new faculty 2010-2011
Connecting Great Faculty With Great Students
The Villanova School of Business (VSB) takes great pride in its faculty. As dean, I am very pleased to share with you an overview of the talented teachers, researchers, and leaders on our faculty as evidenced by those outstanding individuals who have recently joined our business school. The necessary condition of a great business school is great faculty. For VSB that means having a multi-dimensional faculty that actively engages our students in business knowledge and relevant research within an intimate learning environment. VSB strives to attract and support the finest faculty, bringing them together with the finest students. As a Catholic and Augustinian business school, VSB provides an outstanding business education within the larger context of society and community values. Our faculty ensure that VSB graduates are prepared to become exceptional global business leaders—leaders who know how to think holistically, to solve problems creatively, and who remain committed to their ethical responsibilities throughout their careers. This publication highlights our newest faculty members along with five outstanding new students. It is the combination of extraordinary talent across our faculty and students that indeed makes for a powerful learning experience—for both faculty and students alike.
James M. Danko The Helen and William O’Toole Dean Villanova School of Business
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great faculty
Lan Nguyen Chaplin, PhD Assistant Professor, Marketing
Growing Up in a Material World As materialism and brand-obsession in young people continue to rise, what can be done to minimize this trend? VSB professor of marketing Lan Nguyen Chaplin has spent years studying materialism and branding to determine when kids begin to care about having cell phones, iPods, or the newest video game. According to her research, age and stage of development play a big role in a child’s desire for brands and other materialistic things. Chaplin has found that self-esteem is linked to materialism in children and adolescents. While conventional wisdom holds that parents and peers increase kids’ materialism, Chaplin’s research shows that the same individuals can decrease materialism by having a positive effect on children’s self-esteem. Chaplin’s research has been published in the Journal of Consumer Research, the Journal of Consumer Psychology, and the Journal of Positive Psychology. Prior to coming to VSB, Chaplin served as an assistant professor at the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona and previously was assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She received her PhD in marketing and a minor in psychology from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and a BA in the biological basis of behavior with a concentration in behavioral medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
To learn more about VSB’s Marketing and Business Law Department, go to: www.villanova/edu/business/facultyareas/marketing
great students For Charlie Dolan, VSB fulfills some important criteria: “I was set on a Catholic university that promoted the teachings of a particular saint. I also focused my attention toward respected business schools. The Villanova School of Business, anchored in the Augustinian tradition, seemed a perfect fit.” Now a freshman at VSB, Charlie speaks of his experience, both inside and outside of the classroom, with enthusiasm. Charlie is
Charlie Dolan VSB ’14
involved in the Villanova Entrepreneurial Society and the Villanova Real Estate Society, and competes in intramural basketball and soccer leagues. In the fall, he and his orientation group spent time maintaining a park, doing everything from cleaning swing sets to weeding and mulching. When it comes to his VSB education, Charlie especially recognizes the faculty, saying “It has been very beneficial to have a direct relationship with my professors, and to feel that they are willing to take the extra time to help with formulating business plans or planning a topic for a research paper.”
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great faculty
Erasmus Kersting, PhD Assistant Professor, Economics
Productivity Doesn’t Just Happen Innovation is crucial for organizational performance because it is thought to increase productivity. But do firm-specific innovative actions really affect productivity? And what is the role of the financial sector in facilitating increased productivity? According to research by VSB professor Erasmus Kersting, productivity effects are linked to the financial sector. Firms that have invented a new product or introduced a new production process are rewarded with measurably higher productivity. This effect is particularly strong in countries with a welldeveloped financial sector, suggesting that financial sector development spurs growth by encouraging innovation. Professor Kersting’s research has been published in the Review of Economic Dynamics and the Staff Papers series of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. His research interests include finance and productivity and policy spillover effects in open economies. Kersting won the S. Charles Maurice Graduate Fellowship in Economics and the Bradley Dissertation Fellowship of the Private Enterprise Research Center from Texas A&M University. Professor Kersting comes to VSB from the department of economics at Southern Methodist University. He received a PhD in economics from Texas A&M University and an MA in economics from the Christian-Albrechts-Universität (University of Kiel) in Germany.
To learn more about VSB’s Economics and Statistics Department, go to: www.villanova/edu/business/facultyareas/economics
great students “It is so rare and really refreshing to find a school where the students are so committed to community service,” says Paula Pilipovic, whose dedication to helping others began in high school, when she became a founding member of HelpLightNJ, raising money to buy and distribute energy-efficient lightbulbs to low-income and senior citizens. To date, the organization has given away 190,000 bulbs to over 32,000 families, reducing the state’s electrical bills by $12 million, and
Paula Pilipovic VSB ’14
has won several awards, including the New Jersey Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence, New Jersey Clean Energy Outreach Partner of the Year, and the EPA Energy Star Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing. At Villanova, Paula continues to participate in community initiatives. Still active with HelpLightNJ, Paula, a Presidential Scholar and an Honors Program student, took part in the Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week and the Villanova Day of Service. She also is involved with the Pre-Law Society and is participating in the Global Citizens Program in London.
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great faculty
Lucy Chen, PhD Assistant Professor, Accounting
The Rules of Reconciliation The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted in November 2007 to let foreign companies file financial statements under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) without reconciling to U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). “This rule change is fundamental to accounting professionals. IFRS is discussed worldwide in almost every accounting conference,” says VSB professor Lucy Chen. Chen’s research examines the causes and consequences of cross-listed firms preparing financial statements under IFRS without reconciliation to U.S. GAAP. Her work has been published in premier accounting journals, including Contemporary Accounting Research. Professor Chen also has been cited by the American Accounting Association in its report about the SEC’s IFRS decision. Chen served as an assistant professor at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. She received her PhD in accounting from the Fox School of Business at Temple University and a BS in accounting from Xiamen University in China.
To learn more about VSB’s Accountancy and Information Systems Department, go to: www.villanova/edu/business/facultyareas/accounting
great students First-year EMBA student Jason Arnold has spent eight years in medical device sales with Ethicon Biosurgery, a division of Johnson & Johnson, earning promotions and winning awards. Now a sales manager, Jason oversees eight sales representatives and a sales portfolio of more than $21 million. Jason first began his career in the U.S. Army, becoming a Distinguished Military Graduate from ROTC, and served seven years as an AH-64 helicopter pilot at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and in Bosnia
Jason Arnold EMBA ’12
and Korea. In addition to his professional life, Jason has a number of other items on his plate. He is a father of two, coaches youth football, is involved in Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, runs marathons, and competes in triathlons. Of adding pursuing his Executive MBA to this list, Jason describes it as an “intellectual awakening,” and says, “getting my Executive MBA from the Villanova School of Business is an important part of my overall self-development plan.” What’s next on Jason’s impressive agenda? An Ironman Triathlon.
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great faculty
Kirsten Fanning, PhD Assistant Professor, Accounting
Counting More Than Numbers Accounting is a numbers-based industry. But the way accountants present their data impacts the way it is received, according to a study by new VSB professor Kirsten Fanning. Her findings indicate that managers are more likely to accept auditors’ arguments when they maintain a professional demeanor and present information in a logical manner. Auditors with poor interpersonal skills or who presented financial information in a less-organized way were less persuasive. Illustrating a valuable lesson, Fanning’s research shows that comportment matters just as much as the data itself. Professor Fanning has presented her work at American Accounting Association conferences and won the annual Outstanding Emerging Scholar Award given by the Association’s Accounting, Behavior & Organizations Research Conference two years in a row. Her research interests include judgment and decision making in financial reporting and managerial contexts. Professor Fanning received her PhD in accounting and a minor in psychology from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She earned a BSBA in accounting from Drexel University.
To learn more about VSB’s Accountancy and Information Systems Department, go to: www.villanova/edu/business/facultyareas/accounting
great students Michael O’Neill, a VSB freshman, hasn’t wasted any time getting involved in the school. He serves as a Villanova Ambassador, plays co-ed intramural flag football, tutors at Our Mother of Sorrows School as part of RUIBAL (Reaching Urban Individuals By Action and Love), and even volunteered to sleep outside for one night during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. Though he has many activities to choose from, Michael definitively proclaims that being a Local
Michael O’Neill VSB ’14
Program Host for the Special Olympics Fall Festival has been his favorite experience so far. Michael is spending his spring semester in London with the Global Citizens Program, during which he will intern with the accounting firm Havencrest Ltd. Of this opportunity, which marks his first experience abroad, Michael says, “I am absolutely thrilled.”
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great faculty
Patricia Dorris-Crenny, CPA Instructor, Accounting
Ensuring Your Future The age for retirement continues to increase in our post-crash economy. With new retirement rules in effect, planning for this time can be a challenge. VSB instructor of accounting Patricia Dorris-Crenny predicts that individuals will have to work longer than ever before to recover from economic losses and to increase retirement resources. An expert in the public side of accounting in both tax and audit and on the private side in insurance and financial service, Crenny brings more than 15 years of industry experience to the classroom. She has worked for Deloitte, Nationwide Provident, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. She has taught at West Chester University, Ursinus College, and Drexel University. Thanks to her extensive career in public accounting and the insurance industry, Crenny brings a wealth of business experience and knowledge directly into the classroom. She authored an article titled “The New Retirement,” published in the Pennsylvania CPA Journal. She also has served as an adjunct professor for VSB since 2004. Crenny earned an MS in taxation from Drexel University and a BS in accounting from the Villanova School of Business.
To learn more about VSB’s Accountancy and Information Systems Department, go to: www.villanova/edu/business/facultyareas/accounting
great students Kate Mager is a Fast-Track MBA student who chose to attend VSB partly because of the real-world business experience inherent to VSB faculty. An account manager for Aon Corporation’s Affinity Insurance Services group, Kate manages partnerships with more than 20 healthcare associations. She is quick to emphasize that what she learns in the classroom is directly applicable to her work: “I frequently use what I have learned from my VSB professors in my business life. My classes are relevant
Kate Mager MBA ’12
to the business world and the challenges I face there every day.” Kate also serves on the Board of Advisors for A Front Row Seat to Learning, an organization that provides tuition aid to children in the Greater Philadelphia area and enables them to attend a top independent high school.
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centers of excellence
VSB’s commitment to research and academic rigor is evident in its support of six Centers of Excellence. Through education, research, and outreach, the Center for Global Leadership promotes three core ideals: cross-cultural awareness, ethical international business relationships, and responsible global leadership. These ideals are firmly rooted in the university’s Augustinian tradition, which focuses on the moral and ethical development of our students and faculty and our contributions to thriving global communities. The center pursues these guiding principles through educational programs, research, and service and outreach activities. The Center for Marketing and Public Policy Research supports scholarship and research on marketing and public policy issues, examining the impact of regulation on the business community, consumers, and society. Its mission is to produce cutting-edge research that influences sound policy at the local, state, and national levels. Faculty members are supported by the center’s diverse advisory board, which is comprised of leaders from business, government, and academia. Although the Church is not a business, good stewardship of Church resources requires an understanding and application of sound business practices. VSB has positioned itself as a “first mover” in the study and application of sound business methods to Church decision making through the establishment of the Center for the Study of Church Management. The center, created in 2004 to serve the Catholic Church through education and research, provides training—along with important research on pertinent issues—in support of Catholic Church leaders and their communities throughout the United States. The Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate is changing the face of business education at Villanova. New courses in real estate have been introduced, along with a co-major in real estate and a real estate specialization in the Villanova MBA program. VSB students have also begun a Real Estate Society. The center supports faculty research and teaching, ensuring relevance in the curriculum through the incorporation of site visits, experiential learning projects, industry-standard tools, and the perspective of industry experts. The Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship Center (ICE Center) is an innovative driver of scholastic, educational, and professional development opportunities in the areas of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The center’s curricular division provides support for programs, courses, and the undergraduate minor in entrepreneurship. The research division provides support to faculty conducting and publishing relevant research, and the practice division develops and maintains programs and initiatives that provide an interface between the business community and the research and curricular capabilities of the center. The Center for Business Analytics was established in 2010 to promote education, research, and practice using analytics, business intelligence, performance management, and process management for our students, faculty, and business partners. The center promotes developing a strong program in analytics, including analytics-oriented courses for both undergraduate and graduate students, and promotes best practices in analytics through roundtable sessions, conference, and executive workshops.
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