Mays Business School New Faculty Announcement, 2015

New Faculty Announcement

2015

Mays Business School is taking its next step on an upward trajectory, propelled by the addition of several new faculty members.

Leading the lineup of new high-profile faculty members is Dean Eli Jones, who brings to Mays a wealth of experience in the corporate world and in academia, including experience as dean of two flagship business schools. The other new faculty members hail from other top institutions such as Wharton, Stanford, Chicago, Duke, Michigan and INSEAD. Their research interests range from sales leadership and behavioral economics to corporate governance and information asymmetry.

At Mays, we step up to take action and lead with selfless service. This addition of new insights, perspectives and experiences will enhance the work of Mays’ globally renowned faculty and build upon the tradition of excellence at Texas A&M University.

Eli Jones returns to his alma mater with nearly 20 years of classroom experience and several years in the private sector. His love of Texas A&M University and of marketing brought him to this place. He considers himself a three-time Aggie, having received a bachelor’s degree in journalism, and an MBA and Ph.D. in business administration-marketing at Mays Business School.

“I am pleased to join the outstanding leadership team, faculty, staff and students at Mays,” he said. “They have accomplished many remarkable things and have positioned the school for even greater achievements in the years ahead. It is truly an honor and a privilege to be able to lead such a wonderful school.”

Prior to returning to Mays, he served as dean of two flagship business schools.

He was dean of the the Sam M. Walton College of Business and held the Sam M. Walton Leadership Chair at the University of Arkansas. Before that, he served as dean of the E. J. Ourso College of Business and as the E. J. Ourso Distinguished Professor of Business at Louisiana State University.

Jones was also at the University of Houston for 11 years.

There he was assistant professor, associate professor with tenure, full professor, associate dean for executive education programs and, prior to that, the founding executive director of the Sales Excellence Institute at the University of Houston.

He has received Excellence in Teaching awards on the university, national and international levels. He teaches strategic selling, advanced professional selling, key accounts selling, sales leadership and marketing strategy at the undergraduate and MBA levels, and has taught a Ph.D. seminar on marketing strategy. He has taught executive education courses around the world, including Hong Kong China, Mumbai and Hyderabad India, Malaysia, France, London, Port of Spain, Belgium and Latin America.

Before becoming a professor, Jones worked in sales and sales management for three Fortune 100 companies: Quaker Oats, Nabisco and Frito Lay. Positions held include key account manager, key account executive (responsible for two of the Top 25 accounts in the U.S.), zone sales planning manager, sales manager and zone sales manager designate.

His scholarship has been published in the Journal of Marketing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, Management Science and Journal of Applied Psychology, among others.

His current research focuses on integrative models of trusted advisor relationships, using social capital theory to understand dyadic relationships. He is also conducting research on motivating salespeople to sell new products using survey and objective performance data collected in the U.S., China, and Latin America.

Eli Jones Dean of Mays Business School, Professor of Marketing Ph.D.: Texas A&M University Prior Affiliation: Walton College at University of Arkansas

John Robinson Professor of Accounting Patricia ‘77 and Grant E. Sims ‘77 Eminent Scholar Chair in Business Ph.D.: University of Michigan Recent Affiliation: University of Texas at Austin

John Robinson was drawn to Texas A&M because he says he has been an Aggie since his undergraduate days at Colorado State, formerly Colorado A&M. “I was looking for an opportunity to come back to a college town with hard-working students and faculty who are serious about academics but also know how to enjoy life. In a sense, Texas A&M offered me an opportunity to come home again.”

Robinson brings extensive academic experience to his new role.

Prior to joining the faculty at Texas A&M, he was a professor of accounting at the University of Texas at Austin.

Robinson received his J.D. cum laude and a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Michigan.

His research interests include a broad variety of topics involving financial accounting, mergers and acquisitions, and the influence of taxes on financial structures and performance.

“I have lots of current research projects in the works, but I’m always looking for ways to contribute to projects initiated by doctoral students and fellow faculty. I’m looking forward to hearing fresh ideas and new perspectives.”

His scholarly articles have appeared in Accounting Review, Journal of Finance, National Tax Journal, Journal of Law and Economics, Journal of the American Taxation Association, The Journal of the American Bar Association and The Journal of Taxation.

Robinson received the 2012 Outstanding Service Award from the American Taxation Association (ATA) and was selected as the 2014-2015 Vice President (elect) of the ATA and will serve as the ATA’s president for 2015-2016.

He describes his teaching style as interactive and believes that classes should be “give and take” between students and faculty.

Anupam Agrawal Associate Professor of Information and Operations Management Ph.D.: INSEAD Recent Affiliation: Government of India

Anupam Agrawal is passionate about conducting research that will bring excitement and freshness into the classroom. He also likes to integrate students’ unique perspectives and ideas into his research.

“My research motivates my teaching. I am interested in empirical applications. I love to go out into the field, work with firms and then analyze issues in various areas of supply chain management. I bring this real-world research into the classroom, and I believe research-centered teaching helps produce betterinformed graduates who can more effectively lead firms.”

Agrawal received a Ph.D. in technology and operations management from INSEAD in France and his MBA from IIM Calcutta in India.

In a career spanning over a decade in industry, he has worked in various areas of supply chain management, including procurement, supplier development and new product development with ITW Signode Inc., Procter & Gamble and Tata Motors.

His empirical research with firms such as Tata Motors, Tata Daewoo, BMW and Knorr Bremse focused on procurement, sourcing of modular components and learning between buyers and suppliers. His research has informed supply chain practices at these firms.

Agrawal’s research has been published in several top academic journals such as Management Science, Manufacturing and Service Operations Management, Production and Operations Management and the Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering.

“I am excited to join Mays Business School because of the strong INFO department and friendly colleagues,” he explains. “I am also looking forward to finishing research projects and discovering Texas.”

Cynthia Devers Associate Professor of Management Ph.D.: Michigan State University Recent Affiliation: Michigan State University

Cynthia Devers chose to join the management department at Mays because she values the friendly culture that Texas A&M offers.

“Although Texas A&M is a prominent educational institution that matches my needs as a scholar and teacher, the people attracted me the most. My colleagues are top scholars and teachers; however, at the same time, they are the most congenial and welcoming people I know. I am so grateful to be a member of this fine and respected university and department.”

Prior to joining Mays, Devers was on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin, Tulane University and Michigan State University. She received her Ph.D. in strategic management from Michigan State University.

Devers’ research focuses on the roles governance mechanisms play in perceptions, behavior and organizational outcomes. “In my research, I draw on behavioral decision and social psychological perspectives to examine the roles formal and informal governance mechanisms can play in individual, group and organizational

behavior and outcomes in the upper echelon. Much of my work focuses on the intersection of executives’ individual characteristics, executive action and social evaluations.”

She takes an interactive approach to teaching and focuses on creating an engaging classroom environment.

Across all the courses that she teaches, Devers attempts to focus students on the importance of critical thinking, questioning, problem identification, problem solving and taking responsibility for their own actions.

“My philosophy of teaching rests on the idea that students master concepts and skills most effectively when they actively participate in the learning process. As such, I set high expectations for student interaction and try to make them clear through my syllabi, discussion and interaction with students. In addition, although course content is important, I feel that classroom process is vital to learning.”

Korok Ray Associate Professor of Accounting Ph.D.: Stanford University Recent Affiliation: George Washington University

Korok Ray chose Texas A&M because he wanted to join a university that was fully committed to the mission of teaching and research. “I visited Texas A&M last spring and had a marvelous experience. As such, I am delighted to connect with the mission of the university. I thoroughly enjoy the student body and am excited to be a part of the community.”

Ray’s research interests include performance measurement, compensation, corporate governance, cost allocation, disclosure and financial reporting. “Next year I hope to move my research forward. I am excited to work with the phenomenal Ph.D. students in our department in this area, as I believe they can contribute to this broad research agenda,” he said.

Ray brings a wide range of academic experience to Mays. Prior to joining Texas A&M, he served on the faculties of the University of Chicago, Georgetown University and George Washington University. He also has government and policy experience.

He served as the senior economist in the White House Council of Economic Advisors from 2007 to 2008. In this role he reported directly to the president’s chief economist on a variety of issues relating to the 2008 financial crisis.

In addition to continuing his research, Ray said he is excited to share his passion for learning with students.

He received a Ph.D. in economics from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Chicago.

“As for teaching, I believe the best learning occurs when the professor inspires students to learn for themselves, which leads to a lifetime of education and learning. I like to set high standards and push students to meet or exceed those standards.”

He called education a sacred process, one of the most important activities that we do as a society. “I take the teaching mission very seriously and am delighted to be teaching the next generation of business undergraduates this fall.”

Matt Ege Assistant Professor of Accounting Ph.D.: University of Texas at Austin Recent Affiliation: University of Florida

Matt Ege strives to connect and engage with every student through classroom discussions while equipping them with relevant theory and using practical examples.

“Theory and examples together help the student know why something is the way it is. Therefore, no matter what I teach, I try to bring both theory and examples to the classroom. These may come from my work experience, my research, assigned readings and projects, or outside speakers. I aim to provide knowledge for successful understanding of the detailed nuances of a problem and of the broader implications related to the approach and proposed solution.”

Ege comes from the Fisher School of Accounting at the University of Florida. He has also taught at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his Ph.D. in accounting.

Before that, he received a master’s in management information systems and a bachelor’s in accounting from Texas A&M. His research interests include how auditors, audit committees and regulators improve audit and financial

reporting quality. Currently, Ege is working on a project that investigates aspects of audit firm reputation and how audit firms are regulated in the United States.

He has had works published in prestigious journals such as The Journal of Accounting & Economics, The Accounting Review and Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory.

Ege attributed his decision to join Mays to the camaraderie among faculty members. “The accounting faculty are producing high-quality research and are dedicated to excellent teaching.

Additionally, the faculty appears to be committed to investing in other faculty members. I look forwarding to contributing to excellence in research, teaching and investing in others.”

Cexun “Jeffery” Cai Assistant Professor of Marketing Ph.D.: University of Pennsylvania Recent Affiliation: University of Pennsylvania

Cexun “Jeffery” Cai calls his decision to join Texas A&M a natural choice. “No other place promises the combination of dynamic, productive and helpful colleagues; engaged students who are eager to push their limits; a warm and friendly environment made up of people with a deep sense of values; and the opportunity to contribute to a highly reputable institution that is on the frontier of knowledge discovery and dissemination.”

He received a Ph.D. in marketing from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and quantitative economics from the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Technology.

Cai brings to Mays several years of classroom experience. Prior to joining Texas A&M, he was a faculty member at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Having worked in industry for several years, he says he “also aspires to provide a real-world perspective to decision-making, so that our students are better prepared for their business careers ahead.”

His research interests include competitive strategy and behavioral economics.

“I’m thrilled to be interacting with talented colleagues from the marketing department and the rest of the business school. Here in Aggieland, the promise of potential projects and close collaborations is in abundance. I am also eagerly anticipating the classroom experience with bright and energetic Aggies who will be taking the capstone course, ‘Marketing Strategy.’ I hope to bring the best of my education at the Wharton School to my students, and also to learn from them.”

Cai says his family has a growing interest in college football and is looking forward to supporting the Aggies at Kyle Field.

Christopher Yust Assistant Professor of Accounting Ph.D.: University of Texas at Austin Recent Affiliation: University of Texas at Austin

Christopher Yust said his approach to teaching is to challenge the students to not simply memorize accounting rules, but rather to think about what the rules should be. “Ultimately, getting students to become interested in the topics themselves is the best way to help them learn to apply accounting rules not just for class but for the rest of their careers.”

Yust received his Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and has a master’s in finance from Texas A&M University.

His research interests include earnings management and financial accounting and reporting.

Yust said he “is most excited about developing relationships and research projects with his Texas A&M faculty colleagues and the Ph.D. students.” He will also continue working on his numerous existing research projects, many of which relate to bank accounting issues or litigation risk.

“I chose to pursue the next chapter of my life at Mays because Texas A&M is a top-tier research school with great faculty and students. It also didn’t hurt that my wife and I graduated from Texas A&M with our undergraduate and master’s degrees previously. We are viewing this as a homecoming.”

Yust shared that he “can’t wait to get back in the classroom to help teach and mentor the next group of accounting students here at Texas A&M.”

Christina Kan Assistant Professor of Marketing Ph.D.: University of Colorado at Boulder Recent Affiliation: University of Colorado at Boulder

Christina Kan strives to engage with students and help them apply what they have learned in the classroom to solve real-world problems.

“I’m looking forward to teaching undergraduate ‘Consumer Behavior.’

I believe in fostering a collaborative and interactive class environment, and hope to inspire student engagement by relating classroom material to everyday consumer life.”

Kan received her Ph.D. in marketing from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., she worked in real estate marketing in Vancouver, Canada, and received her bachelor’s of commerce in marketing at the University of British Columbia.

Her research focuses on how consumers cope with resource constraints, consumer price perceptions and how discounting one product

impacts the sales of adjacent products on a store shelf. “I am particularly excited about following up on this work at Mays, where I will explore reasons why efficiency plans often feel less costly than priority plans, and how budgeting can help consumers respond to financial constraints.”

Mahdi Mohseni

Assistant Professor of Finance

Ph.D.: Boston College Recent Affiliation: Boston College

Mahdi Mohseni is eager to join Mays because it provides an excellent environment for research and teaching.

His research interests include corporate finance, corporate governance and control rights.

His recent research projects study the impact of governance structure on executive compensation, the effect of board structure on managerial entrenchment and shareholder value and the effect of accounting practices on firms’ debt renegotiations.

He received a Ph.D. in finance from Boston College, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in industrial engineering from Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Iran.

Mohseni has also served as a referee for the Journal of Banking and Finance, and is a member of the American Finance Association and the Financial Management Association.

“I am looking forward to teaching managerial finance at the undergraduate level, and combining theory and practice in the classroom.”

Wei Wu

Assistant Professor of Finance Ph.D.: University of Chicago Recent Affiliation: University of Chicago

Wei Wu chose to join Texas A&M because it is a great place to make an impact on both research and teaching.

“The finance department produces top-notch research and provides a very collegial environment.

I share common research interests with many faculty members in the department, and I am excited about the possibility of collaborating with my colleagues at Mays.”

His research interests include information economics and investment management. Wu’s work on investigating the causal relationship between information asymmetry and corporate insiders’ trading activities was covered by The Wall Street Journal last year.

“My future research will use informed trading as a unique approach to examine topics such as market efficiency, skills of delegated asset management and managerial incentives.”

Wu received a Ph.D. in finance from the University of Chicago. He also earned a master’s degree in financial economics and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Duke University, and a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Peking University.

“Besides conducting research, I also very much enjoy teaching. My main goal in the classroom is to teach students the fundamental economic principles and problem-solving skills that they can apply in the real world. I look forward to sharing my excitement for finance and economics with my students.”

Chairs Anwer Ahmed

Endowed Chairs, Professorships and Faculty Fellowships

Department of Accounting Ashley ‘88 and David Coolidge ‘87 Chair in Business

Murray R. Barrick Department of Management Mr. & Mrs. James R. Whatley ‘47 Chair in Business

Leonard L. Berry Department of Marketing M.B. Zale Chair in Retailing and Marketing Leadership

Wendy R. Boswell Department of Management Jerry and Kay Cox Endowed Chair in Business

Mary Lea McAnally Department of Accounting Philip Ljungdahl/PwC Chair in Accounting

Lynn L. Rees Department of Accounting J. Rogers Rainey, Jr. and Kathleen L. Rainey, Class of 1944 Chair of Accounting

John Robinson Department of Accounting Patricia ‘77 and Grant E. Sims ‘77 Eminent Scholar Chair in Business

Venkatesh Shankar Department of Marketing Brandon C. Coleman, Jr. ‘78 Endowed Chair in Marketing

Bala Shetty

Department of Management Jeanne and John R. Blocker Chair in Business Administration

Department of Information and Operations Management Cullen Trust for Higher Education Chair in Business Administration

Mark B. Houston

Sorin Sorescu

Department of Marketing Foreman R. & Ruby Bennett Chair in Business Administration

Department of Finance Ruby and Earle A. Shields, Jr. ‘41 Chair in Investment Advising

R. Duane Ireland

Chelliah Sriskandarajah

Department of Management Carroll and Dorothy Conn Chair in New Ventures Leadership

Department of Information and Operations Management Hugh Roy Cullen Chair in Business Administration

Ricky W. Griffin

Sanjay Jain Department of Marketing JCPenney Chair in Marketing and Retailing Studies

Jerry R. Strawser

Shane A. Johnson

Robert H. Strawser

Department of Finance Thomas W. Leland Memorial Chair in Finance

Department of Accounting Arthur Andersen Chair in Accounting

Eli Jones

Edward P. Swanson

Department of Marketing Development Council Dean’s Chair in Business Peggy Pitman Mays Eminent Scholar Chair in Business

Department of Accounting Nelson D. Durst Chair in Accounting Education

Department of Accounting KPMG Chair in Accounting

Laszlo Tihanyi Department of Management Robyn L. ‘89 and Alan B. Roberts ‘78 Chair in Business

Xenophon Koufteros

Department of Accounting Thomas W. Leland/Oscar A. Weinke Chair in Accounting

Department of Information and Operations Management Jenna and Calvin R. Guest Professorship in Business Administration

P. Rajan Varadarajan Department of Marketing Ford Chair in Marketing and E-Commerce

Professorships

Subodha Kumar Department of Information and Operations Management Carol and G. David Van Houten, Jr. ‘71 Professorship

James J. Benjamin Department of Accounting Arthur Andersen Professorship in Accounting Deloitte Leadership Professorship in Accounting

Dennis R. Lassila Department of Accounting Deborah D. Shelton Professorship in Taxation

Martha L. Loudder Haipeng “Allan” Chen Department of Marketing John E. Pearson Professorship in Business Administration

Department of Accounting A.P. and Earline Wiley Professorship in Business

Arvind Mahajan Cydney C. Donnell Department of Finance Julio S. LaGuarta Professorship in Real Estate

Department of Finance Lamar Savings Professorship in Finance

Annie L. McGowan Lorraine Eden Department of Management Gina and Anthony Bahr ’91 Professorship in Business

Department of Accounting Deloitte Professional Program Director’s Professorship

Richard Metters H. Neil Geismar Department of Information and Operations Management Center for Executive Development Professorship in Business Administration

Michael Ketzenberg Department of Information and Operations Management Center for Executive Development Professorship in Business Administration

Department of Information and Operations Management Tenneco Professorship in Business Administration

Clair J. Nixon Department of Accounting PwC Accounting Excellence Professorship

Michael W. Pustay

James W. Kolari

Department of Management Anderson Clayton & Co. and the Clayton Fund Professorship in Business Administration

Department of Finance Chase Professorship in Finance

Suresh Ramanathan Department of Marketing David R. Norcom ‘73 Endowed Professorship

Endowed Chairs, Professorships and Faculty Fellowships

Senyo Yawo Tse

Nathan Y. Sharp

Endowed Chairs, Professorships and Faculty Fellowships

Department of Accounting PwC Professorship in Accounting

Shannon Deer

Alina Sorescu

Cynthia E. Devers

Department of Marketing Rebecca U. ‘74 and William S. Nichols, III ‘74 Professorship

Dechun Wang Department of Accounting Ernst & Young Professorship in Accounting

Connie D. Weaver Department of Accounting KPMG Professorship in Accounting

Christopher J. Wolfe Department of Accounting Deborah D. Shelton Accounting Systems Professorship

Richard W. Woodman Department of Management Lawrence E. Fouraker Professorship in Business Administration

Manjit S. Yadav Department of Marketing Macy’s Foundation Professorship

Asghar Zardkoohi

Department of Accounting Mays Teaching Fellow

Department of Management Mays Research Fellow

James C. Flagg Department of Accounting Carroll W. Phillips Faculty Fellowship

Charles E. Gilliland Department of Finance Helen and O.N. Mitchell, Jr. Faculty Fellowship in Real Estate

Gregory Heim Department of Information and Operations Management Mays Research Fellow Michael R. Kinney Department of Accounting KPMG Faculty Fellowship

Adam C. Kolasinski Department of Finance RepublicBank Research Fellowship

Rogelio Oliva Department of Information and Operations Management Mays Research Fellow

Department of Management T.J. Barlow Professorship in Business Administration

Daria Panina

Faculty Fellowships

Janet T. Parish

Department of Management Mays Teaching Fellow

Steve Boivie

Department of Marketing Mays Teaching Fellow

Department of Management Mays Research Fellow

David R. Skeie

Christa H.S. Bouwman Department of Finance RepublicBank Research Fellowship

Yong Chen Department of Finance RepublicBank Research Fellowship

Department of Finance Mays Research Fellow

John Van Alstyne Undergraduate Special Programs Office Mays Teaching Fellow

Cindy P. Zapata Department of Management Mays Research Fellow

“We continue to create new knowledge and produce ethical leaders for a global society.

There is no more important or rewarding work than this.�

Eli Jones, Dean