Winter 2021
BUSINESS
VSB Alumni Making an Impact
Aaron Weis ’07 EMBA
Chief Information Officer, Department of the Navy Responsible for information management and digital, data and cyber strategy
OUR STORIES / P6
MISSION / P16
FACULTY / P20
Jaya Kolhatkar ’86 MBA Executive Vice President, Disney Direct to Consumer Data
Bishop Donald Cook II, PhD, ’21 MSCM Called to Ministry
David Anderson, PhD Juggling a Full and Varied Life, On Campus and Off
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The Helen and William O’Toole Dean
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Joyce E. A. Russell, PhD
Assistant Dean, Talent & Staff Development, Community & External Outreach Cathy J. Toner, JD, MJ
Associate Director of Communication and Editor Shannon M. Wilson
Contributors
16 FEATURES 2 FEATURE STORY Sharing Our Stories: VSB Alumni Making an Impact
8 FACULTY AND STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS 12 STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS 13 INSIDE VSB 16 MISSION SPOTLIGHT Bishop Donald Cook II, PhD, ’21 MSCM
20 FACULTY SPOTLIGHT David Anderson, PhD
22 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Austin Glass ’22 VSB
24 DONOR SPOTLIGHT Mike and Kathie Castellano
Christine Blackman ’23 VSB Ashley Haines ’23 CLAS Kate Lowe Madeleine Sateri ’23 VSB Amy Swift Meghan Winch ’15 MA
Design and Production Matthew Schmidt Design
Principal Photography Melissa Kelly
Villanova Business is available online at business.villanova.edu. To update your mailing address, email alumni@villanova.edu. Send comments and questions to: VSBCommunicationsandMarketing @villanova.edu. Villanova Business 800 Lancaster Avenue Villanova, PA 19085-1678 610-519-5424 business.villanova.edu Follow us: @VU_Business @VillanovaBusiness Villanova School of Business Villanova School of Business
Dean’s Update At VSB, we pride ourselves on attracting and retaining world-class faculty, staff and students. Because of this, we have some of the best alumni out there! These are exceptional folks who live out our Augustinian mission, are passionate about creating a better world and work tirelessly to make a positive impact on society. In this issue, we are sharing just some of their stories. Read about Aaron Weis ’07 EMBA (page 4); Jaya Kolhatkar ’86 MBA (page 6); Bishop Donald Cook II, PhD, ’21 MSCM (page 16 ); Mike and Kathie Castellano (page 24); and many others—including our outstanding faculty, staff and students—who make a difference every day. I am also excited to announce that after five years as VSB’s Helen and William O’Toole Dean, I have been reappointed to continue serving our VSB community in this role. I look forward to the ongoing success of VSB and I am confident that our collective success—as well as the success of each individual within our community—will grow. The School of Business has much to be proud of, and I’m honored to continue leading our journey.
Joyce E. A. Russell, PhD The Helen and William O’Toole Dean Professor of Management Villanova School of Business @VSB_Dean
VSB Alumni Making an Impact
FEATURE STORY
VSB’s mission is to develop business leaders for a better world through our unique Augustinian values of truth, community, caring and leading through service. Our community includes creative problem solvers, collaborative leaders and humble servants who represent Veritas, Unitas, Caritas.
Each day, in big and small ways, our alumni live the VSB mission in their workplaces, in their communities and around the globe. Over the past year, we created a collection of personal stories on our website of VSB community members who are making an impact in their personal and professional lives. A sampling of these stories follows below and on the next four pages. Visit business.villanova.edu to learn about more VSB community members who are making a positive impact.
Kathleen Blehl
’18 VSB
Nick Carney
’16 VSB
Gabriel Newman
Helene Purcell
’12 VSB
’11 VSB
Blehl embodies the versatility of a VSB education, taking her business acumen and passion for sustainability around the globe.
Carney strives to positively impact health and the arts in Rwanda, maintaining a connection to community and services developed at Villanova.
Newman shares how the support and exposure he gained at VSB were invaluable to him as a first-generation college student who now works in news media.
Purcell studies natural disasters and risk preferences while pursuing an Economics PhD.
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Sharing Our Stories:
Aaron Weis Aaron Weis ’07 EMBA has served as chief information officer for the Department of the Navy since 2019. In this role, Weis is responsible for information management and digital, data and cyber strategy within the Department of the Navy.
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Villanova Business Winter 2021
’07 EMBA
W
eis left the corporate world to serve as senior adviser to the Department of Defense CIO in 2018. He had never served in the military, but his father had been in the Navy and it was something that always appealed to him. “It was a chance to serve my country and try to do some good,” he explains. Before joining the Defense Department, Weis had worked in the private sector as senior vice president and CIO at Axalta Coating Systems, where he led the company’s move to a cloud-based infrastructure. He was also CIO for Sensata Technologies and held other technology and senior management positions at Tyco International and Siemens Corporation. Earlier in his career, Weis was drawn to the Villanova Executive MBA program for its systems thinking approach and holistic, macro view of the world.
“The Villanova program solidified for me an understanding of how everything is related, and things don’t exist in a vacuum,” says Weis. He credits the EMBA for paying dividends years later. “It almost seems counterintuitive, but somehow as I get further away from the actual degree, the degree itself has become more important because it’s opened doors that I don’t think would have been available without it.”
Weis has remained connected to the University over the years, serving as a member of the Graduate Business Advisory Council and a guest speaker for the Center for Business Analytics. The biggest challenge Weis has faced in his roles with the Navy and DoD is modernizing 20-year-old technology architecture. “We are in a struggle every day with cyberattacks,” explains Weis. “It is imperative that our infrastructure and technology are where they need to be to face these threats.” The COVID-19 pandemic has supercharged efforts to modernize. Almost overnight, Weis oversaw the process of transitioning the population of teleworking employees from 12,000 to 200,000. Within the past year, Weis has led efforts to move the Navy to a cloud-based infrastructure, deploying 400,000 suites of Office 365, shutting down servers and consolidating networks into a single enterprise network. “It is humbling and inspiring to work with members of the military. The challenges are vast, but I’ll probably never do anything more impactful in my career and it’s an honor to serve my country in this way,” says Weis. Weis keeps a painting of the USS Enterprise (CVN-65)–the Navy’s first nuclear aircraft carrier–in his office as a reminder of his father, who served on the ship from 1967–1972. “Dad is still my biggest fan and one of the inspirations for me coming to the Department of Navy, and the painting reminds me of that.”
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FEATURE STORY
Sharing Our Stories:
Jaya Kolhatkar Jaya Kolhatkar ’86 MBA, executive vice president, Disney Direct to Consumer Data, was part of the inaugural MBA class at VSB.
After completing her degree, Kolhatkar went to work for an insurance company in a predictive analytics position. “I had no idea what predictive analytics was,” she recalls. “My employer assured me that the market research analytical skills I had acquired in the MBA program could be applied to predictive analytics. And he was right.” Predictive analytics— using historical data to predict future outcomes—was an area that was just starting to be used by many different industries, with the insurance field leading the way. After a few years, she took a new job at a bank using analytics in the area of credit risk. “I was struck by how I could take what I had learned and translate it to solving problems in a different domain,” she says. Kolhatkar’s career then took her to Amazon, PayPal and eBay, where she worked in various analytics roles as the internet economy was in its infancy. Post-eBay, she co-founded a predictive
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Villanova Business Winter 2021
analytics firm, Inkiru, whose highly scalable platform was designed to use predictive intelligence and data to help companies with strategic decisionmaking. Inkiru was later acquired by WalmartLabs. She eventually became senior vice president, Global Data at Walmart Inc. In 2018, Kolhatkar joined Hulu as chief data officer, where she was tasked with “making Hulu great at data.” She is responsible for elevating customer intelligence, implementing strong data governance and driving a culture of data-driven decision-making. Currently, she manages a team across strategic analytics, data engineering, data product, data science and business intelligence. Her charter has changed recently to include all Disney Streaming properties, namely Disney+, ESPN+, Star+ and Hulu.
Kolhatkar credits the Villanova MBA program with laying the foundation for her future career success. “I cannot understate how much of an impact Villanova had on my career. If I had not gotten the research assistant position, and if my professors had not pushed me to learn things I was not very comfortable with learning at that point in time, I would not have had the career that I have had. I think of these professors often and of the groundwork they laid for my career.” \v/
Photo: Gabriela Hasbun
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olhatkar came to the US from India after marrying Santosh Kolhatkar ’81 COE. In a matter of months, she had graduated from college, gotten married and moved to the US, and had no work experience. “I was lucky enough to get a position as a marketing research assistant in the MBA program,” she explains. “That opportunity set up the foundational elements for my career. It was the first time I was putting what I was learning into practice.”
’86 MBA
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FACULTY AND STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS
Faculty and Staff Achievements VSB boasts world-class faculty and staff members who are both nationally and internationally renowned. With more than 90% of VSB’s faculty holding a PhD or the highest degree in their discipline, our faculty excels in research, instruction and innovation. They are media-savvy professionals who regularly provide insightful commentary on business issues. Our staff helps create VSB’s unparalleled learning environment in the world of business education.
VSB Faculty Receive Research Awards
Manuela Priesemuth, PhD
Christopher Kilby, PhD
Manuela Priesemuth, PhD, Associate professor, Management & Operations is the recipient of this year’s University Scholarly Achievement Award, which recognizes excellence for published research, scholarship and/or creative expression.
Christopher Kilby, PhD, Professor, Economics is the recipient of this year’s Villanova University Outstanding Faculty Research Award, which is presented to a faculty member who demonstrates the highest standards of excellence in research, scholarship and contributions to their field.
She joined VSB in 2016 and her areas of research include toxic work climates, workplace aggression, leadership, behavioral ethics and organizational justice. Dr. Priesemuth has published in the top journals in the management field including the Academy of Management Journal, the Journal of Applied Psychology, the Journal of Management and Harvard Business Review. Dr. Priesemuth was also presented the 2021 Outstanding Reviewer Award from the Journal of Management, one of the top management journals.
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Dr. Kilby is a pioneer in the field of development economics, most notably through his investigation of how political factors affect the allocation of aid by the World Bank. He is a long-time member of the program committee for the annual Political Economy of International Organization (PEIO) conference and is on the editorial board of the Review of International Organizations.
FACULTY AND STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS
Jeanne Liedtka, JD
Jennifer Wiess
Receives the OER Adoption Grant
Elected to EMBAC’S Board of Trustees
The Falvey Memorial Library’s Affordable Materials Project launched the Open Educational Resources (OER) Faculty Adoption grant, generously funded by the vice provost for Teaching and Learning. Its goal is to increase accessibility to high-quality, low-cost course materials for students. Jeanne Liedtka, assistant teaching professor, Marketing & Business Law, was a recipient of an OER faculty grant for her Law of Contracts and Sales course.
VSB is proud to have representation on Executive MBA Council’s (EMBAC) board of trustees for the first time in the organization’s history. Jennifer Wiess, director, EMBA and Executive Programs, was elected to the board and began her three-year term at the conclusion of the EMBAC Conference, which was held virtually in October 2021. She brings 16 years of experience in EMBA programming to the role and looks forward to adding her skill set to the board while serving the good of the organization.
Professor Liedtka said, “OER texts provide equal access for all students, regardless of economic status, without sacrificing quality of knowledge. It’s wonderful that Villanova incentivizes faculty to help ease students’ financial burdens.”
Wiess said, “I believe the EMBAC community is in a unique position to influence and guide the future of global leadership and business school curricula. In living our mission and through our programming we are creating space for thought leadership, dialogue and knowledge generation. These efforts inform the approach of member schools to create learning experiences aimed at developing leaders who leverage the principles of business to bring about positive change in the world.”
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FACULTY AND STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS
7 World Ranking
Contributions to Advertising Research
VSB’s Marketing & Business Law Department Recognized After evaluating research productivity in advertising journals from 2008–2019, the Journal of Business Research ranked the Villanova Marketing & Business Law Department 7th in the world for their contributions to advertising research. Alongside the department, Charles R. Taylor, PhD, John A. Murphy Professor of Marketing, and Jeremy Kees, PhD, The Richard J. and Barbara Naclerio Endowed Chair in Business; professor, Marketing & Business Law; faculty director, Center for Marketing & Consumer Insights were presented world rankings of 5th and 15th, respectively, for their individual contributions and research productivity in advertising research.
Dr. Taylor
Dr. Kees
VSB Makes Three New Endowed Appointments
Corinne Post, PhD
Lucy H. Chen, PhD
Dr. Post has been named the new Fred J. Springer Endowed Chair in Business Leadership and professor of Management at VSB. In this role she will enhance the quality of scholarship, leadership and service within and beyond Villanova.
Dr. Chen has been named the new John M. Cooney Endowed Professor in Accounting within the Accounting & Information Systems department. She joined VSB as an assistant professor in 2011 and earned tenure and promotion to associate professor in 2016.
Her research addresses workplace diversity, with a focus on women on boards, in top management teams and in leadership roles; diversity as enabler or impediment to group and organizational performance; and career trajectories.
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Recognized as an expert in the international and financial accounting field, Dr. Chen has published more than a dozen articles in leading academic journals.
Denise Hanes Downey, PhD, ’05 VSB, ’08 MAC Dr. Downey has been named the KPMG Endowed Professor in Accounting within the Accounting & Information Systems department. She joined VSB in 2013 and has since published several papers in top-tier journals. Her portfolio refiects VSB’s goal of higher research quality and at the same time remains practically relevant and enables stakeholder engagement.
FACULTY AND STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS
Joyce Russell, PhD Voted Chair-Elect of Women Administrators in Management Education Joyce E. A. Russell, PhD, the Helen and William O’Toole Dean of VSB, was voted chair-elect of the Women Administrators in Management Education (WAME) affinity group at the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International Conference and Annual Meeting. WAME supports professional and career development opportunities for women administrators; cultivates the growing gender diversity of business school leaders; and addresses key issues of concern, including strategies for successful leadership and initiatives around diversity and inclusion.
Jonathan Doh, PhD Inducted into Academy of Management Fellows 2021 Jonathan Doh, PhD, associate dean of Research and Global Business Engagement, Herbert G. Rammrath Endowed Chair in International Business, co-faculty director of the Moran Center for Global Leadership, and professor of Management, was elected as a lifetime fellow by the Academy of Management for his significant contributions to the science and practice of management. Within VSB, Dr. Doh teaches and researches the intersection of international business, strategic management and corporate responsibility.
Matthew Manion Selected Treasurer of the Religious Research Association Matthew Manion ’11 MSCM, faculty director of the Center for Church Management and professor of practice in Management & Operations, was selected to serve a three-year term as treasurer of the Religious Research Association (RRA). Within the association, he and the other officers will serve as a Board of Directors, and he will also serve on an investment committee. The RRA consists of scholars and practitioners researching the functions of religion in persons and society to promote the circulation, interpretation and use of the findings of research among religious bodies.
Aronté Bennett, PhD, Named Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion VSB has named Aronté Bennett, PhD, associate professor, Marketing & Business Law, the new associate dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). “Dr. Bennett brings more than 12 years’ experience at VSB to this role, and I am confident that her work will positively impact our academic community and set us up for success,” said Joyce E. A. Russell, PhD, the Helen and William O’Toole Dean of the Villanova School of Business. Since joining VSB, Dr. Bennett has taught undergraduate and graduate classes in marketing research, buyer behavior and social media marketing. She is an accomplished researcher, with interest in vulnerable consumers, marketplace exclusion, pro-social behavior, corporate social responsibility and brand perceptions. Dr. Bennett is also a member of the editorial review board of the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing and the Journal of Consumer Affairs.
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STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS
Two Selected as Poets & Quants 2021 Best & Brightest Business Majors Rohan Parikh ’21 VSB and Kelsea Wong ’21 VSB were selected as Poets & Quants for Undergrads 2021 Best & Brightest Business Majors. Poets & Quants chose 100 students from around the nation who use their skills to impact business in creative ways and who are poised to be the future leaders of the business world. From Marlboro, N.J., Parikh was an Applied Quantitative Finance major with a minor in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning. The Presidential Scholar served as co-president of the Villanova Finance Group (VFG) and president of SAMOSA, Villanova’s South Asian multicultural organization. Most notably, he aided in developing best practices to educate and train VFG society members, and he is especially proud of his contribution to SAMOSA by creating a fundraising show that highlighted South Asian culture and celebrated diversity at Villanova. He interned with Fidelity Investments and Bank of America and, after graduation, returned to Bank of America as a debt capital markets analyst. Kelsea Wong, of Malvern, Pa., was a Finance & Real Estate major with a minor in Business Law & Corporate Governance. The St. Martin de Porres Scholar was actively involved on campus in a variety of roles, including serving as vice president of the Real Estate Society, a student worker in the VSB Communication & Marketing office, and a VSB Peer Adviser. She interned at XSQ in Singapore, CenterSquare Investment Management and the Blackstone Group. Wong was also one of two 2021 American Real Estate Society (ARES) Alpha Sigma Gamma Students of the Year. The organization recognizes the scholarly achievements of real estate students, faculty and professionals throughout the world. Wong returned to the Blackstone Group as a finance analyst after graduation.
SPRING 2020
The relationships I have formed with peers, professors and professionals in the industry are where I have grown the most.”
–Rohan Parikh ’21 VSB
VSB not only instilled business building blocks, but also the latest emerging components.”
–Kelsea Wong ’21 VSB
Bartley briefCASE Winners VSB’s bi-annual Bartley briefCASE challenge tasks teams of VSB juniors with creating and presenting a solution to real-life business problems which are judged by a panel of VSB faculty and business executives. As part of the Backpack to Briefcase professional development program, the briefCASE challenge allows students to showcase their communication, presentation and leadership skills. Students studied The Daily Table, a nonprofit community grocer dedicated to providing affordable and fresh foods to communities in need. The teams had to address employee compensation issues that surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as strategically think through options for the chain to grow its mission-driven services. Their solution focused on a three-phase approach that aimed to build financial stability, increase stakeholder engagement and improve the working environment for employees. The winning team (pictured from left to right) was composed of Minh To ’22 VSB, Jameson Parker ’22 VSB, Thomas Itkoff ’22 VSB, Kathleen Rubino ’22 VSB and Julia Revock ’22 VSB.
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INSIDE VSB
VSB Hosts Summer Business Academy VSB hosted a virtual Summer Business Academy for high school students in the VIEW (Villanova Initiative for Engaging Women) program.
Allyson He ’22 VSB; Lucy Huajing Chen, PhD; and Abbie Cho ’23 VSB
Ascend Chapter Debuts When Yongim (Abbie) Cho ’23 VSB and Wenzhuo (Allyson) He ’22 VSB prepared to debut the first event sponsored by VSB’s newly chartered chapter of Ascend— the largest Pan-Asian business professional membership organization in North America—they were not counting on dealing with the global COVID pandemic. However, they found an opportunity within this challenge. “COVID normalized Zoom meetings as an accepted and preferred meeting venue,” said Abbie, who serves as Ascend chapter co-president with Allyson. “We were able to invite guest speakers from anywhere.” Ascend membership is now about 60 students, and turnout for events, although all were conducted virtually, averaged about 70 or more. With 20 professional and more than 40 student chapters, Ascend’s mission is to “drive workplace and societal impact by developing and elevating all Asian and Pacific Islander (API) business leaders and empowering them to become catalysts for change.” Abbie and Allyson noted that Asian students can struggle under the weight of the “model minority” stereotype, expected to be quiet and do well academically, but without enjoying the opportunities that should come from a reputation for being smart and working hard. “We can be passed over for internships and interviews [based on a résumé with an Asian name] because of assumed visa problems,” said Abbie. Opportunities to network with those in the business world who look and sound like them become even more crucial. The rise of violent anti-Asian racism during 2020 made the chapter even more relevant. “Our goal for the Ascend chapter is that it provides a safe space for our Asian students where they can feel at home,” said Lucy Huajing Chen, PhD, the John M. Cooney Endowed Professor in Accounting, who, along with her colleagues Stephen Liedtka, CPA, PhD, associate professor, Accounting & Information Systems, and Julius Green, CPA, JD, VSB Business Fellow, serve as faculty advisers.
VIEW is a four-year program, run by Villanova’s Center for Access, Success and Achievement, for talented female students from Philadelphia public high schools. Its mission is to prepare students for admission to college and to provide the skills needed to succeed. Students participate in intense academic programs and personal and professional development workshops throughout the year. The two-week event provided a business overview and introduction to personal finance, stocks, financial markets and business ethics. Several VSB faculty and staff participated as guest speakers and lecturers. Executives from Wawa® joined the program and presented the students with a business challenge that required the students to research supply chains, merchandising, gross profit and cost of goods. Students worked in groups and partnered with young alumni mentors who offered guidance with their analysis and presentations to the Wawa team. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. “The VSB and Wawa teams were impressed by the quality of the student presentations and the level of professionalism,” said Cathy Toner, assistant dean, Talent & Staff Development, Community & External Outreach. According to Micaela Fennell, a student mentor and VIEW alumna, “Although not every VIEW girl may be planning a career in business, it’s the exposure and baseline understanding we find most important.”
To partner with VSB on a Summer Business Academy, contact Cathy Toner at Cathy.Toner@ villanova.edu. To support the VIEW program contact Nicole Davis, program director, at VIEW@villanova.edu.
Students enjoyed the opportunity to develop a business solution for Wawa.
AI and ML have become increasingly important technologies across all business disciplines such as finance, banking, marketing, health care, accounting, real estate and more
Companies are investing heavily in AI and ML and want employees who are technologically savvy.” –Manuel Nuñez ’03 MBA Associate Dean, Graduate Programs Professor of Practice, Management & Operations
INSIDE VSB
Thinking Ahead
VSB is committed to educating students for the future of work with new offerings that include artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analytics.
New Tech Concentrations VSB students are now able to add a concentration in Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to their degree program. Offered as a minor at the undergraduate level and a specialization within the MBA program, the three-course concentration will examine the components of AI, including natural language processing, expert systems, supervised and unsupervised machine learning, and robotics. Students will learn how AI and ML will affect the future of business, including the automation of business processes and tasks, decision-making, conversational interfaces, and personalization. They will also examine the ethical concerns of AI to understand the issues surrounding giving decision-making power to intelligent systems. “A minor in artificial intelligence and machine learning will ensure that VSB students remain competitive in today’s job market,” says Mike Peters, PhD, chair and professor, Accounting & Information Systems. “Our new AI and ML minor will allow students to leverage the skills that are crucial to businesses now and prepare them for the future.”
New Master of Business Taxation with Data Analytics Degree VSB now offers a new full-time, on-campus, 30-credit Master of Business Taxation with Data Analytics (MBT) degree program, which integrates advanced coursework in tax and accounting with quantitative applications in modeling, data and analytics, and technology. The program was developed with support and input from KMPG, LLP, and is designed to prepare students for the expanding expectations of today’s tax professionals. Tax practices at all accounting firms are experiencing a fundamental shift in the way they collect, analyze and use data in their tax compliance and consulting businesses. The MBT program responds directly to the needs of the tax profession by equipping future tax professionals with a strong foundational knowledge in each of the major areas of taxation, such as corporate and partnership taxation, mergers and acquisitions, state and local, and international taxation. MBT students will also develop a level of familiarity and expertise with data analytics tools, technology applications and robotic process automation that will accelerate their careers.
Illustration: Greg Mably
The MBT program expands VSB’s graduate accounting offerings and builds on the success of the Master of Accounting with Data Analytics (MAC) degree program launched in 2017. “Our past collaboration with KPMG has been extremely effective in preparing our accounting students,” says Joyce E. A. Russell, PhD, the Helen and William O’Toole Dean of VSB. “We are excited to offer the MBT degree program for the next generation of tax professionals and future business leaders.”
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MISSION SPOTLIGHT
Called to Ministry Bishop Donald Cook II, PhD, ’21 MSCM always knew he would do some type of mission or evangelism work. His father, the late Bishop Donald Cook Sr., had founded Harvest Tabernacle Bible Church in Los Angeles in 1976 and the church was an integral part of the young Dr. Cook’s life. After graduating from Morehouse College with a degree in business management, Dr. Cook answered the call to ministry and researched programs that would provide him with the skills needed to run a successful church. “There were MBA programs and Master of Divinity programs, but I needed something in between the two, so I prayed for guidance,” he says. That’s when Dr. Cook discovered the Master of Science in Church Management program (MSCM) at Villanova. “It was the answer to my prayers,” he says.
re-develop the land for the betterment and growth of the ministry. He also wanted to maintain a presence in the area. “Everyone else sold and left, but I wanted to make sure we kept a footprint in the community,” says Dr. Cook. Using the skills and tools he learned in the MSCM program, Dr. Cook was able to obtain buy-in from the community and move forward. “Villanova gave me the tools, the space, and the teaching—with facts and data—to make sound decisions,” he says.
According to Dr. Cook, “Everything I was able to do in the Church Management program was impactful to my ministry.” He says one of the most meaningful elements of the program was that his professors emphasized that the assignments and class projects would not work unless he coupled it with his real-life experiences. “This allowed me to connect the dots with what was happening in my own ministry,” he says.
“We are doing what the Bible has instructed us to do. Jesus asks: ‘When I was hungry, did you feed me? When I didn’t have a place to stay, did you house me? When I needed help, were you there for me?’” Dr. Cook says. He acknowledges that the work is not always easy but draws on his deep faith and conviction in the mission. “We know that we are following in the footsteps that God has instructed us to do,” Dr. Cook says. “At the end of the day, God will equip us to do His work. And that’s exactly what I believe He has done, through the Villanova program. He has equipped me to be better prepared to do His work.”
When his father was getting ready to retire, Dr. Cook began to discuss the possibility of repurposing the church property. After much prayer, Dr. Cook was inspired to
We have the spiritual aspect and now we are taking care of the business of the kingdom of God. And we know that what we are doing will benefit the surrounding community in the long run.”
The church building was recently razed, and plans are underway to build a five-story, 75-unit affordable housing complex. The property will include a grocery store and community gathering space.
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Photos: Bethany Mollenkof
–Bishop Donald Cook II
INSIDE VSB
VSB Makes Research a Central Part of Undergraduate Honors and Graduate Fellows Programs Research and academia have gone together for centuries. Academia has been the traditional route for those wishing a career in research. Over the years, practices have evolved to help ensure research studies abide by certain standards—for example, peer reviews and the scientific method— to help ensure research methods are accurate and fair and the results are reliable and valid. However, academia faces increasing competition from industry and other sources just as computerization and “big data” make research that much more exciting, interesting and vitally needed. With valuable data sets either closely held in private hands or readily available to any armchair sleuth, accurate and credible research and a means to evaluate the validity of research results becomes increasingly important. “Research is central to the mission of Villanova University and VSB. Research has been prioritized as a key pillar in both the University and the VSB strategic plans,” says Dean Joyce E. A. Russell, PhD. “We are also committed to engaging both undergraduate and master’s-level students in this process.” Not only has research been integrated into the student experience, but these student-faculty collaborations have benefitted both students and faculty, including publications in leading journals, book series, teaching cases and more. Participating in these research projects has also led to internships, full-time positions and graduate study opportunities. “We continue to foster research collaboration in the graduate student fellows program,” says Associate Dean of Research and Global Business Engagement Jonathan Doh, PhD. “And since 2018, we have made this commitment an integral part of our undergraduate Honors curriculum.” Incorporating a research component into the undergraduate Honors program was part of a redesign of the program proposed by Associate Dean Doh together with Associate Dean Melinda German, with input from Honors Faculty Director Beth Vallen, PhD, and formalized as the Business Scholars Seminar. It is required of all first-year Honors students, and it is designed to expose the students to key theoretical concepts and empirical findings that support the main business disciplines. Each week, a faculty member from one of these disciplines—Accounting, Analytics, Economics, Finance, Real Estate, Management, Marketing, Information Systems and International Business—shares their perspective on core research findings on an aspect of that discipline. These faculty members’ own research are often key contributions. Each student will then complete a comprehensive literature review in one of these areas, supervised by a faculty member. Completing the course qualifies students to serve as a VSB research associate in later semesters. So far, nearly 60 students have served as research associates, gaining first-hand research experience working with Villanova and other faculty.
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The Business Scholar Seminar and undergraduate research associate program provides our students with the opportunity to learn about and engage in the process of knowledge creation through research. Exposure to ideas and paradigms from seminal and in-progress research encourages deep learning and critical thinking on topics students will learn about in the classroom, as well as those that are emerging from the business discipline.” –Beth Vallen, PhD Honors Faculty Director
Caroline Huang and Michael Curran
INSIDE VSB Lucy Chen and Abbie Cho
Select current faculty-student research projects Financial Barriers to Female Entrepreneurship Jessica Mok ’24 VSB Esha Baxi ’24 VSB ADVISER
Thomas Griffin, PhD, Assistant Professor, Finance & Real Estate
Private Sector Influence on Monetary Policy Nicholas Felix ’20 CLAS, ’22 MSF Caroline Huang ’22 VS Karen Jusczak ’21 VS Patrick LaBella ’21 CLAS ADVISERS
Michael Curran, PhD, The Diana and Thomas Klein ’84 Associate Professor, Economics The Rev. Craig McMahon, OAS, PhD
Ray Taylor and Mivena Panteqi
Cost of Research and Education Activities in US Colleges: Complementarity, Scalability and Heterogeneous Efficiency Diogo Martins ’22 VSB ADVISER
Xiaoxiao Li, PhD, The Megan ’07 and Matthew ’06 Baldwin Associate Professor, Economics, in collaboration with the Santa Fe Institute
Are Thinner Instagram Influencers More Effective? Body Positivity and the Changing Views of Consumers Xiaoxiao Li and Diogo Martins
Mivena Panteqi ’21 MBA ADVISER
Charles R. Taylor, PhD, John A. Murphy Professor of Marketing
50 Years of Sports Teams in Work Groups and Team Research: A Review and Synthesis Addison Drone ’22 VSB ADVISER
Narda Quigley, PhD, Mahoney Family Endowed Professorship in Business, Professor of Management, in collaboration with California State University at Sacramento
Cross-Listed Companies and SEC Reporting Frequency Yongim “Abbie” Cho ’23 VSB ADVISER
Lucy Chen, PhD, John M. Cooney Endowed Professor in Accounting
Addison Drone and Narda Quigley
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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
David Anderson’s Juggling Act David Anderson, PhD, leads a full and varied life, on campus and off. As the Michele and Christopher Iannaccone ’91 Assistant Professor, Management & Operations, he draws upon his experience in business, research and academics. When he’s not in the classroom or conducting research, he finds time to practice piano and play with his two—soon to be three—children. “Our third child is due in January. We’re hoping for a New Year’s baby,” Dr. Anderson says. He joined VSB in 2018 after serving as assistant professor at the City University of New York, Baruch College, and his background includes several generations of academics and health care professionals. Growing up in Cleveland, his father was a biochemist on the faculty at Case Western Reserve University before moving to the National Institutes of Health in 2009. His mother is a nurse and his wife a pulmonologist. These influences shaped his graduate school experience, which included building predictive models in health care, national security and pay equity. “I enjoy using data to solve problems and to understand how things work. When I graduated with a BS in Applied Mathematics from William and Mary in 2009—at the height of the Great Recession—jobs were scarce,” he explained. So he pursued his PhD in Operations Management at the University of Maryland, College Park. His interest in data and modeling persisted. “Predictive modeling provides a toolkit to solve a variety of problems,” Dr. Anderson says. The toolkit is only part of what goes into solving problems, however.
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“Data is collected by human beings, and everyone comes with their own lens. Bias is built in and can be well hidden. That’s why cross-disciplinary teams are so important.” An opportunity in his PhD program led him to working with Margrét Bjarnadóttir, an Icelandic associate professor of Management Science and Statistics at Robert H. Smith School of Business. Iceland had recently passed a law requiring pay equity for women. “A friend of Margrét’s asked her to help look into whether they had a pay equity issue at their company,” Dr. Anderson says. Together, they determined the company did have an issue and were eventually tasked with helping solve it.
Dr. Anderson’s varied background and expansive curiosity has influenced his teaching as well. “We used sports data to learn R [a programming language used in data analytics],” he says. “The data sets have improved since Moneyball and they are freely available. The students love it.” They do indeed—a former student recently emailed Dr. Anderson to express appreciation for the class, noting how much he learned and how much he’s using R in his work.
Later, he and Dr. Bjarnadóttir co-founded PayAnalytics, a company that helps firms discover and solve their pay equity issues. “Founding a company allowed me to better understand the pressures businesses operate under,” Dr. Anderson says.
That appreciation is mutual.
The experience led Dr. Anderson to become even more passionate about equity issues. He now serves as an internal adviser to VISIBLE—Villanova Initiative to Support Inclusiveness and Build Leaders—which is part of the Office of the Provost and partners with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women’s Leadership to form a cohesive team to advance intersectional gender equity.
The real world is messy and inaccurate. Data doesn’t live in a vacuum, and for it to be useful, the tools we build have to be usable in real-world settings.” –Dr. David Anderson
“I love being an academic. I get to think about things that interest me all day. Plus, I love teaching.” –Dr. David Anderson
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FINDING JOY in Being Helped and Helping Others
An internship with the Joy of Sox coupled with his experience at Villanova helped Austin Glass ’22 VSB realize his need to work with people and make a difference.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Austin Glass ’22 VSB expected to attend a college far from home. Instead, Austin, who comes from less than 70 miles away in Lancaster, Pa., found that he measured all other schools he considered against his campus visit experience of Villanova. “It’s a very high bar,” he says. “Everyone I’ve met at Villanova is eager to help others. There is a commitment to help others grow.” “I love working with people,” says Austin, “but I needed some time to figure out what I wanted to do as a career.” Part of that search included a summer internship in 2019. “It was great business experience, but something was missing,” he says. A conversation with Cathy Toner, JD, assistant dean, Talent & Staff Development, Community & External Outreach, led Austin to James Reaves, visiting instructor, Management & Operations. He suggested The Joy of Sox, a Philadelphia-based not-for-profit focused on providing people experiencing homelessness in America with clean new socks. A grant from the Vocare Summer Fellows Program made it possible for Austin to accept the position. “I was the first intern they’d ever had, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I took some time learning about them and how they worked so that I could see where to put my skills to best use.” Austin credits the founder, alumnus Tom Costello Jr. ’68 COE, as one of the reasons his experience at The Joy of Sox went so well. “We have a set of common goals and experiences as Villanovans, and that makes a difference,” Austin says. One thing that Austin did discover during his time with The Joy of Sox was that there is not that much difference between for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. “Both need to operate efficiently and cost effectively. The difference is that instead of the goal being to make a profit for shareholders, not-for-profits do it to fulfill their mission,” he says.
In addition to his course work, which includes classes to satisfy the requirements of his Economics major as well as his Business Law & Corporate Governance and Finance minors, Austin is taking full advantage of the expression, “grow where you’re planted,” a phrase uttered frequently by both Villanova faculty and students. Until his junior year, he served in student government as a senator, and is currently the president of the Blue Key Society, which provides campus tours and helps organize open houses and candidates’ days for prospective students.
We have a set of common goals and experiences as Villanovans, and that makes a difference.” In short order, Austin determined that he could put his organizational skills and technical savvy to work by reorganizing The Joy of Sox’s electronic filing system, training the volunteers how to use it, and then helping streamline the software used to track and connect with donors. “I hadn’t entirely finished these projects by the end of the summer but had become so invested in the work that I wanted to see it to completion,” he says. The Joy of Sox was happy with the results—so much so that Austin is now on The Joy of Sox’s board of trustees. “I was the first intern on the board (and the youngest),” Austin says. “Being on the board helps me develop a more holistic perspective of the organization, and for myself, which is helpful as I prepare for the future.”
The Joy of Sox has already provided over 475,600 pairs of new socks in the Philadelphia/NJ region, as well as 33 states and five countries.
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DONOR SPOTLIGHT
A Commitment to Mission Most VSB donors have some direct connection to the University, usually as a graduate or parent of a graduate. Mike and Kathie Castellano, however, are not like most donors. What inspired them to give to the University was the mission of the Center for Church Management (CCM). A lifelong Catholic, Mr. Castellano attended 12 years of Catholic school and earned an accounting degree from Baruch College in New York. In 2010, he was getting ready to retire from the corporate world, where he had a successful career in financial management and accounting, including 24 years with Deloitte, 10 years at Merrill Lynch, and 10 years as chief financial officer of Lazard Ltd. He decided that any nonprofit work he would get involved in would have something to do with the Catholic Church. Through a friend, he learned that CCM was seeking new members for its Advisory Council. He liked what he heard, specifically helping priests understand financial management and business skills. “Priests are taught plenty of theology during their years in the seminary, but very little, if any, management tools in finance or human resources,” Mr. Castellano says. “It was a need to be filled and Kathie and I liked what Chuck Zech was doing.” (Charles Zech, PhD, professor emeritus, founded CCM in 2004.) The Castellanos knew that joining the Advisory Council might carry an expectation of financial commitment and they try to steer away from organizations “where there’s a gap between the recruiting speech and what actually happens with the funding. But the more we got involved and were able to see the work that was being done, we could see the value in the Center’s mission. We realized this was something that was meeting a critical need, so we stepped up our commitment” he says.
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Mr. Castellano has been a member of the Advisory Council since 2010 and has been chairperson for the past three years. The Castellanos have steadily increased their financial contributions to the Center over the past few years, and recently committed a seven-figure amount. “When you think of the needs of the Church in terms of ministry and management, there is a real crisis. Priests are now put in charge of parishes at a much earlier point in their careers, and often lack the skills and experience or the lay staff to manage the business of the parish,” Mr. Castellano explains. Given his background in accounting and financial management, it was important to him that the Center be financially transparent. “You don’t want to run the risk of making a donation into a black hole,” he explains.
“ We know our contribution is earmarked for the Center and will go directly to scholarship funds, research and thought leadership.” Equally important to the Castellanos was the University’s support. “It’s clear to us that Villanova is very much in support of the Center for Church Management. It’s critical to Villanova’s identity and is part of what distinguishes them as a Catholic institution. The Center is making a significant impact in the Church and Christian community, and it is an honor to support the Center’s mission.”
DEAN’S ADVISORY COUNCIL
VSB Dean’s Advisory Council (DAC) The DAC provides advice and guidance to the dean of VSB on important strategic initiatives under consideration. Michele Etzel ’87 VSB; Chair
Stephen “Steve” Delaney ’91 VSB
Clare McGrory ’97 VSB, ’08 EMBA
CFO and Executive Vice President National Graphics, Inc.
Partner, Audit and Assurance Services, Office Audit Leader–Philadelphia Deloitte LLP
CFO and Chief Compliance Officer Atairos
Dante D’Egidio ’94 VSB
Vice Chairman, Investment Banking Wells Fargo
Christine Dorfler ’97 VSB; Vice Chair CFO NBC Sports Group, NBCUniversal
Greg Wilson ’95 VSB; Vice Chair Managing Director Goldman Sachs
Madeleine Barber, Esq., ’85 VSB, ’88 CWSL, ’92 CWSL Senior Vice President and Chief Tax Officer CBRE
Jennifer Barbetta ’95 VSB Chief Operating Officer and Senior Managing Director Starwood Capital Group
Eileen Barker ’93 VSB Former General Manager IT Cosmetics
Kenneth “Ken” Bodmer ’87 VSB CFO and Executive Vice President, Finance and Administration Wellpartner
Susan Ciccarone ’95 VSB Partner Further Global Capital Management L.P.
Peter Cieszko ’82 VSB, P ’20 Head of Strategic Development American Century Investments
Brian Collie ’95 CLAS Partner and Managing Director Boston Consulting Group
Partner/Assurance Leader, Chesapeake Market Segment EY
Justin DiGaetano ’02 VSB Founding Partner and Principal Fidato Partners
George Eberle ’87 VSB, P ’23 Partner PJT Park Hill
Richard “Rich” Furtek ’91 VSB, P ’18, ’20, ’23 Principal Furtek & Associates
Michael Grossi ’91 VSB CEO Lakeside Software
Martin “Marty” Hughes ’79 VSB Retired CEO and Director Redwood Trust
Debbie Kolman P ’23 Retired Investment Banker Goldman Sachs and Co.
John D. Leahy ’75 VSB Retired President KIND Healthy Snacks
Greg Mancini ’95 VSB Head of European Research and Portfolio Manager Nuveen Investments
Bill R. McDermott Chief Executive Officer SAP SE
Christopher E. Morris ’84 VSB
Karin A. Risi ’94 VSB, ’99 MBA Managing Director, Head Retail Investor Group The Vanguard Group, Inc.
Michael Russomano ’79 VSB Retired President and CEO, Global Business Head Nestlé
Brian Scanlon ’94 VSB Executive Vice President of Strategy, Business Development, Marketing and Communications Guardian
John Samuel Shamsey ’91 VSB President Evoke Navience
Scott M. Steel ’01 VSB Chief Operating Officer, Investment Solutions Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Terence “Terry” Sullivan ’95 VSB Global Head of Financial Institutions Group UBS
Marc Tilker ’82 VSB, P ’24 President and CEO Marathon Group LLC/BEI Hawaii
Valerie Wieman ’92 VSB Assurance Partner PwC
Timothy “Tim” Zuber ’96 VSB, P ’19, ’20 Partner, Tax KPMG
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