Ancell Making an Impact

Michele Ganon Honored with Educators of Excellence Awards

At the June 6, 2024, Recognition Reception, the Educators of Excellence award (the “Eddy”) was presented to Dr. Michele Ganon, the chair of the Accounting Department at Ancell School of Business and a full-time professor at the Accounting department, dedicated over 30 years to teaching. Her commitment to education and her students is evident through her exceptional dedication, expertise, and passion for creating a dynamic learning environment. She is recognized for her innovative teaching methodologies, mentorship, and continuous support of student success. Dr. Ganon keeps her students informed about changes in the CPA exam, internship, and scholarship opportunities and actively supports the Accounting Society. Her ability to clearly and enthusiastically convey complex accounting principles, along with her advocacy for the CPA credential, has profoundly impacted her students and colleagues, making her a deserving recipient of this prestigious award.

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Headshot of Dr. Mohinder Dugal Dr. Mohinder Dugal, Ancell’s Latest Fulbright Award Recipient, Heads to Bahrain

Western Connecticut State University Professor of Management Dr. Mohinder Dugal is the latest member of the university community to receive the prestigious Fulbright for Research and Teaching Award from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, for the 2022-23 academic year. Dugal, who teaches the capstone Strategic Management course to both undergraduate and MBA students in the university’s Ancell School of Business, will spend nine months in Bahrain to study Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) in the Gulf region.

How a WCSU alumnus ended up leading Google’s Cloud Security sales team: ‘Differentiate Yourself’ and build a life beyond your dreams

The knowledge and hands-on exposure to networking that he gained led DiStasio to switch his major from pre-med to MIS – Cybersecurity. “Professor of Management Information Systems Dr. Marie Wright started WCSU’s program in Information Security Management,” DiStasio said. “She pioneered it when cybersecurity had just started to come into the conversation and brought in guest lecturers like Mike Jacobs, the deputy director of Information Systems Security for the National Security Agency.” DiStasio’s future was about to change course thanks to his new passion: cybersecurity.

Managerial Accounting Propels Redding Native Luke Holden to Achieve Business Success

He enrolled as a Managerial Accounting major and settled into Litchfield Hall during his freshman year, eager to begin his WCSU journey. Once on campus, he became actively involved in “the full college experience,” even joining the football team as a walk-on for two years… The challenge was mitigated by faculty members like Professor of Accounting Thomas Monks, Holden’s Ancell School of Business adviser. “He busted my chops a lot, but got me ready for the real world,” Holden said. “Another thing that separated me from other job candidates upon graduation was my ability to adapt, because at the Ancell School I learned accounting, fraud, business development and marketing as part of my Managerial Accounting degree.”

Photo of A.M. "Hupp" Huppmann Management Alumnus Sets out to Sea to Raise Awareness of Veteran PTSD and Suicide

“Honestly, it’s a great metaphor for an anti-suicide campaign because you want people to keep pushing every day, no matter how hard it gets,” Huppmann said. It also relates to his time in the Management program at WCSU. “Professor of Management Dr. Pauline Assenza in the Ancell School of Business was just an absolutely influential professional when I was there wrapping up,” Huppmann said. “She still crosses my mind often because she was so inspirational about going forward on your journey in life and being willing and able to realize your own dream.”

An International Exchange Business Student from ‘Across the Pond,’ Breaks Swimming Records at WCSU

Oscar Oldbury-Swift, a 22-year-old international exchange student from Manchester, England, came to Western Connecticut State University through the International Exchange Student Program (ISEP) to study business — and broke collegiate and personal best swimming records as a member of the WestConn Men’s Swimming & Diving Team. He chose to undertake his international college experience at WCSU because of its proximity to New York City and because he could continue his business Management studies at WCSU’s Ancell School of Business.

A debt-free Double-major Leads Business Student Sheila Medina to her Dream Job at Deloitte

My accounting professor told me about WCSU and that my NCC credits would transfer there … I spoke to Dr. Richard Montague, chair of WCSU’s MIS department, who told me I wouldn’t have to do a major and minor — I could do a double major in MIS and Accounting. Not only that, but everything was in one place in WCSU’s Ancell School of Business. This changed my whole idea of what I could accomplish!

Headshot of Dr. Casey Jordan Ancell Professor Casey Jordan on CNN

CNN … Experts say there is a term for this kind of attraction. “Sometimes referred to in our culture as ‘Bad Boy Syndrome,’ hybristophilia is the attraction to and/or sexual interest in those who commit crimes, particularly heinous and violent crimes such as rape and murder,” said Dr. Casey Jordan, Criminologist and Professor of Justice and Law Administration at Western Connecticut State University. “Vicky White surely believes she’s in love with Casey White, because he gives her a feeling of being alive after decades of feeling staid, safe and ‘reliable,’ ” Jordan added.

WalletHub Interviews Ancell Professor Pauline Assenza on Best & Worst Small Cities to Start a Business

WalletHub – Any new business needs to research the resources available in the local “entrepreneurial ecosystem”. Depending on the industry, access to support services may be critical and smaller cities may not have the breadth of support needed, i.e. power and transportation infrastructure, broadband access, adequate healthcare facilities. However, a smaller city has the advantage of a focused network of social support where the smaller “voices” may have more opportunities to be heard.

Headshot of Dr. Yaseen Hayajneh Why healthcare costs are rising in the U.S. more than anywhere else

CNBC – … One of the causes of high spending is the fragmented nature of the U.S. system. Some Americans have comprehensive and affordable health insurance coverage while others have little to no coverage. “The way the system is structured now, it is a cure-driven system, not a prevention-driven system,” said Yaseen Hayajneh, associate professor of health administration at Western Connecticut State University.

Headshot of Dr. Yaseen Hayajneh How Americans can save money when choosing a health insurance plan

CNBC – Most Americans struggle to figure out which health insurance plan will save them money. A study of almost 24,000 employees at a major Fortune 100 company found that 61% of them chose the wrong plan for their needs. The researchers at Carnegie Mellon University who conducted the study estimated that the average employee could have saved $372 per year by choosing a different plan.

Headshot of Dr. Cindy Chuang Supply Chain Lessons from the Pandemic

This October, Gro Intelligence’s SVP of Agribusiness James Heneghan was invited by Professor Dr. Cindy Chuang and Dean Dr. David Martin to speak at Western Connecticut State University’s Ancell Dean’s Speaker Series. Heneghan joined Odyssey Logistics & Technology’s Cosmo Alberico to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global agricultural supply chain.

‘It’s been a nightmare’: Local Restaurant Owner Struggles Through Pandemic with Labor Shortages, High Food Prices, and No Federal Aid

NewsTime – … Pauline Assenza, a Management professor at the Ancell School of Business at Western Connecticut State University, noticed the same trend. “There has not been an uptick but there hasn’t been a downturn either,” she said of new startups. Still, the impact is there. In March of 2020, the state was home to more than 8,000 restaurants that employed around 160,000 residents, according to the Connecticut Restaurant Relief Fund. After the shutdown, over 600 restaurants went out of business.

Headshot of Dr. Yaseen Hayajneh Doctor tired of ‘Band-Aid’ solutions opens Ridgefield health care facility to tailor treatments to individual patients

NewsTime – …Precision medicine is an “emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle,” according to SpringerLink research. Yaseen Hayajneh – Western Connecticut State University associate professor of Management and coordinator of the college’s master of health administration program – said that precision medicine and traditional medicine are methods healthcare providers use to treat patients. The difference is that traditional medicine applies a “standardized, one-size-fits-all” treatment plan while precision medicine employs “patient-specific information” to tailor treatment to the individual’s unique circumstances, Hayajneh explained.

Ancell’s MBA program honored for excellence and admissions policy

The Western Connecticut State University Master of Business Administration program has received recognition in a recent survey citing M.B.A. programs across the nation that offer academic excellence and flexible admissions policies providing a balanced and holistic profile to predict student success.

Headshot of Dr. Yaseen Hayajneh

Danbury’s outdoor hospital could treat variety of patients

NewsTime – … This includes treating patients with or without coronavirus or using it to triage patients elsewhere to the main hospital, he said. “We’re looking at the entire system,” Cassavechia said. “We service such a large area. We’re preparing for an assortment of a variety of patients that may present to our hospital.” Dr. Yaseen Hayajneh, a professor at Western Connecticut State University who has helped set up two regular hospitals in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, said figuring out how the facility will be used needs to be done first.

Headshot of Dr. Cindy Chuang West Conn-Taiwan university partnership grows

NewsTime – On Monday morning, a group of college students and professors from Taiwan got a first-hand look at an American business with a tour of Ethan Allen. … The partnership started about three years ago. Cindy Chuang, an associate professor of Management at Western’s Ancell School of Business, had been teaching at Soochow over the summer while visiting family. When she learned that Soochow was trying to connect with more sister schools in the states, she brought the idea to her dean.

Headshot of Dr. Alex Galli-Debicella WCSU Management Students Explore International Business in Taiwan

Patch – Eight Management students and alumni of the Western Connecticut State University Ancell School of Business gained an invaluable lesson in the international network of trade, commerce, supply chains, and logistics that holds the global economy together during a recent WCSU international program in Taiwan … Galli-Debicella observed Taiwan offered an especially attractive location for the WCSU students to gain a deeper understanding of global trade and investment relationships. “Taiwan maintains extensive trading relationships with both China and the United States,” she said. “When the United States does something, it will have a positive or negative effect on Taiwan and the rest of the world. Intellectually, our students understood this, but now they understand how these actions have a ripple effect in daily practice.”

Young entrepreneur: Chamber of Commerce announces 2018 scholarship finalist

The Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) announced the winner of its Saunders Scholars local Investor Panel competition…Their five-minute presentations included extensive market research, financial analysis, sales projections and an investment request from the judging panel. The judging panel was comprised of the following local professionals: Management Professor Pauline Assenza of Western Connecticut State University, Mary Kate Gobleck of Reliance Merchant Services, Scott Johnson of Mack Media and Heather Neumann Salaga of The Tutoring Club.

Ancell School of Business receives AACSB accreditation

The designation places Ancell School of Business among the top 5 percent of business schools in the world. Ancell joins Connecticut business schools with the accreditation including Yale, the University of Connecticut, Fairfield University, Sacred Heart University, Quinnipiac University, University of New Haven, University of Hartford, the Coast Guard Academy, and Central Connecticut State University.

Headshot of Dr. Dan Weltmann At Northwest firms with ESOPs, employees act like they own the place

The Seattle Time – Employee stock-ownership plans can be complex to set up. But at local companies, an ESOP gives workers a financial and psychological stake in the enterprise’s success. Some studies show that employees at ESOP companies tend to be more loyal, more collaborative and more hardworking, said Dan Weltmann, who was part of a team that examined hundreds of private companies to see whether ESOP conversions affect survival rates. The study found that those companies were much less likely to disappear than their non-ESOP counterparts. They also posted much higher job and revenue growth after making the switch.

Headshot of George Mehri Ancell Graduate Announced as the New Chief Financial Officer of Lakeview Health

George Merhi brings more than 25 years of finance leadership experience in both public and private corporations with revenues ranging from $5 million to $500 million. He has worked in a variety of industries and has been successful in building, strengthening and leading the corporate finance function for companies in various start-up, stable and growth situations. A graduate of the Western Connecticut State University’s Ancell School of Business, Merhi has held several key executive positions in the industries of healthcare, retail and franchise finance and contract food and beverage.

Mom & pop retailers endure and adapt amid industry upheaval

Pauline Assenza, an associate professor of Management and small-business entrepreneurship at Western Connecticut State University’s Ancell School of Business, said the continued presence of these smaller stores contradicted a long-held assumption that governed the retail industry. “It was a myth that when Walmart comes to town, the Main Street businesses will die,” she said. “That’s not necessarily true. The smaller retailers have been around long enough to understand the needs of people who walk by their stores.”

Photo of Rachel Karp, Helen Christie Roberts, and Dr. Pauline Assenza Ancell Students earned the Best Oral Presentation Award for their pitch of Karp’s product innovation

Western Connecticut State University students Rachael Karp and Helen Christie Roberts earned the Best Oral Presentation Award for their pitch of Karp’s product innovation, “On Board,” at the Connecticut Business Plan Competition held on April 22, 2016, in New Haven. Dr. Pauline Assenza, associate professor of management and adviser to the Entrepreneurship, Research and Innovation Center (ERIC) student club at WCSU, served as faculty mentor to Karp and Roberts for the competition. Karp is the current president of ERIC, founded last year to seek out entrepreneurial and other creative opportunities for WCSU students and facilitate partnerships between students and local business mentors.

Photo of Ross Rizzo and MaryJean Rebeiro NY-CONN head excels in a male-dominated industry

“I am very proud to be a part of the school that gave me an excellent education,” MaryJean Rebeiro said. “I obtained the stepping stones needed to navigate in the business world from my professors at the Ancell School of Business. I often catch myself quoting one of my professors, and it is then that I realize what a strong foundation I was given and the impact my teachers had on me then and now.”