounting in Vietnam; I was working as a banking regulator in the Deposit Insurance of Vietnam (similar to the FDIC). The first thing I learned in Vietnam banking regulation is the United States system.” Now that she’s teaching in the United States, Nguyen can offer students her unique perspective on financial systems throughout the world.
“My experience traveling all around the world gave me a kind of a viewpoint that sometimes we realize that there’s no right or wrong [financial system]. Sometimes there’s a match in culture or history, etc.,” she says. “I usually show my students in the classroom different perspectives of a problem—like if you look at the U.S. system, it may be appropriate, but does it work with other systems in the world? If there are any international students, I encourage them to speak about their experiences to bring a fresh eye to the discussed issues.”
ISHUAN LI SIMONSON, PH.D.
PROFESSOR OF FINANCE
Dr. Ishuan Li Simonson has a strong background in economics, but she was tapped to join the Finance Department starting in the fall of 2020 as part of the College of Business’ Certificate in Business Analytics program. Li Simonson’s career as a researcher, teacher and mentor has focused on helping students succeed after graduation—it’s one of the reasons she’s so passionate about business analytics now.
“The field is gaining great importance and priority in terms of college degrees,” she says. “College graduates should have analytics training if they wish to have a well-paid job. In the future, occupations will require students to have some understanding of data analysis.”
MARIA KALYVAKI, PH.D.
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MARKETING
The 2021/2022 school year was Dr. Maria Kalyvaki’s third at Minnesota State Mankato, but her first in the College of Business. The Greece native came to Mankato to teach in the Mass Communication department, but it wasn’t long before she began to feel more at home next door in Morris Hall.
“When I had conversations with Dean Flannery and faculty from the College of Business, I felt like I belonged there,” she says. “When [the move] happened I was like this is the best thing that has happened to me. I felt like I found my place.”
One look at Kalyvaki’s curriculum vitae and it’s clear why she felt that way. Not only has she studied agricultural communications, Kalyvaki has worked and studied in the fields of agricultural engineering, policy management, human resources and more. She even spent time during her doctoral program working in marketing for the United Nations.
Kalyvaki—who has lived and worked all around the world—focuses on giving marketing students a global perspective and collaborating with colleagues like Drs. Spencer and Bowyer, with whom she’s published a forthcoming paper on agribusiness.
