DOLAN REPORT CHARLES F. DOLAN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY | FALL 2023
DOLAN REPORT | FALL 2023 i
Message From the Dean
ON THE COVER:
A view of the Charles F. Dolan School of Business. Photo by Joe Adams
W “Guided by the Jesuit Catholic mission of Fairfield University, the Charles F. Dolan School of Business aims to develop principled business leaders for a better world and lifelong success.”
e are delighted to share Fairfield Dolan’s annual report with you for the 2022-23 academic year! Guided by the Jesuit Catholic mission of Fairfield University, the Charles F. Dolan School of Business aims to develop principled business leaders for a better world and lifelong success. This report highlights how Fairfield Dolan is committed to Jesuit ideals, our collective efforts to offer a Jesuit business education to the world, and how we further develop our programming to best prepare our students for today’s business climate. Fairfield Dolan experienced another record year of enrollment for both undergraduate and graduate programs in 2022-23. This is a continuation of our strong growth over the last five years, during which we saw a 40 percent increase in total enrollment — from approximately 1,850 in 2018 to 2,600 students today. Fairfield Dolan also grew in academic reputation, both nationally and globally, which is evidenced by the most recent ranking information furnished in this annual report. Fairfield Dolan recorded another proud year of student success outcomes, with more than 99 percent of graduating students starting jobs or attending graduate schools. We also continue to innovate our professional development programming to prepare and develop students for today’s hyper-competitive business climate. You will read in these pages how our upcoming Career Readiness Seminar aims to accomplish this. We also continue to lead with innovative academic programs. A number of new ones were approved during the 2022-23 academic year, including an MS in FinTech and a BS in Integrated Business and Engineering. We have successfully launched the Executive Doctorate of Business Administration (Executive DBA) program, and the first cohort has already begun taking classes. You can learn more about the Executive DBA program in this annual report. Fairfield Dolan is also strengthening its external engagements. We have engaged broadly with alumni, supporters, and employers, through the Dean’s Advisory Board and five disciplinary advisory councils (accounting, business analytics, finance, marketing, and management) as well as through signature events such as the new Stags in Business, Stags on Wall Street, and our Professionals-in-Residence program. We also continue to attract prominent speakers including: the CEO of Deckers Brands, Dave Powers; the CEO of BIC, Gonzalve Bich; and the former CEO of WW International, Mindy Grossman. Through these efforts, we continue to amplify our Fairfield Dolan brand both nationally and globally.
Z han L i , DBA Dean and Professor, Dolan School of Business ii FAL L 2 02 3 | DOLAN REPORT
DOLAN REPORT Zhan Li, DBA Dean Anca Micu, PhD Senior Associate Dean Leanne De Los Santos Senior Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs Danielle Courtemanche, MS Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs Rev. Gregory Konz, S.J. Special Assistant to the Dean Sarah Bollinger, MEd Senior Director of the Dolan Career Development Center John Hottinger, MA Senior Associate Director of the Dolan Career Development Center Faye Troiano, MEd Assistant Director of Undergraduate Programs Eve Liptak, MA Manager of Dolan Communication and Events Allison Wade Integrated Marketing Manager Nancy (Gelston) Dobos ’91 Designer Send Inquiries to: Charles F. Dolan School of Business Fairfield University 1073 North Benson Road Fairfield, CT 06824-5195 203-254-4000 ext. 2843 fairfield.edu/dolan
Contents
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Fairfield Dolan’s Nationally Ranked Programs and Student Outcomes Focused Career Prep for Future Business Leaders Lessons in Entrepreneurship That Go Beyond the Classroom Fairfield Dolan Welcomes First Executive DBA Program Cohort Going Global
A Commitment to Jesuit Ideals Distinguishes Fairfield Dolan Fairfield Dolan Year In Review 2022-2023 Highlights Faculty Newsbreakers
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FAIRFIELD DOLAN’S NATIONALLY RANKED PROGRAMS AND STUDENT OUTCOMES The Charles F. Dolan School of Business continues to grow
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
#18
Best Grad Schools Business Analytics
#15 Best Grad Schools Marketing
U.S. News & World Report 2023-24
U.S. News & World Report 2023-24
#17
MBA
in national prominence, with nationally ranked undergraduate and graduate programs, an innovative curriculum taught by expert faculty, and strong student outcomes that are proof of the value of a Dolan education. The Dolan School has experienced unprecedented graduate and undergraduate student growth, and continues to expand high-quality program offerings — including the newly launched Executive Doctorate of Business Administration (Executive DBA), Dolan’s first doctoral degree.
Best Grad Schools Finance
Among the Best In the Country
U.S. News & World Report 2023-24
The Princeton Review 2022
#26
#76
Another “first” for the school: two of Dolan’s graduate programs received global recognition from Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). Through new partnerships in India and expanding program offerings in Shanghai, the school continues to grow by offering an exemplary education on a global scale. A recognized leader in Jesuit business education, Fairfield Dolan has been named among the best business schools in the U.S., and aims to prepare students to be ethical business leaders for a global future.
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Best Grad Schools Accounting U.S. News & World Report 2023-24
Best Part-Time MBA U.S. News & World Report 2023-24
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
#16
TOP 10 Best Colleges for Business Majors Money Magazine 2019
#28
Best Schools for Business Majors PayScale 2020
#17
Best Undergraduate Business Programs Business Analytics
Best Undergraduate Business Programs Finance
U.S. News & World Report 2024-25
U.S. News & World Report 2024-25
#17
#28
Best Undergraduate Business Programs Marketing
Best Undergraduate Business Programs Accounting
U.S. News & World Report 2024-25
U.S. News & World Report 2024-25
OUTCOMES
99%
Of Graduates Are Employed or Enrolled in a Graduate Program within six months of graduation. Undergraduate Class of 2022
100%
Of Graduates Are Employed within six months of graduation. Graduate Class of 2022
TOP 20 Private Colleges for Highest-Paying Accounting Jobs WSJ 2023
#2
Accounting Grads Among Top Hires At Big Four Firms OnlineU 2023
MS in Business Analytics
#22
Best Value for Money in the World
#17
Best Value for Money in the U.S. QS 2023
GOLD for Best Online Program MS in Business Analytics WhartonQS Reimagine Education Award 2022
MS in Management
#17
Best Value for Money in the World
#10
Best Value for Money in the U.S. QS 2023
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FOCUSED CAREER PREP FOR FUTURE BUSINESS LEADERS Developed to build upon Fairfield Dolan’s strong academic coursework, the popular Dolan Professional Development Series has been redesigned to center around a new Career Readiness Seminar that all Dolan students will be required to take before graduating.
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ur Professional Development Series (PDS) has provided great outcomes in terms of internship and job opportunities,” said Sarah Bollinger, MEd, senior director of the Dolan Career Development Center. In fact, 99 percent of Dolan undergraduate students are employed or accepted to a graduate program within six months of graduation. The new Dolan Career Readiness Seminar is designed around five key modules, explained Bollinger, thus making career and professional development services more focused, effective, and accessible to more students. The hybrid structure of the seminar will also allow students greater flexibility. The restructuring of Dolan’s PDS programming also addresses redundancies with topics covered in coursework, and provides the opportunity to introduce new topics to students in response to developing technologies. “In the last few years, our faculty has updated the Dolan curriculum to include two new academic classes that strengthen students’ communication and technology skills — topics that were previously covered with evening PDS workshops,” said Bollinger. “The structure of the new seminar addresses these redundancies and has added new topics that are crucial in today’s job market, such as educating students about application tracking systems (ATS) and automated video interviews powered by artificial intelligence. Students will learn
how to optimize their resumes and LinkedIn profiles for ATS in order to stand out in interviews that use AI.” The seminar will be taught by Bollinger, alongside the Dolan Career Development Center’s Senior Associate Director John Hottinger, MA, and Student Experience Counselor Mitchell Fallon, MS. The five modules include: résumé and cover letter preparation, creating and using a LinkedIn profile, job and internship search, networking, and interviewing. Students will gain an understanding of the process required to search for a professional position and will practice demonstrating their marketability. By layering the Career Readiness Seminar on top of Dolan’s solid academic curriculum, students will gain the skills needed to compete for top-tier job and internship opportunities. The Class of 2027 will begin enrolling in the Career Readiness Seminar starting next spring. In addition to the seminar, students can also schedule appointments for individualized career coaching — online or in-person — with a Career Development Center staff member, or with a Dolan professional-in-residence, for industry-specific advice. Students must also attend at least one networking event, roundtable discussion, or Dolan Dean’s Executive Forum during the semester. “We continue to innovate and evolve with emerging technologies, to ensure our students are best prepared for their D first job interview or internship,” said Bollinger. l
“We continue to innovate and evolve with emerging technologies, to ensure our students are best prepared for their first job interview or internship.” Sarah Bollinger Senior Director of the Dolan Career Development Center
LEFT: Students huddled at one of the Dolan School’s collaborative work stations.
Photo by Joe Adams
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LESSONS IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP THAT GO BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
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s more and more students come to Fairfield with the curiosity and drive to learn about entrepreneurship, the Charles F. Dolan School of Business continues to expand opportunities for students to learn and practice what it means to be an entrepreneur. “We are a talent incubator,” said Dr. Huntley. “That’s our model. We are a community of dedicated alumni and business partners who mentor our students through every step of the startup journey, with the generous support of our donors and sponsors. For the students who are built to be entrepreneurs, the calling selects them.” The StartUp program is a yearlong series of workshops and events that addresses foundational elements of being an entrepreneur, such as developing an elevator pitch. Students form teams and pitch their business ideas during a qualifiers round. If selected, those teams will meet weekly during the spring semester to refine their business plans, and then pitch to an investor panel for seed funding in front of a live audience at the StartUp Showcase in April. “When a student is committed and motivated, believes strongly in their idea, and is interested in building a development team, those are the students that have the greatest chance at success,“ said Jeffrey Hendrickson, managing director at Greenfield Hill Group and a StartUp mentor. Teams that pitch at the Showcase don’t stop there. Last year’s Showcase competitors Celine King ’23 of team GreenIRR and Mariana Antaya ’23 of quantifAI were invited to compete at the 2022 Connecticut Pitchoff held at the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale. King and Antaya also pitched at the semifinals for Smith College’s Draper Competition, ranked 6 FA L L 2 02 3 | DOLAN REPORT
#7 for collegiate entrepreneurship competitions in the country. King returned to pitch at the finals and was awarded a $5,000 cash prize and scholarship to Draper University. “Being able to learn and grow at the largest competition for collegiate women entrepreneurs was an honor,” said Antaya. “My team and I are more motivated than ever to continue pushing forward to bring innovation into the fintech field!” Beyond the Showcase competition, the StartUp program expanded in a big way last spring by offering students the chance to visit Silicon Valley during spring break. During the trip, students connected with companies and alumni who provided real-world exposure to topics discussed in their course, “Technology Ventures.” Students visited multiple businesses including Apple, Google, NVIDIA, Salesforce, and Zoom. “The students asked thoughtful questions of everyone we met, including company founders with fresh exits, startup coaches with amazing stories, professional investors with company portfolios, and even C-level executives,” said Dr. Huntley. A 2022 StartUp competitor, Christian O’Rourke ’24 was part of the group that traveled to Silicon Valley. He said, “Despite coming from different majors and career interests, we all shared a passion for learning and creativity. The conversations we had — discussing startup ideas, the next cycle of generative AI, reflecting on everything we learned — were invaluable. This experience reinforced for me the value of osmosis learning and the importance of surrounding oneself with individuals who D have a keen curiosity and passion for learning.” l RIGHT: Team Golden Guardian Solutions pitching at the Fairfield StartUp Showcase last April.
Photo by Joe Vericker
“Never underestimate what our students can do if given the chance.” This is the message Fairfield StartUp Program Director Christopher Huntley, PhD, delivered during his opening remarks for Fairfield University’s 11th annual entrepreneurship competition, the Fairfield StartUp Showcase.
FAIRFIELD DOLAN WELCOMES FIRST EXECUTIVE DBA PROGRAM COHORT Long renowned for its innovative, exceptional graduate programs, the Charles F. Dolan School of Business recently launched an Executive Doctorate of Business Administration (Executive DBA) program, an applied, terminal business degree for experienced professionals. Ron Elowitz calls himself a lifelong learner, and with four master’s degrees, he’s certainly earned the title. But to reach his long-term goal of full-time teaching at the university level, he knew he needed to go back to school again. “Universities are looking for business faculty with both work experience and doctoral-level degrees. They need research and organizational skills,” Elowitz explained. A resident of Watchung, N.J., Elowitz started hearing about Fairfield University as he began his search for the right program. “What struck me was that everyone I met who was connected to Fairfield was effusive about what an incredible school, incredible experience, and incredible alumni network it has. It’s more nationally renowned than the size of the school would suggest.” Elowitz is one of seven students enrolled in Dolan’s new Executive DBA program, a low residency, hybrid program for experienced business professionals. The coursework, much of it related to quantitative and qualitative research and analysis of current business challenges, is the same for all. However, students can customize the program to focus on their particular areas of interest, such as finance, analytics, or marketing. The program takes three years to complete. “Students will use their dissertations to customize the DBA experience,” explained Leanne De Los Santos, senior assistant dean of graduate programs. “In the first year, they’ll work with the academic director to finesse their dissertation topic and identify the faculty who will serve on their dissertation committee. The goal is to embed the dissertation within the program.” Dolan’s first Executive DBA cohort represents a mix of accomplished business professionals from established companies, start-ups, and academia, each with at least ten years of work experience and a master’s degree in a relevant field. The two expected outcomes of the DBA, said De Los Santos, are to advance within their industry, or to prepare them to teach at a college level.
While subsequent cohorts are expected to double in size, “they will be kept small so our faculty can provide the support and resources each student needs to complete the dissertation within three years,” De Los Santos explained. Rosemarie McLaughlin ’89, an incoming student in the program and an alumna who has stayed connected to Fairfield, appreciates the cohort model of the program and is looking forward to the networking opportunities. She also noted that the hybrid program structure, where students meet on campus for four weekends each year, is a plus. McLaughlin holds both a CPA and an MBA, but, like Elowitz, was looking for a degree that will allow her greater flexibility to teach fulltime at the college level. “The Dolan School has a reputation for being forwardlooking, and over the years we’ve launched very relevant master’s programs in analytics and fintech, plus concentrations including cybersecurity within the MBA,” said De Los Santos. “The DBA is another cutting-edge program designed to give professionals the tools they need to lead and innovate in D today’s business climate.” l
ABOVE: Fairfield Dolan’s first DBA cohort.
Contributed by Kristie Kistner DOLAN REPORT | FALL 2023 7
Going Global Fairfield Dolan expands global partnerships to offer high-quality Jesuit business education to students in Shanghai and India. FACING PAGE TOP: Fairfield Dolan’s sixth cohort of students in Shanghai.
Contributed by Golden Education BOTTOM LEFT: The Charles F. Dolan
School of Business at sunset. Photo by Joe Adams BOTTOM RIGHT: From (l-r): Associate
Dean Anca Micu, PhD, Provost Christine Siegel, PhD, Dean and Member Secretary of ICFAI Business School Dr. P. Venkateswarlu, and Dean Zhan Li, DBA. Photo by Kristie Kistner
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n the spring of 2019, Fairfield University President Mark R. Nemec, PhD and Charles F. Dolan School of Business Dean Zhan Li, DBA traveled to China with the goal of expanding the University’s footprint. That first trip resulted in a formal partnership with Golden Education, one of the largest management training companies in China, to offer students in Shanghai the same nationally ranked, quality MBA program taught by Fairfield Dolan’s expert faculty. Four years later, the Dolan School has graduated its fourth cohort and more than 120 MBA students in Shanghai. The school has also introduced a second program in Shanghai — the MS in Business Analytics (MSBA), and has developed three new partnerships to offer Dolan graduate programs to students in India. As Dean Li explained, “A degree from a U.S. institution is highly regarded in China, but not all students have the time or the money to go abroad. Our MBA program allows students in Shanghai to continue in their professional careers while pursuing the degree in the evenings and on weekends. While the program has a focus on finance, students also take our core MBA marketing, management, and leadership courses.” The Shanghai MBA program welcomes two cohorts of students each year. One of the defining elements of the
program is that courses are structured to offer asynchronous lessons, which students study on their own time during the week, followed by synchronous classes on the weekends. This format allows students to simultaneously continue working while pursuing the program and also prioritizing their other responsibilities. They take one course per month in order to complete the program in one year. “The Shanghai students I’ve taught appreciate our open communication approach and discussion environment,” said Yasin Ozcelik, PhD, chair and associate professor of analytics. “They also value group assignments that give them essential learning experiences that benefit them in their careers. Most of the students are in finance and accounting, and work in manufacturing sectors in China.” Ying (Clement) Zhang, PhD, associate professor of finance and Shanghai MBA program director, shared, “The students appreciate having online, face-to-face time with their professors and classmates, and discussing real-life scenarios through case studies. They are intrigued by the huge differences in financial systems between China and the U.S.” Following the success of launching the MBA and MSBA in Shanghai, the Dolan School has developed three new partnerships with organizations to reach students in India. In August, 2022, Fairfield Dolan signed
an agreement with ICFAI Business School (IBS), one of India’s premier business schools. ICFAI, which stands for the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India, was established in 1984 as a non-profit with the goal of empowering citizens through world-class education. IBS has nine campuses across India, all with MBA or similar business degree programs. A selective cohort of IBS students will have the opportunity to come to Fairfield to earn an MBA, an MS in Finance, or other graduate degree, in addition to the degree earned from IBS. This dual degree, combined with international experience, will give IBS students a valuable perspective on leadership and management styles from both cultures — a major advantage in a competitive global marketplace. “Global expansion is a must for a business school, given that all business today is global,” said Senior Associate Dean Anca Micu, PhD. “Business education cannot happen in a vacuum, but rather through culturally rich collaborations that prepare students for a global workplace. There is value that the Dolan School can offer to international students through our highly ranked, quality programming, our small class sizes, and our hands-on projects that prepare students to work in a multicultural/ multinational work environment.” In addition to IBS, the Dolan School has developed a partnership with professional training company Imarticus Learning, which provides industry-endorsed learning programs in financial services, business analysis, and business analytics to professionals in India. The partnership will be structured as a two-part hybrid model: students will start by taking graduate classes online from India, before transitioning to classrooms on Fairfield’s campus to complete their degree in business analytics, finance, or cybersecurity. International students make up 25.7 percent of Fairfield Dolan’s graduate student body. “With these partnerships,
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“The Fairfield Dolan MBA program provided me with the financial knowledge and management skills I needed as a CFA candidate. My favorite course was “Leadership.” In the past year, I have encountered many management challenges in my work. Through communicating with professors and classmates in the course, I learned a lot of management methodology and applied some of it to practice, achieving success. The course helped me solve many work problems.” Jianlin Xu MBA’23 Shanghai Program Graduate and Wealth Advisor, China Citic Bank
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the Dolan School continues to expand the global presence of our industry-relevant graduate programs with an innovative program structure,” said Dr. Micu. Fairfield Dolan has also partnered with Miles Futurense, a company that specializes in accounting training. Through the partnership, students from the Indian Institute of Management – Indore will take three courses in India and then transition to Fairfield’s campus in January to pursue the Dolan MSBA program with a concentration in accounting. Indian Institute of Management – Indore maintains three prominent accreditations: the Association of MBAs (AMBA), the Association to Advanced Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS). Two of Dolan’s graduate programs recently received global recognition for best value for money, as part of the 2023 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Specialized Master’s Rankings. QS is the world’s leading provider of analytics and insights into global higher education. The company ranked Fairfield’s MSBA program #22 Best Value for Money in the world, #17 Best Value for Money in the U.S., and #49 in the U.S. overall. Dolan’s MS in Management program was ranked #17 Best Value for Money in the world, #10 Best Value for Money in the U.S., and #22 in the U.S. overall. “Offering high-quality education on a global scale has been a vision of the Jesuits, a vision that is almost 500 years old,” said Dean Li. “Reaching students with our graduate programs in Shanghai and India amplifies that vision, and we look forward to developing more partnerD ships in the future.” l
A Commitment to Jesuit Ideals Distinguishes Fairfield Dolan The Charles F. Dolan School of Business has long been dedicated to the Jesuit mission. Faculty and staff place social responsibility and justice at the core of a Dolan School education, with the goal of developing principled leaders with a global mindset.
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ast year, Dean Zhan Li, DBA, asked professor of accounting Joan Lee, PhD, CPA, and special assistant to the dean Rev. Gregory Konz, S.J., to design and implement the Ignatian Fellows Program, a discussion and roundtable initiative designed to promote curricular coursework that integrates Jesuit principles. Through readings and discussion models, the inaugural cohort of 11 new faculty members spent the academic year exploring what it means to be teaching in a Jesuit business school. “Ignatian pedagogy means stressing a values-based education, looking at the ramifications of a business decision from another’s point of view, and giving students the opportunity to work on projects, rather than just lecturing to them,” explained Fr. Konz. “The Ignatian Fellows all brought their personal experiences to the table. And the exciting outcome is that this first group has formed a learning community to support one another as they go forward.” The faculty cohort met regularly to discuss what it means to be a Jesuit business school and to review in detail the Inspirational Paradigm for Jesuit Business Education. The Inspirational Paradigm is an initiative to promote innovative and engaging curricular course materials that inspire the idealism of business students and integrate the social responsibility values of Jesuit social teaching into learning experiences. Fairfield Dolan’s minor in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is another example of the infusion of Jesuit pedagogy into the curriculum. Available to all Fairfield University students, the minor is designed to encourage students to
recognize the range of perspectives and methods that people of diverse cultures use to create productive and equitable social and economic systems. “The mere fact that ethical issues come up in class discussions, that students take it seriously when we talk about equity and diversity in corporate governance, shows that we are doing what we set out to do — that is, to bake Jesuit ideals into the culture,” said Fr. Konz. Business courses taught at the new Fairfield Bellarmine initiative, which offers two-year associate’s degrees to students from the greater Bridgeport, Connecticut region, will also reflect the values that are central to a Jesuit education. Many business schools have ethics programs; indeed, AACSB accreditation requires proof that ethics is taught. “The difference at Fairfield is that ethics has been central to our mission since the University’s inception,” said David Schmidt, PhD, associate professor and director of the Patrick J. Waide Center for Applied Ethics. “Our applied ethics courses are case study-based and focused on real-world, pragmatic issues. DEI initiatives are not a fad; they are an D integral part of what makes a Jesuit university unique.” l
LEFT: The title of this sculpture, “Examen,” situated on Fairfield University’s campus, refers to the spiritual exercise of self-reflection developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. Work by Joan Benefiel (American, b. 1974) and Jeremy Leichman (American, b. 1980), Examen, 2011. Bronze.
Photo by Joe Adams DOLAN REPORT | FALL 2023 11
FAIRFIELD
DOLAN YEAR IN REVIEW
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HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2022-23 8
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1 Dean’s Executive Forum with
Deckers Brands CEO Dave Powers Fairfield Dolan welcomed Dave Powers, CEO of Deckers Brands, to speak at the Dolan Dean’s Executive Forum titled “Doing Good is Good for Business.” Powers discussed business growth and social responsibility. 2 Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen Addresses Social Media Ethics The Patrick J. Waide Center for Applied Ethics at Fairfield University hosted Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen for a discussion on ethical dilemmas in social media. The event featured Dolan alumna Candice Peterkin ’20, MSM’21 as a panelist. 3 AI-Generated Art Exhibit of Student “Best-Self” Portraits MS in Business Analytics students exhibited their AI-generated “best-self” portraits, created 12 FA L L 2 02 3 | DOLAN REPORT
using innovative tools like DALL-E 2 and Stable Diffusion. The event showcased the intersection between ethics, art, and analytics. 4 Dean’s Executive Forum
with BIC CEO Gonzalve Bich Fairfield Dolan welcomed Gonzalve Bich, CEO of BIC, as speaker at the Dolan Dean’s Executive Forum titled “Pens, Lighters, Tattoos?” Bich shared insights into BIC’s evolving product strategy. 5 Dean’s Executive Forum with
Mindy Grossman, Partner at Consello Group and Former CEO of WW International Mindy Grossman headlined the final Fairfield Dolan Dean’s Executive Forum, titled “Business/Brand Transformations, Culture, and Opportunities,” where she discussed some of the most pivotal moments in her career.
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6 Students Visit Silicon Valley’s Tech Giants Fairfield Dolan students participated in the inaugural immersion trip to Silicon Valley during spring break. There, they networked with execs from industry-leading companies including Apple, Google, NVIDIA, Salesforce, and Zoom. 7 Students Explore Cultural Differences
During Global Immersion Trip MS in Management (MSM) students traveled to Aix-en-Provence, France, for a global immersion trip to study topics including entrepreneurship, employment laws, sustainability, innovation, workforce management, government regulations, and economic policies. 8 11th Annual Fairfield StartUp Showcase
Celebrates Entrepreneurship Five student teams pitched their business ideas to a panel of investors for seed funding totaling $30,000 at the annual entrepreneurship
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competition. Team Pantry+ claimed the firstplace prize of $12,500, with additional awards going to teams AdXR, Golden Guardian Solutions, Affluential Clothing, and Copula. 9 Stags on Wall Street Event Hosts Alumni in Finance Organized by the Dolan Career Development Center, students networked with alumni from 19 different financial services firms. The event offered attendees invaluable career guidance, networking opportunities, and industry-specific conversations. 10 Fairfield Dolan Partners
with India’s Imarticus Learning
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11 Celebrating Student and Faculty
Academic Achievements Fairfield Dolan’s 45th annual student and faculty recognition ceremony featured guest speaker Adam Stevko ’08, first vice president and wealth management advisor for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. 12 Congratulations to our Class of 2023 Graduates! Named the Fairfield Alpha Sigma Nu Chapter’s Graduate Teacher of the Year, Jie Tao, PhD, carried the gonfalon during the graduate school ceremony at the University’s 73rd Commencement last May.
Fairfield Dolan expanded its global reach by partnering with a professional training company, Imarticus Learning, to offer Dolan programming to graduate students in India.
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FACULTY NEWSBREAKERS Anna-Maria Aksan, PhD, associate professor of economics, had her co-authored research paper, titled “Life Expectancy Across Countries: Convergence, Divergence and Fluctuations,” accepted for publication in World Development. John Aland, PhD, CPA, assistant professor of accounting, presented his paper, “Exploring the Knowledge Gaps of Crowdfunding Firms: A Survey of Crowdfunding Firms and Auditors,” at the American Accounting Association Annual Meeting. He also had his paper, “Equity Crowdfunding and the Characteristics of Voluntary Disclosure,” accepted for publication in the Journal of Financial Reporting. Rebecca Bloch, PhD, CPA, department chair and associate professor of accounting, was recognized by the American Accounting Association for her work as coordinator for the annual Government and Nonprofit (GNP) Section Midyear Meeting. In this role, Dr. Bloch is on a five-year path to becoming president of the GNP section. Paul Caster, PhD, CPA, professor of accounting, was appointed to a special task force of the American Accounting Association Auditing Section Standards Committee. He also co-authored a paper, entitled “Comments by the Ad Hoc Task Force of the Auditing Standards Committee of the Auditing Section of the American Accounting Association on the Proposed Auditing Standard, 14 FA L L 2 02 3 | DOLAN REPORT
The Auditor’s Use of Confirmation and Other Proposed Amendments to PCAOB Standards,” accepted for publication in Current Issues in Auditing. Michael Coyne, PhD, CPA, associate professor of accounting, Joan Lee, PhD, CPA, professor of accounting, and Stanislav Vavilov, PhD, assistant professor of management, all presented papers at the joint meeting of the International Association of Jesuit Business Schools and Colleagues in Jesuit Business Education, which was held at Georgetown University. Jo Ann Drusbosky, MS, CPA, instructor of the practice in accounting, received the Teaching Excellence Award for Dedicated Service to Students, at the 2023 Fairfield Dolan Student and Faculty Recognition Ceremony. Noradeen Farlekas, LPD, CFA, participated as a panelist in the Worldwide Climate Teach-In at Fairfield University. Gru Han, PhD, assistant professor of the practice in international business, had the research paper “The Financialization of Non-Financial Firms: The Case of South Korea 1997–2015” published in Current Sociology. Kara Hunter, PhD, CPA, assistant professor of accounting, Joan Lee, PhD, CPA, professor of accounting, and Dawn W. Massey, PhD, CPA, professor of accounting, had their research paper, titled
“Professional Competencies for Accountants: Advancing Our Understanding of Soft Skills,” published as the lead article in the 25th volume of Research on Professional Responsibility and Research in Accounting. Regina Kim, PhD, assistant professor of management, had her book chapter, “Using Participatory Mixed Methods to Study Grand Challenges: An Illustrative Case of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Change Research in Organizations,” accepted for publication in The Handbook of Methods in Organizational Change Research. Steven Kozlowski, PhD, assistant professor of finance, and Alexander Lytle ’22, MSF’23, had their paper, “The January Anomaly and Anomalies in January,” accepted for publication in Applied Finance Letters. Dr. Kozlowski also received the Outstanding Research Paper Award at the 2023 Fairfield Dolan Student and Faculty Recognition Ceremony. Joan Lee, PhD, CPA, professor of accounting, had the research paper “How the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm Informed Pandemic Teaching” published in the Journal of Jesuit Business Education. Lisa Mainiero, PhD, professor of management, with colleagues Sean Horan and Rebecca Chory, had a recent publication, “Workplace Romance and Career Reputation Effects Across Industries,” published in the International
Journal of Business Communication. Also, with colleague and doctoral student Jennifer Knowles, she published “Authentic Talent Development in Women Leaders Who Opted Out: Discovering Authenticity, Balance, and Challenge Through the Kaleidoscope Career Model” in the Journal of Administrative Sciences. Nomalia Manna, PhD, assistant professor of finance, presented her paper, “Corporate Investments in Startups: CVC Unit vs. Direct Investment,” at the Southern Finance Association Annual Meeting. Philip Maymin, PhD, associate professor of analytics and MSBA program director, had his co-authored paper “The Fatigue Illusion: The Physical Effects of Mindlessness” accepted for publication in the Nature Journal Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. He also presented the following at conferences: “League of Legends and eSports Analytics” at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, and “The impact of AI and GPT-4” as part of a FinTech panel at the Global WealthTech Summit. Dr. Maymin also co-authored “Fairy Tales: Lessons From 150 Years of Drawdowns,” a paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Portfolio Management, and “Agency in the Bible: Humans Wrestling With God,” a book chapter that will be included in An Ode to Joy: Judaism and Happiness in the Thought of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and Beyond.
Camelia Micu, PhD, professor of marketing, received the Academic Advising Award, acknowledging exemplary advising and guidance, at the 2023 Fairfield Dolan Student and Faculty Recognition Ceremony. Anca Micu, PhD, senior associate dean and professor of marketing, had her paper “Fostering Effective Collaboration Between Faculty and Marketing Staff for Institutional Success” accepted for publication in Journal of Education Advancement & Marketing. Iman Naderi, PhD, associate professor of marketing, presented his paper, “Does Power Make Consumers Green(er)?” at the 28th Recent Advances in Retailing and Consumer Science Conference. Rajasree K. Rajamma, PhD, professor of marketing, and Lin Lu, PhD, assistant professor of analytics, co-presented the paper “Exploring the Use of Emoji in Digital Content Marketing: The Consumer Perspective” at the Academy of Collegiate Marketing Educators (ACME) Conference. David Schmidt, PhD, associate professor of management and director of the Patrick J. Waide Center for Applied Ethics, led two ethics workshops for the American Banker Association Stonier Graduate School of Banking. He was also a guest speaker for a discussion hosted by Kyiv National Economic University, titled “Ethics in International Business.” Lastly, Dr. Schmidt participated in a roundtable discussion as part of Kyiv National Economic University’s
90th Annual Student Conference, titled “Future of Business Ethics: International Dimensions.” Nazuk Sharma, PhD, associate professor of marketing, was appointed as an associate editor for the Journal of Consumer Marketing. She was also appointed as an editorial board reviewer for the Journal of Business Research.
Fairfield University’s Charles F. Dolan School of Business boasts experienced faculty who teach students the fundamentals, ethics, and new developments in business on a local and global scale.
Debra Strauss, JD, professor of business law, published her new book, Behind the Bench: The Guide to Judicial Clerkships, third edition, West Academic Publishing, 2023. Stanislav Vavilov, PhD, assistant professor of management, had the following papers accepted for publication: “Teaching Dark Side of Entrepreneurship Theories at Jesuit Business Schools: An Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm-based Perspective,” in the Journal of Jesuit Business Education and “Global Development Agenda Meets Local Opportunities: The Rise of Developmentfocused Entrepreneurship Support,” in Research Policy. Han Yan, PhD, CPA, assistant professor of accounting, had her article, “Transforming Internal Auditing During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond,” published in College and University Auditor.
RIGHT: Assistant Professor of Accounting Kara Hunter, PhD, CPA, engages with students in the classroom. 2019 15 | FALL 2023 | WINTER REPORT UPDATE DOLAN DOLAN
THANK YOU 2023 CORPORATE PARTNERS
Invested In Your Goals
At Bank of America, we are focused on driving responsible growth by deploying capital, creating jobs, developing communities, fostering economic mobility, and addressing society’s biggest challenges. “Bank of America is proud of our expanding partnership with Fairfield University, which is preparing students with real-world experiences through Fairfield Dolan’s Professional Development Series.” Bill Tommins Southern CT Market President
NFP is a leading property and casualty broker, benefits consultant, wealth manager, and retirement advisor. “At NFP, we know that when you invest in your people and do things the right way, success follows. This approach requires courageous leadership and inclusive collaboration. Fairfield Dolan cultivates leaders who are ethical, socially responsible, and committed to their employees. As a proud alumnus and University Trustee, I’m honored NFP is a corporate partner of such an exceptional institution.” Doug Hammond ’86 Chairman and CEO
Phoenix Tower International is an industry leading owner of wireless towers and other wireless infrastructure throughout the world. “As a successful entrepreneur, I think it is of vital importance to invest in the appropriate training and education for the next generation of business professionals, including technical skills as well as strong ethics, proper governance, and social responsibility. These values are so important in today’s business world and I was lucky enough to receive an education in these areas as a young student at the Dolan School. Phoenix Tower International is proud to support Fairfield Dolan as it prepares the next generation of business leaders.” Dagan T. Kasavana ’99 Founder and CEO
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Symmetry Partners, LLC is a Glastonbury-based financial services firm that offers best-of-breed, evidencebased investment solutions, including personalized direct investing and the firm’s own family of mutual funds. To help financial advisors deliver a better client experience, we also provide marketing, technology and operational consulting, and support. “Symmetry is dedicated to helping our clients reach their financial goals through innovative investment solutions grounded in data and academic research. Our team consists of many proud Fairfield Dolan graduates and affiliates. This partnership is invaluable and integral to Symmetry’s growth.” Patrick Sweeny ’83 Partner and Co-Founder
The Charles F. Dolan School of Business is committed to the Jesuit Catholic tradition of educating the whole person (cura personalis) by fostering an engaging and diverse learning community of educational excellence and relevancy, with nationally recognized programs and innovative curricula, informed by the balanced teaching, research, and service contributions of outstanding faculty and staff, and supported by local and global partnerships. We develop socially responsible, intellectually curious, ethical, compassionate global business leaders who excel in their careers and lead meaningful lives.
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