Faculty
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Interim Dean
Jim Donegan, Ph.D., CPA, CMA, CFE 
Professor
Office: WS 374b
Email: DoneganJ@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-9600
On the Web: 
Current Teaching Areas: Consolidations and Partnerships (i course) and Fraud Examination
Research Interests: Financial Statement Fraud, White-Collar Crime
Dr. Jim Donegan joined the Accounting Department in 1999, having previously held positions at Baruch College and SUNY New Paltz. Since joining WCSU he has served as Interim Dean, Assistant Dean, and MBA Coordinator, and was Chair of University Planning and Budgeting for five years. Within Ancell, he chairs or has chaired the Graduate Planning and Curriculum Committee, the Program Review Committee, the Faculty Qualifications Committee, and the Assurance of Learning Committee (dissolved). His areas of expertise are Forensic Accounting and White-Collar Crime, and he currently teaches Fraud Examination, Consolidations, and Financial Accounting.
Dr. Donegan’s research has been published in the Journal of Accounting, Auditing, and Finance, Accounting and the Public Interest, Journal of Managerial Issues, International Journal of Business and Applied Sciences, and Business Education Innovation Journal. Dr. Donegan was an invited guest lecturer at Soochow University in Taiwan on accounting fraud.
Dr. Donegan earned his BA from the CUNY Baccalaureate Program, his MBA in Public Accounting from Baruch College, and his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. He is registered to practice as a CPA in New York State and is also a Certified Managerial Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner.
Accounting
Michele Ganon, Ph.D. CPA, CGMA
Professor, Chair
Office: WS 303
Email: GanonM@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-8742
Current Teaching Areas: Managerial Accounting, Taxation
Research Interests: Tax fraud, White-Collar Crime, Ethics
Dr. Michele Ganon joined the Accounting Department in 1991 and is its longest-serving member; her areas of expertise are taxation, managerial accounting, and white-collar crime; she currently teaches Accounting Information Systems, Cost Accounting, and Data Analytics.
Dr. Ganon has completed two American Accounting Association Data Analytics Bootcamps and was an invited guest lecturer on Data Analytics at Soochow University and National Taiwan University. Dr. Ganon served four biennial terms as Secretary-Treasurer of the American Association of University Professors, the 40,000-member professional organization devoted to protecting and promoting academic freedom and shared governance throughout the U. S. and currently serves as the Connecticut State Conference AAUP Treasurer.
Dr. Ganon’s research has been published in Accounting and the Public Interest, Journal of Managerial Issues, International Journal of Business and Applied Sciences and Business Education Innovation Journal.
Dr. Ganon received a B.S. degree from Lehman College, where she later taught for several years, an MBA in Taxation from Baruch College, and a Ph.D. in Accounting from the University of Arizona. She is registered to practice as a CPA in New York State and holds the Chartered Global Management Accountant credential awarded by the AICPA.
Dr. Jin Sun Ahn, Ph.D. CPA
Assistant Professor
Office: WS 304
E-Mail: ahnj@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-9342
Jin Sun Ahn, Ph.D., CPA., joined the faculty at Western Connecticut State University in the fall of 2020. Dr. Ahn earned her Ph.D degree from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, her master’s degree from George Washington University and BS degree from the University of Arizona.Prior to joining academia, she worked at various global firms and international organizations, including KPMG, The World Bank, and Samsung Electronics as an auditor, consultant, and financial analyst. At Western Connecticut State University, Dr. Ahn has taught financial accounting, intermediate accounting, and financial statement analysis. From 2018-2019, she taught managerial accounting at Boston University as a visiting assistant professor.
Her research interests include financial reporting, financial accounting, financial statement fraud and impact of CEO on financial reporting quality and firm performance.
Jim Donegan, Ph.D., CPA, CMA, CFE
Professor
Office: WS 374b
Email: DoneganJ@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-9600
On the Web:
Current Teaching Areas: Consolidations and Partnerships (i course) and Fraud Examination
Research Interests: Financial Statement Fraud, White-Collar Crime
Dr. Jim Donegan joined the Accounting Department in 1999, having previously held positions at Baruch College and SUNY New Paltz. Since joining WCSU he has served as Interim Dean, Assistant Dean, and MBA Coordinator, and was Chair of University Planning and Budgeting for five years. Within Ancell, he chairs or has chaired the Graduate Planning and Curriculum Committee, the Program Review Committee, the Faculty Qualifications Committee, and the Assurance of Learning Committee (dissolved). His areas of expertise are Forensic Accounting and White-Collar Crime, and he currently teaches Fraud Examination, Consolidations, and Financial Accounting.
Dr. Donegan’s research has been published in the Journal of Accounting, Auditing, and Finance, Accounting and the Public Interest, Journal of Managerial Issues, International Journal of Business and Applied Sciences, and Business Education Innovation Journal. Dr. Donegan was an invited guest lecturer at Soochow University in Taiwan on accounting fraud.
Dr. Donegan earned his BA from the CUNY Baccalaureate Program, his MBA in Public Accounting from Baruch College, and his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. He is registered to practice as a CPA in New York State and is also a Certified Managerial Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner.
Xiaowen Jiang, Ph.D.
Professor
Office: WS 138
Email: JiangX@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-9291
Current Teaching Areas: Financial Accounting
Research Interests: Financial Reporting and Capital Markets; Audit Quality
Youngbin Kim, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor
Office: WS 302
Email: kimy@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-9344
Current Teaching Areas: Financial Accounting, Government Accounting
Research Interests: Financial Accounting, Social Networks, Governmental Accounting
Dr. Youngbin Kim completed his Ph.D. in Business Administration at the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a major in accounting. He received his M.B.A. degree from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He completed his undergraduate degree with a double major in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Business Administration at Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea. Dr. Kim joined Western Connecticut State University in 2016
Recent Publications:
“The Escalating Competition Faced by Netflix” in Journal of Accounting, Business and Management in 2023, with Jeaseong Lim, Jin Sun Ahn, and Jung Hoon Kim
“Board Interlocks, Career Prospects and Corporate Social Responsibility” in Accounting and Finance in 2023, with Lai Van Vo and Huong Thi Thu Le
“Cash Holdings and Firm Performance in the Restaurant Industry” in Journal of Applied Business and Economics in 2023, with Jeaseong Lim, Jin Sun Ahn, and Jung Hoon Kim
“Board Networks and Audit Quality” in Journal of Corporate Accounting and Finance in 2022, with Jeaseong Lim and Juan Qin
“The Crisis of Danbury Fair Mall” in Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness in 2021, with Jin Sun Ahn, Hanyong Chung, Jung Hoon Kim, and Natalie Jungyoun Shin
“Legal Environment Changes and Firm Value: Evidence from the 1999 SGI Case” in Journal of Applied Business and Economics in 2021, with Jangho Gil and Jaeseong Lim
“Social Networks of Firms and Corporate Social Responsibility” in Journal of Accounting and Finance in 2020, with Ying Guo and David Yang
“What Happened to the Pension Liability of Connecticut State?” in Journal of Business Cases and Application in 2020, with Jaeseong Lim
“The Effect of Director Busyness on Corporate Governance: an examination of the value of cash holdings” in Journal of Finance and Accountancy in 2020, with Ying Guo and David Yang
“GASB statement No. 68 Implementation Magnifies Attention to Connecticut Pension Crisis” in Journal of Government Financial Management in 2020, with Xiaowen Jiang and Jaeseong Lim
Guy Rotondo, MBA, CPA 
Associate Professor
Office: WS 308
Email: RotondoG@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-9275
Current Teaching Areas: Financial Accounting, Cost Accounting, Auditing
Research Interests: Accounting Education, Financial Statement Fraud
Mr. Rotondo holds a BS in Accounting from Boston College and an MBA from Columbia Business School. He is also a Connecticut CPA.
Mr. Rotondo has 30 years of professional experience in accounting, finance and financial risk management including 20 years as a managing director and 12 years as a General Securities Principal. He has worked for Arthur Andersen, Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan Chase, HSH-Nordbank, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and CS First Boston. Mr. Rotondo has also taught finance at Western Connecticut State University. He has co-authored articles published by the International Journal of Business & Applied Sciences and the Business Education Innovation Journal.
William J. (Willie) Costello, CPA, MS(Taxation), CGMA
Adjunct Professor
Email: Costellow@wcsu.edu
Current Teaching Areas: Auditing, Intermediate Accounting
William J (Willie) Costello, CPA, MST, CGMA is a Technical Manager at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and has been at the AICPA since June, 1998. Willie was in public accounting from June 1980 to May 1998, working at two Connecticut based CPA firms. His career focus is working with private, non-issuer entities and CPA firms that work with private, non-issuer entities.Willie received a B.S. degree in Accounting from the University of Connecticut in May 1980 and a Master of Science in Taxation from University of New Haven in January 1989. He is registered to practice Public Accounting in Connecticut (CT) and holds the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) credential of the AICPA.
Willie is a long-time member of both the AICPA and the Connecticut Society of CPAs (CTCPA). Willie served on various committees of the CTCPA and was past chairperson of the CTCPA Secondary Schools committee. He is an active 30-year member of the Trumbull Connecticut (CT) Rotary Club, including its Past President and Past Secretary. Willie has also served on the Boards of the Trumbull CT Little League and the Trumbull CT Diamond Club.
Gary Skiba, MBA, CPA 
Adjunct Professor
Email: SkibaG@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-8696
Current Teaching Areas: Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting
Research Interests: Financial Accounting, Tax Policy, Financial Reporting
Cybersecurity (see MIS )
Finance
Dr. Hei (Annie) Wong 
Professor, Chair
Office: WS 141
E-Mail: WongA@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-8577
Dr. Wong earned a B.B.A. degree in Management from the Shue Yan College in Hong Kong, an M.B.A. degree from the University of Alabama, and a Ph.D. degree in Finance from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Dr. Wong is currently Chair and Professor of the Department of Finance at the Ancell School of Business at Western Connecticut State University. She had taught various undergraduate and MBA corporate finance courses with extensive applications of computer technology.
Dr. Wong’s research interests and publications cover a wide range of corporate finance, investments, and ethical policy topics. She has specific research expertise in the area of rate regulation for public utilities where her work has been cited in numerous State court proceedings and by Canadian organizations since its publication in 1994. She has also conducted research on the stock price impact of foreign firms that have switched their American Depository Receipts listings from one U.S. stock exchange to another. Additionally, Dr. Wong has published the results of studies in the areas of a) legal rights and protections for shareholders, b) reporting compliance and c) the characteristics of authors in finance journals. She has presented many research papers at professional conferences.
Dr. Wong has served as a reviewer for the Journal of Applied Business Research, Journal of Management Research, and Journal of Financial and Economic Practice. She has also reviewed many chapters for various finance textbooks.
Dr. Wong received several grants for academic research and curriculum development.
Dr. Wong won the Best Presenter Award from the Global Management & Information Technology Research Conference in 2008 and in 2010, and the Outstanding Faculty Member Award (Ancell School of Business) in the 2007-2008 academic year.
Dr. Carol Huang 
Professor
Office: WS 136
E-Mail: HuangC@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-3929
Dr. Carol Huang earned a B.A. in Languages and Literature from the National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan, an M.S. in Finance from Saint Louis University, and a Ph.D. in Financial Economics from The Graduate Center, The City University of New York. Before entering academia, she worked as a financial analyst and a money market trader in the financial industry. At the Ancell School of Business, Dr. Huang teaches Personal Finance, Business Statistics, Financial Management, Finance Decision Models, and Analysis of Financial and Investment Decisions (MBA level) courses.
Dr. Huang’s research interests include quantitative methods, decentralized finance, and airline finance. She has presented research papers at academic conferences, and her research has appeared in many scholarly journals. She is the author of two book chapters on international diversification and portfolio optimization. Dr. Huang has received several awards and grants for her professional performance and academic research. She was the recipient of the American Express Company’s Outstanding Performance Awards in 2001 and 2002, CUNY Teaching Fellowships 2005 – 2009, WCSU CELT Class Technology Grant in 2010, and CSU-AAUP Research Grants in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Dr. Huang holds memberships in organizations such as the Society of Actuaries, 100 Women in Finance, the Eastern Economic Association, and the Northeast Business and Economics Association.
Dr. Huang is passionate about enhancing financial literacy among young people and has delivered speeches to diverse groups. She has also frequently been featured on WalletHub as an expert on personal finance topics. Outside the classroom, Dr. Huang enjoys hiking and photography.
Dr. Wenguang Lin 
Associate Professor
Office: WS 252
Email: LinW@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-8578
Website: Dr. Wenguang Lin: View the Changing World Through the Lens of Capital Markets
Dr. Lin earned a B.S. degree from the Xiamen University in China, an M.B.A. degree in Investments from the University of Notre Dame, and a Ph.D. degree in Finance from the Louisiana State University.
Dr. Lin’s research focuses on variations of stock returns. In particular, his current research interests involve financial market anomalies such as post earnings announcement drifts, the role of value metrics in asset pricing, and equity portfolio management including asset allocation and diversification. He was invited to present in annual meetings of Financial Management Association and Southwestern Finance Association, among others.
At the Ancell School of Business, Dr. Lin teaches several courses including Fixed Income Securities, Principles of Finance and Business Statistics. Before joining Western Connecticut State University, he had taught Business Finance at Louisiana State University.
Dr. Rotua Lumbantobing
Associate Professor
Office: WS 306
Email: LumbantobingR@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-8457
Rotua Lumbantobing earned her Ph.D. and master’s degrees in economics from North Carolina State University, as well as an MBA in Finance from the University of Rochester and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Indonesia.
Lumbantobing’s research interests are in sports economics and applied microeconomics. Her current research project concerns the effects of the 2003 playoff expansion on the competitive balance in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lumbantobing’s most recent publications include a paper on a teaching lesson applying combinatorics and binary outcomes using NBA data in Teaching Statistics and a book chapter on the diversity of Asian-Americans from the perspective of social workers.
Dr. Oluwole Owoye
Professor
Office: WS 353
Email: OwoyeO@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-8456
Dr. Owoye earned his Ph.D. from Northern Illinois University. His areas of teaching/research are Microeconomics/Macroeconomics, Monetary Economics, Labor Economics, and Economic Development. He has presented papers at national and international conferences and has published articles in peer-reviewed journals: Applied Economics, Journal of Developing Areas, Journal of International Trade and Development, Singapore Economic Review, Public Finance Review, etc. He was a visiting Fulbright Scholar at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in 2003. The Student Government Association awarded him the “Outstanding Faculty Member” in 2021. Importantly, Professor Owoye is proud to have taught many students who are now Professors of Economics
Dr. Zuohong Pan
Professor of Economics
Office: WS 307
Email: PanZ@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-8462
Dr. Pan earned a B.A. and M.A. in Economics at the Remin University of China, and Ph. D in Economics at Wayne State University.
His research interests are in International Trade and Finance, financial modeling & forecasting, and urban economics; co-author/editor of Investment Banking in the United States, Taiwan in the 21st Century, A Review of the Humanities and Social Sciences Research in the West – Book Series (Economics Volume); had publications in professional journals such as the Journal of Computational Intelligence in Finance, Computational Economics, Urban Studies, China Economic Review, and International Review of Applied Economics; also served as reviewer for Urban Studies, China Economic Review, Asian Development Review, and International Journal of Emerging Markets.
Dr. Lai Van Vo
Associate Professor
Office: WS 139
Email: VoL@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-9379
Dr. Vo obtained a Master of Science in Finance from University of Colorado at Denver and a Ph.D. degree in finance from Louisiana State University. Before entering academia, he worked as a business specialist at SOTRANS, a leading Vietnamese corporation. He taught at Ton Duc Thang University and Louisiana State University prior to joining Western Connecticut State University.
At the Ancell School of Business, Dr. Vo teaches Corporate Finance, Money, Banking and Financial Markets, and Financial Institutions. His research focuses on Corporate Finance, Financial Markets, and Banking. His works have been selected for presentation at leading academic conferences such as the Financial Management Association, Midwest Finance Association, Southern Finance Association, and Academy of Financial Services annual meetings.
Dr. Vo’s research has been published in the leading journals such as Journal of Financial Services Research, the Journal of Business Economics and Management, the International Review of Financial Analysis, Accounting & Finance, and International Review of Economics and Finance. He has also served as a reviewer for the Journal of Financial Stability, Review of Financial Economics, Research in International Business and Finance, International Review of Financial Analysis, and International Review of Economics and Finance.
Mr. Robert Barghaus
Adjunct Professor
Office: WS 237
Email: BarghausR@wcsu.edu
Mr. Barghaus is a licensed Certified Public Accountant with 35 years of business experience, holds a B.S. degree in Mathematics with a minor in Economics from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and an M.B.A. degree in Finance and Accounting from the Cornell University.
Mr. Barghaus was the Chief Financial Officer for fourteen years of Blyth, Inc. a New York Stock Exchange (BTH) traded company with operations in 16 countries. He served as a member of the Office of the Chairman and was responsible for finance, treasury, accounting, SEC reporting, tax, legal, internal audit, human resources, investor relations and corporate IT.
Prior to Blyth, Mr. Barghaus held senior financial and operating officer positions with Reed Elsevier, John Labatt Limited of Canada, May Department Stores, American Can and Arthur Andersen.
Mr. Barghaus was on the Board of Directors of AdvoCare, Inc., where he was the Chairman of the Finance and Audit Committee and served on the International, Risk Management and Compensation Committees. He presently serves as a consultant to AdvoCare, Inc.
Mr. Barghaus was a Board member for the Federation of the Handicapped in New York City and is a member of the Financial Executives Institute.
Mr. Barghaus has taught a few finance courses at Western Connecticut State University including Business Statistics, Principles of Finance, Investments, and Cases in Managerial Finance. He has also taught at Sacred Heart University and Cornell University. His teaching interests include statistics, corporate finance, and investments.
Ms. Terry Friedman 
Adjunct Professor
Office: WS 237
Email: FriedmanT@wcsu.edu
Terry Friedman earned a BS degree in finance and insurance from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA degree in finance from the University of California Berkeley.
Ms. Friedman works at IBM, where she is a Senior Finance professional on the Finance Business Transformation team. Prior to her current assignment, she managed the Worldwide Incentives & Commissions Financial team for IBM, where she was responsible for all financial aspects of Incentives & Commissions, including sales plan design modeling, budgeting, forecasting, accruals, quota setting, and incentive plan measurements.
Prior to that she was the CFO for one of IBM’s start-up divisions. Her work experience extends across many Finance disciplines, including Financial Planning, Pricing, and Acquisitions & Divestitures. Overall, she has over 30 years of experience working in the Finance field.
Mr. Timothy Jackson
Adjunct Professor
Office: WS 237
Email: JacksonT@wcsu.edu
Mr. Jackson earned a B.S. degree in Nautical Science from the Maine Maritime Academy, and an M.B.A. degree from the University of Connecticut. He holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.
Mr. Jackson is a co-founder and Partner of Stormfield Capital, LLC.
Prior to forming Stormfield Capital, Mr. Jackson was a Senior Investment Strategist with Gapstow Capital Partners, a $1 billion hedge fund-of-funds. With Gapstow, He was co-portfolio manager to Gapstow’s multi-strategy credit portfolios. Prior to joining Gapstow, Mr. Jackson was a Principal at Barclays Global Investors, where he was responsible for the management of a $400 million hedge fund-of-funds portfolio.
Previously, Mr. Jackson had been a Partner at Rocaton Investment Advisors, where he co-led the firm’s alternative research department, which designed and advised on over $15 billion of institutional alternative asset portfolios. Mr. Jackson began his finance career at the Northern Trust Company after serving as a Merchant Marine Officer and Lieutenant in the United States Navy, Reserve.
Mr. Jackson teaches Principles of Finance and Financial Engineering courses at the Ancell School of Business. His teaching interest is in the areas of corporate finance with a strong professional background in risk management.
Ms. Heidi Namiot
Adjunct Professor
Office: WS 237
Email: NamiotH@wcsu.edu
Ms. Namiot earned a B.A. degree in Mathematics from the Smith College and an M.B.A. degree from the Stern School of Business at the New York University.
Ms. Namiot worked in the financial service industry for over a decade, primarily as a derivatives bond Trader at Merrill Lynch and Swiss Re. She has presented at international conferences on a variety of trading strategies.
Prior to getting her M.B.A. degree, Ms. Namiot was a research analyst focusing on electric and natural gas utility valuations.
Since 2007, Ms. Namiot has taught a variety of courses in both the Finance and Mathematics departments at Western Connecticut State University and at other colleges. She teaches Business Statistics for the Finance department regularly.
Ms. Jean Robinson
Adjunct Professor
Office: WS 237
Email: RobinsonJK@wcsu.edu
On the Web:
Ms. Robinson holds a B.A. degree in Economics and Government from the Smith College and an M.B.A. degree in Finance and Accounting from the Columbia Business School.
Ms. Robinson spent the first half of her career on Wall Street at JP Morgan in several commercial and investment banking roles. She then joined the original dot-com boom as Chief Financial Officer of an internet research company, Jupiter Research. She took that company public, merged it with another and sold it.
After that, Ms. Robinson became CFO of another early stage Internet research company, Dynamic Logic, which she helped bring to profitability and then sold to a large market research company, Kantar Millward Brown NA.
After that merger, Ms. Robinson ran Dynamic Logic through a number of years of growth and success and rose to be Chief Operating Officer of KMBNA. She stepped down from that role in late 2015, but continues to work part time for Kantar Millward Brown and also serves on several charitable Boards.
Ms. Robinson teaches Principles of Finance and Money, Banking and Capital Markets at the undergraduate level and Introduction to Economics and Finance at the M.B.A. level. Her teaching interest is in the areas of corporate finance with a strong expertise in money and banking.
Management
Dr. Pauline Assenza
Professor
Office: WS 106
Email: AssenzaP@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-3962
On the Web: 
Primary areas of Interest:
Entrepreneurship, Small Business Management
Current:
Dr. Pauline Assenza is responsible for the Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management option in the Management Major of the Ancell School of Business. She is also responsible for ERIC@THEGARAGE, the Center for Entrepreneurship, Research, Innovation, and Creativity at WCSU, currently a student club and a resource center for students, faculty, staff and the greater Danbury community, providing assistance for entrepreneurs and small businesses, supporting innovation in both corporate and “gig” economy environments. Dr. Assenza produces an Entrepreneurial Arc Panel discussion every semester showcasing local business owners, one of whom is always a WCSU grad. For more on her approach to entrepreneurship, see “What is entrepreneurship?”
In the community Dr. Assenza is on the Steering Committee of the Women’s Business Council of the Danbury Chamber of Commerce, on the Board of the Village Center for the Arts in New Milford, CT, and Vice-Chairman of the Connecticut Consortium of Entrepreneurship Educators. She has worked with community leaders in Danbury and New Milford to help develop programming that could stimulate a local innovation ecosystem, and was a coauthor of the submission that made Danbury an Innovation Places Finalist in 2017.
Academic:
Dr. Assenza has a Doctorate in Management from Pace University where her dissertation focused on the identity salience and self-determination of professionals, with implications for the organizational citizenship behavior of faculty in institutions of higher education. She also has completed graduate work toward a PhD in Educational Psychology at UCONN, studying self-efficacy toward knowledge acquisition in ill-structured domains. Dr. Assenza has a Masters in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from University of New Haven where she received the Outstanding Student Award, and has a degree in Honors English from Connecticut College where she wrote her thesis on Theodore Roethke: The Poet in Search of Self, An Investigation of the Creative Process. She is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the National Honor Society in
Business.
Dr. Assenza has published in several journals related to entrepreneurial ecosystems and entrepreneurial education, has published case studies in strategic management, and regularly attends conferences at USASBE and the Eastern Academy of Management where she received the Outstanding Reviewer Award in 2016. She received Professor’s Choice Award for the most widely adopted case, for “Ann Taylor: Survivor in Specialty Retail” from the CASE Association in 2012, and received the Best Case Award from the CASE Association in 2007 for “Claire’s Stores: Competing Betwixt and Between”. Her current research interests include entrepreneurial ecosystems, professional socialization, institutional environments, networks and systemic influences on internal processes, especially in small organizations.
Prior to Dr. Assenza’s arrival at WCSU she worked as a consultant in both manufacturing and service industries, helping organizations deal with management training and organization development issues. She is a past-president of the Connecticut chapter of ATD, The Association for Talent Development. She also runs a small business importing and selling Eastern European folk art at www.augustcollection.com.
Dr. Stan Bazan (Chair) 
Professor/Chairperson
Office: WS 202
Email: BazanS@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-9238
Education:
Ph.D. Business Administration: Management: The University of Connecticut
MBA: The University of Connecticut
BSBA: Western New England University
Primary areas of Teaching:
Strategic Management, Organizational Behavior, Entrepreneurship
Dr. Kevin Burnard 
Associate Professor
Office: WS 214
Email: burnardk@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-8947
Dr. Kevin Burnard is an Assistant Professor of Management at the Ancell School of Business. Dr. Burnard graduated from the Wolfosn School of Engineering at Loughborough University (UK) in 2013 with a PhD in Organizational Resilience and a Beng Honors degree in Manufacturing Engineering and Management. Dr. Burnard also completed a Diploma of Industrial Studies working within the aerospace industry. Dr Burnard’s research and teaching interests focus primarily in the area of Operations Management.
Prior to joining the Ancell School of Business, Dr. Burnard was a lecturer of Operations and Strategic Management at the University of the West of Scotland (UK). During this time Dr. Burnard became a Fellow of the Higher Education Authority (FHEA) and worked across several commercial and industry projects within Scotland.
Dr. Burnard is actively engaged within research activities related to competitiveness and organizational performance. Working within the area of Operations and Strategic Management, interest in how organizations are able to perform and function during periods of adversity has led to current research activities related to the concept of organizational resilience. Dr. Burnard has published research across several peer reviewed journals and international conferences. Research interests include resilience, organizational strategy, continuous improvement and crisis management.
Dr. Ming Ling Chuang 
Professor
Office: WS 201
Email: ChuangM@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203)-837-8884
Primary areas of Interest:
Supply chain management
Dr. Alexandra Galli-Debicella
Associate Professor
Office: WS 113
Email: gallidebicellaA@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-8181
Alexandra Galli-Debicella is an Assistant Professor of Management at Western Connecticut State University. She received her PhD from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She also received a B.S. and MBA from the Lender School of Business at Quinnipiac University.
Her research interests currently include small and medium sized enterprises, entrepreneurship, service firms, business strategy, and innovation. Her work has been published in the Service Industries Journal and she has presented at conferences including the Eastern Academy of Management and the National Academy of Management.
Dr. Galli-Debicella has taught in the areas of Strategic Management and Organizational Behavior.
Dr. Mohinder Dugal 
Professor
Office: WS 143
Email: DugalM@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-3257
Dr. Mohinder Dugal is currently a tenured Professor of Management at the Ancell School of Business, Western Connecticut State University.
Dr. Dugal holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, where he majored in Strategic Management with a Minor in Marketing. He has over 20 years of teaching and research experience, having taught in the executive management, graduate and undergraduate programs of business schools at the University of Pittsburgh, West Virginia University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Pace University, and Western Connecticut State University. Over the years he has served on several University-level and college-level committees, including the University Senate at FDU. He is also experienced in program development, assessment, compliance and documentation for accreditation purposes.
As a researcher, Dr. Dugal has presented his work at several prestigious global conferences, including the Strategic Management Society conferences and the national Academy of Management conferences. He has published extensively in several top journals, including the Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance, Journal of Business and Economics, Journal of the Academy for Advancement of Business Research, Academy of Business Research Journal, Journal of Strategic and International Studies, International Journal of Organizational Analysis, and Competitive Intelligence Review.
Prior to joining WestConn, Dr. Dugal was Director of Risk Management at MBIA, Inc., the world’s largest monoline insurance company, where he was responsible for underwriting structured finance transactions for global corporations, banks and asset managers. Dr. Dugal has several years of Wall Street experience, having worked closely with senior management of financial and non-financial corporations, investment banks, governments, law firms, and rating agencies. His experience covers transactions across several industries, sectors and asset classes, in a diverse set of countries including the U.S., U.K., Germany, Brazil, Spain, Egypt, India, Australia and Trinidad & Tobago. His specialized experience includes extensive due diligence knowhow (skilled in interviewing senior management teams).
At MBIA, Dr. Dugal worked on innovative financing solutions in order to enable new transactions while minimizing MBIA’s capital at risk. He oversaw a team of analysts, AVPs and VPs, providing risk management mentoring in terms of modeling financial projections, conducting stress analysis on actual and projected numbers, and analyzing potential securitization transactions – conducting financial valuations, determining loss model assumptions, projecting collateral performance, and analyzing structural and legal issues. As a member of several task forces on risk policy, he periodically reviewed underwriting risk guidelines, processes, and broader enterprise risk issues.
Previously, Dr. Dugal worked as a corporate analyst at Moody’s Investors Service, where he conducted analysis of financial and non-financial information to arrive at ratings for investment grade debt securities of companies in the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors. As an analyst covering a portfolio of over 100 companies, he regularly met with the leaders of companies in his portfolio, addressed inquiries by investors and intermediaries on key credit risk factors, and issued special comments and press releases on significant corporate developments.
Dr. Linda Forbes 
Professor
Office: WS 386
Email: ForbesL@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-3256
Primary areas of Interest:
Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Enterprises
Dr. Yaseen Hayajneh
Interim Dean, Professor of Healthcare and Operations Management
E-Mail: hayajnehy@wcsu.edu
Office: WS Suite 374
Phone: (203) 837-8183
On the web:
Dr. Yaseen Hayajneh is a highly accomplished individual with a distinguished international executive leadership background in higher education and healthcare. Throughout his career, he has held several prestigious academic and executive positions, including the Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Jumeira University in Dubai, Chief Operating Officer at University Hospital Sharjah, and Associate Director and Chief Operating Officer at King Abdullah University Hospital.
Dr. Hayajneh’s career at WCSU began as a faculty member in the Fall of 2017, and he steadily progressed through various leadership roles. He first served as the coordinator of the MHA program. A year later, he was entrusted with coordinating the School of Business graduate programs MBA and MHA. Due to his contributions and leadership, Dr. Hayajneh was promoted to associate dean, leading the school’s successful effort to achieve reaccreditation in 2023. In the Summer of 2023, he assumed the role of interim dean.
Dr. Dan Weltmann 
Assistant Professor, Graduate Coordinator of MBA Program
Office: WS 251
Email: weltmannd@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-8182
On the Web: (For more information)
Primary areas of Interest:
Human Resources Management, Organizational Behavior, and Employee Ownership
Management Information Systems
Tom Yoon, Ph.D. 
Department Chair, Professor
Office: WS 207
Email: YoonT@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-3963
Education:
- Ph.D. – Florida Sate University
- M.S. – Auburn University
- B.S. – Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Yoon earned a B.S. in Business Logistics from Pennsylvania State University, an M.S. in MIS from Auburn University, and a Ph.D. in MIS from Florida State University.
Dr. Yoon teaches Data Communications, Information Systems Hardware, and Information Systems Concepts.
Emilio Collar, Ph.D. 
Professor
Office: WS 250
Email: CollarE@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-8903
Education:
- Ph.D. – University of Colorado
- B.B.A., M.S. – Pace University
Jennifer Flynn, D.P.S. 
Associate Professor
Office: WS 205
Email: FlynnJ@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-9357
Education:
- D.P.S. – Pace University
- M.B.A. – Pace University
- B.B.A. – Western Connecticut State University
Courses Taught:
- Information Systems Concepts
- Database Applications in Business
- Information Analysis (MBA course)
Paul Nugent, Ph.D. 
Professor
Office: WS 203
Email: NugentP@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-9339
Education:
- Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cybersecurity,
University of Maryland University College
- Ph.D. State University of New York at Albany
- M.S.E.C.E. University of Massachusetts
- B.A. Dartmouth College
Marge Galtieri 
Adjunct Instructor
Email: GaltieriM@wcsu.edu
Margaret Galtieri: Network Infrastructure Administrator at Western Connecticut State University. Currently, Adjunct Instructor for the Ancell School of Business’ MIS Department.
Twenty-five years experience in Information Techology employed by Nestle, IBM, GE Medical, The Hotchkiss School, and WCSU. Received a Master of Business Administration, 2012 and a Bachelor of Business Administration, 1999 majoring in Management Information Systems. Achieved several industry certifications; Toshiba Certified Technician, Hubbell Premise Wiring, Microsoft Certified Professional, and most recently, Cisco Certified Network Associate. Ten years experience as an Instructor teaching Information Technology, MIS 155 and Information Systems Concepts, MIS 260.
Ken Lynch
Adjunct instrucor
Email: lynchk@wcsu.edu
Office: OM 014A
Phone: (203) 837-9324
Education:
Ken Lynch earned his B.B.A. in Management Information Systems with a concentration in Information Security and his M.B.A. from Western Connecticut State University.
Notably, he earned both degrees while maintaining full-time employment in his field of expertise.
Professional Experience:
Ken is the Access Control and Security Specialist at Westconn, where he has worked since 2005 During his tenure, Ken has developed innovative solutions and made significant contributions to the University’s electronic security systems. He collaborates with network and infrastructure teams, provides technical support and training to campus police and other departments as needed, and works directly with University contractors as part of his regular routine. He has extensive hands-on experience in the constantly changing field of electronic security systems.
Additional Certifications and Licensing:
Ken Lynch’s qualifications extend beyond academic degrees. He is certified in Genetec, a leading provider of security solutions, and holds Software House certifications, highlighting his proficiency in security software systems. He also holds a State of Connecticut Limited Electrical Journey Person license.
Faculty Emeriti
Richard Montague, Ph.D. 
Professor
Office: WS 204
Email: MontagueR@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203)837-9343
Education:
- M.S. M. Phil., Ph.D. – Columbia University
- B.S. – University of New Haven
Marketing
Ronald Drozdenko, Ph.D.
Department Chair, Professor
Office: WS 301
E-mail: drozdenkor@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-8776
Appointment Link: To schedule an advisement meeting please go to:
www.DrozdenkoMeeting.clickbook.net and click on Advisement Meeting.
On the Web: 
Education:
Dr. Drozdenko holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Missouri
Teaching:
Ronald G. Drozdenko, Ph.D. is Professor and Chair of the Ancell School of Business Marketing Department. He has more than 30 years of teaching experience that includes the following courses; Consumer Behavior, CRM and Marketing Databases, E-Commerce and Internet Marketing, Product Development and Management, Marketing Research, and Marketing Management. In 2005 he was the recipient of the Professor Award for Excellence in Direct Marketing Education by the New England Direct Marketing Association Foundation. He is co-advisor to Western’s award winning collegiate chapter of the American Marketing Association.
Dr. Drozdenko has directed or co-directed more than 100 proprietary research projects since 1978 for the marketing and research and development departments of several corporations, including major multinationals. These projects were in the areas of strategic planning, marketing research, product development, direct marketing, internet marketing and marketing database analysis.
Research and Publications:
Dr. Drozdenko co-authored, with Perry Drake, Optimal Database Marketing: Strategy, Development and Data Mining and has published professional and academic articles and book chapters. His scholarly publications have appeared in the Journal of Advertising Research, Psychology and Marketing, Journal of Product Innovation Management, International Journal of Business and Public Administration, Journal of Business Ethics, International Journal of Revenue Management, Journal of Product and Brand Management and journals in the medical and health care fields. His research articles have been cited more than 660 times in academic papers and he has been the recipient of several best paper awards at academic conferences.
He was granted three U.S. patents along with his co-inventors for instruments used in medical research and clinical applications. His current research interests include consumer behavior, business ethics, product pricing and purchase risk.
Professional Affiliations:
Dr. Drozdenko serves on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Revenue Management and the International Journal of Business, Marketing and Decision Sciences. He is a member of the American Marketing Association.
Xiaoqi Han, Ph.D.
Professor
Office: WS 348
E-mail: HanX@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-9038
On the Web:
Xiaoqi Han is Associate Professor of Marketing at the Ancell School of Business. Dr. Han’s professional experiences have taken her from global companies in China to the United States. She worked for IBM, China, as an executive assistant responsible for local and global communication and coordination. She later joined Groupe Seb, a large French consortium that produces small appliances, in the role of Strategic Marketing. Dr. Han has also provided consultation to US startup companies such as 321 Experience Consulting.
Dr. Han’s scholarly interests include consumer information processing, persuasion, cultural, visual and verbal appeal in advertising, consumer inference, consumer bias and techniques of debasing. She is particularly interested in exploring the mechanism behind consumers’ lack of sensitivity to missing information (omission neglect). Her publications have appeared in the Journal of Business Research and Psychology and Marketing.
Dr. Han holds a BA in English Literature from Shanghai International Studies University, an MA in Communications from Marquette University, and a PhD degree in Marketing from the University of Cincinnati. She is member of the American Marketing Association, the American Advertising Academy, the Society for Consumer Psychology and the Association for Consumer Research.
Emad AbouElgheit, Ph.D
Associate Professor of Marketing
Office: WS 206
E-mail: abouelgheite@wcsu.edu
Phone: (203) 837-8775
On the Web:
Education:
Dr. AbouElgheit obtained his Ph.D. in International Business Management at the International School of Management (ISM) in Paris, France in 2016. He obtained his M.B.A. in 2010 at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in Cairo, Egypt after obtaining his B.A. degree in Architecture Engineering at Alexandria University in Alexandria, Egypt in 1998.
Teaching:
Dr. Emad AbouElgheit is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Western Connecticut State University – Ancell School of Business. Also, he is a practitioner with over 15 years of professional experience in marketing, communication, information technology and management consulting. His professional and academic passions have been focused where marketing meets information technology. He held several senior marketing and communication positions at global private enterprises and international organizations.
Dr. AbouElgheit has been teaching undergraduate and graduate marketing classes since 2013. His interests in teaching include Principles of Marketing, Digital and Interactive Marketing, Advertising and Social Media Marketing, Salesforce Management, Services Marketing, International Marketing and Marketing Strategy.
Professional Experience and Consulting:
Before his full-time academic career, Dr. AbouElgheit was a Communication Expert at the United Nations. Also, he is a former Senior Consultant – Marketing and Communications Manager at the Gallup Organization. Dr. AbouElgheit was also the Chief Marketing Expert among a global consulting consortium for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to promote a 30m Euro two-year financing program in Egypt.
For five years, Dr. AbouElgheit was a Brand Manager at ITWORX, the largest software development house in the Middle East and North Africa region. He also led the implementation of various software development, e-commerce and digital transformation projects for firms in North America, Europe and the Middle East. He also provided marketing and communication consulting services for various public and social organizations including the League of Arab States and the Tunisian Ministry of Women.
In addition to his full-time roles, Dr. AbouElgheit has been engaged in various digital strategy, brand development, mobile apps, and creative consulting projects for clients in hospitality, travel, healthcare and pharmacy sectors.
Research and Publications:
Dr. AbouElgheit’s research focuses on consumer decision-making process, trust, social commerce, interactive and digital marketing, neuromarketing and mobile apps marketing. He has been publishing at peer-reviewed journals that include International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Middle East Journal of Management, and International Journal for e-Learning Security. In addition, he has been a presenter and moderator at various academic and professional conferences.
Johnine McCartney
Assistant Professor
Office: WS 385
E-mail: MccartneyJ@wcsu.edu
Phone:
Dr. McCartney started her doctorate program and academic career as an experienced business leader with 25+ years at a global tech company. Dr. McCartney comes to us from Ithaca College where she taught as an Assistant Professor of Marketing and served as the Interim Program Director for the MBA Program in Entertainment and Media. She will be teaching The Global Environment of Business and Marketing Management courses at WCSU this Fall. Dr. McCartney holds a Doctorate in Marketing from Pace University, Lubin School of Business and an MBA. in Finance from NYU’s Stern School of Business. Her research interests include trust in the digital marketplace and influencing consumer sustainable behaviors.
Donna Coelho, MSM
Adjunct Instructor
Office: WS 384
E-mail: Coelhod@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-8653
On the Web:
Donna Coelho teaches at Western Connecticut State University and Quinnipiac University in the Marketing and Management Departments. Courses taught include Principles of Marketing, Global Environment of Business, Consumer Behavior, Strategic Management, Organizational Behavior, Managing People, and Current Issues in Management. She has numerous publications in the areas of experiential learning, pricing, green products, consumer behavior and pedagogy.
Donna was Director of Development at Fairfield University and transitioned that knowledge to the nonprofit sector. She has over 25 years’ experience providing management, program administration, training, outcomes assessment and strategic planning services to local nonprofit boards of directors and small businesses.
She has also managed her own company and consults with small businesses and entrepreneurs. In 2005, she received a three year grant of $183,000 for the Center for Business Research at WCSU, to expand the Experiential Learning program for the Ancell School of Business. This program continues to serve WCSU students as the Ancell Collaborative Enterprise.
Donna holds a BS in Education and Psychology from Southern Connecticut State University, and a Master’s in Management from Albertus Magnus University. She serves on the National Collegiate Council for the American Marketing Association, is a member of the Academy of Marketing Sciences, and the American Marketing Association. She is on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Business Education. She has been Co-Advisor of WCSU’s Collegiate Chapter of the American Marketing Association for the last ten years. This chapter has consistently been ranked in the top 10% of all collegiate chapters in National AMA competitions for the last seven years. She also chairs numerous national collegiate competitions for the American Marketing Association.
She also volunteers as Executive Director for the Keren Foundation, an organization that financially aids students in the foster care system navigate college.
Stephanie DeBartolomeo, MBM
Adjunct Instructor
E-mail: DeBartolomeos@wcsu.edu
Stephanie holds a Master’s degree in International Business and Marketing from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University, and a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Finance and Management Information Systems from Western Connecticut State University. In addition, she is certified by American International College in online and hybrid instruction for higher education.
Stephanie spent 20 years at Fortune 500 companies including PepsiCo, IBM, CBS, Dr. Pepper/7 Up, Inc. as well as Playtex Products and Allied Domecq Spirits and Wines PLC. It is at these companies she honed her business skills initially in financial roles for new business development and innovation and then predominantly in marketing of consumer packaged goods.
During her corporate tenure, Stephanie was a member of the national marketing teams for Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and Playtex Baby Care product lines. She later led strategic marketing for national and global brands and successfully repositioned declining businesses including Dr. Pepper, Vernor’s soft drink, Courvoisier Cognac and Sauza Tequila resulting in renewed growth and profitability.
Her work on the Courvoisier brand portfolio was noted by Erin O. Patton, author of Under the Influence as “the most successful … product integration in any category … in history”. Stephanie has appeared on CNBC and in prominent news and lifestyle publications including Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Vogue, XXL, The Source and Vibe Magazine.
She received a National Marketing Innovation Award from Dr. Pepper/7 Up, Inc., and Marketing Excellence and Marketer of the Year awards from Allied Domecq. She was nominated for BrandWeek Magazine’s “Top 40 Marketers Under 40” annual feature for her work on Courvoisier Cognac. Partnering with hip hop mogul Russell Simmons and dRush, her re-branding work on Courvoisier also earned Advertising Age magazine’s Annual Advertising Award.
As a freelance marketing consultant, Stephanie currently helps businesses develop and execute marketing strategy. As an adjunct professor of marketing she has taught Marketing, Retail Marketing Management, E-Commerce and Internet Marketing, Global Environment of Business and International Marketing at Western, Central, and Southern Connecticut State Universities and Quinnipiac University. She also teaches Strategic Marketing Management in the graduate program at American International College.
Richard E. Feldman
Adjunct Instructor
E-mail: feldmanr@wcsu.edu
Rich is an integrated marketing pro who has held executive positions in marketing management, business development, strategic planning, and creative services for some of the world’s most successful agency brands. He is currently Head of Marketing for Finario, a cloud-based FinTech solution serving large enterprise, where he leads all efforts including digital, content, event and promotion marketing efforts. Prior he was Chief Marketing Officer for another FinTech startup, PrimaHealth Credit — a “buy now pay later” company empowering healthcare providers to offer alternative payments solutions at the point of care. He helped the company secure venture funding and establish its marketing foundation.
Other positions include: Owner/Managing Partner, Chief Strategy Officer at Doner CX, part of the MDC Partners holding company, where he led strategic planning, research, data analytics, CRM as well as account development and agency oversight; Managing Partner and co-founder of eSource Drive to Web Marketing, a “tuck under” with Westport CT-based Source Marketing, which ultimately merged into Source and grew to be one of the largest activation agencies in the country. In these roles he lead efforts on behalf of brands such as AARP, ADT, AOL, American Express, AT&T, Capital One, Chase, Erie Insurance, ESPN, Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, Novartis, Pfizer, Philips, Sage Software, Smithfield Foods, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and Whelen Engineering.
Additionally, Rich launched global DM shop Brann Worldwide’s strategic consulting practice – where he is credited with designing IBM’s first worldwide relationship marketing program, introducing Merck to innovations in adherence marketing, and having helped to pave the way for the agency’s sale to Snyder Communications en route to EuroRSCG/Havas. Other stops include EVP Creative Director at Fairfield CT-based Blau Marketing Technologies, creative director for non-profit DM shop Sanky Perlowin Associates, and advertising manager at Demographic Systems, a data enhancement company.
Rich is a member of the marketing advisory board of the Ancell School of Business, and as adjunct professor at Western Connecticut University where he has taught an Agency Practicum class for seniors looking for “real world’ insights and exposure to concepts essential to a marketing career. In Fall 2021 he will be teaching Marketing Principles. Rich has also taught masters classes in direct marketing at at New York University, and is author of Deconstructing Creative Strategy, published by the Association of National Advertisers in 2008. Currently, he is a contributor to Cointelegraph and Bitcoin Magazine, offering perspectives on marketing to the burgeoning cryptocurrency category.
Rich is a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, where he majored in advertising.
Paul Goldstein, M.B.A.
Adjunct Instructor
E-mail: goldsteinp@wcsu.edu
Education:
MBA – Babson College
B.A.(Hons) – Long Island University
Joseph B. Jaffe, M.B.A.
Adjunct Instructor
E-mail: jaffej@wcsu.edu
Joseph Jaffe is a 5-time author, serial entrepreneur, and as of March 2020, the host of CoronaTV, a daily streaming interview-based show about hope, positivity and optimism…and if there’s time left over…a little bit of marketing! In 2021, he rebranded the show as Joseph Jaffe is not Famous and plans to reinvent the talk show in the streaming era. Check it out at www.youtube.com/c/josephjaffeisnotfamous. Subscribe to the show at bit.ly/subscribetotheshow
As a consultant and thought leader in the marketing and innovation space, he has worked with countless Fortune 500 companies, as well as startups. As a speaker, Joseph delivers a brilliant, high impact message with innovative and practical advice for movement towards growth.
Joseph has started 3 consultancies, including HMS Beagle, Evol8tion and crayon. He has worked with the likes of The Coca-Cola Company, Visa, ABInBev, Pearson, Nestle, Purina, Steelcase, Colgate-Palmolive, Mondelez International, Keurig Doctor Pepper and many more.
His first book, ”Life After The 30-Second Spot: Energize Your Brand With A Bold Mix Of Alternatives To Traditional Advertising” (Wiley/Adweek) was released in June 2005 and focuses on how advertising is evolving in a world ruled by an empowered consumer and no longer governed solely by the 30- second spot.
His second book was “Join the conversation: How to engage marketing-weary consumers with the power of community, dialogue and partnership” (Wiley, October 2007), outlining the birth and rise of “conversational marketing” or what it has become known as today, “Social Media.”
His third book, “Flip the Funnel: How to use existing customers to gain new ones,” was published in February of 2010 and presents a powerful hypothesis that retention can become the new acquisition through the strategic incorporation and elevation of customer service, customer experience and customer-initiated word-of-mouth, content creation and referrals.
In October 2013, Jaffe – in collaboration with his former client at The Coca-Cola Company and ABInBev, Maarten Albarda – published Z.E.R.O. – Zero Paid Media as the New Marketing Model. Just ask Donald Trump if Zealots, Entrepreneurship, Retention and Owned Assets AKA Z.E.R.O. works!
His 5th book, “Built to Suck: The Inevitable Demise of the Corporation…and How to Save It?” (Ideapress) was released in March 2019. The central thesis behind BTS is the reality that the very thing responsible for the success of corporations – size, scope, scale – is the now the single biggest contributor to its demise. Large companies have lost their competitive edge. They’re slowing down when the world is speeding up. Put differently, the business model of big business is broken. Can it be fixed? Can they survival and even thrive? Magic 8-ball says, “ask again later!”
In 2019, he joined West Virginia University’s Reed College of Media as an instructor in the Integrated Marketing Communications online graduate program, where he wrote and lectures a course on brand evolution strategy and social media. In 2021, Jaffe joined both Connecticut State University and NYU as an Adjunct Professor.
Joseph’s impassioned, straight-shooting and honest perspectives have found their way to every major media outlet, including CBS Evening News, ABC World News, Bloomberg, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, Fortune, Newsweek, Business Week, Ad Age, Adweek and the list continues. He is a member of the Founder’s Institute, Entrepreneur’s Round Table and Techstars, and has lectured at NYU’s Stern Business School, Cornell’s Johnson School of Business, West Virginia and Syracuse University.
John Lambo, M.B.A.
Adjunct Instructor
E-mail: lamboj@wcsu.edu
Education:
M.B.A. – Wagner College
Robert Watson, M.B.A.
Adjunct Instructor
E-mail: WatsonR@wcsu.edu
Education:
MBA – University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business
Marketing Principles & Sales Management Courses
Mr. Watson is passionate about marketing. Consequently, each of his marketing classes mixes theory with real world examples, all within an active and social environment that makes learning fun.
In addition to currently serving as a marketing lecturer, Mr. Watson also provides pro bono advice to a broad range of organizations.
His prior marketing positions include: Vice President of the International Division of Audits & Surveys Worldwide, Account Group Director of Millward Brown (largest advertising consultancy in the world), Vice President of Citicorp (largest U.S. financial services organization at the time), Market Development Management of Duracell, and new product development/brand management responsibilities at Norwich Eaton Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson.
Mr. Watson has a lifetime teaching certification in both business and economics.
Tom Zarecki, MBA 
Adjunct Instructor
Office: WS 114
E-mail: ZareckiT@wcsu.edu
Phone : 203-837-8574
On the Web: 
Education:
MBA – Western Connecticut State University
BA – Western Connecticut State University
WCSU Marketing Department Adjunct Professor Tom Zarecki, MBA, has spent his life in radio broadcasting, media and marketing. Tom worked as a radio announcer throughout his teens. After high school, as a Music Ed major here at WCSU, Tom was part of the student team creating campus station WXCI-FM. A few years later, he was one of the founding members of local radio station I-95 (WRKI-FM) and was that station’s very first morning DJ and program director.
Taking his radio programming, music and marketing expertise on the road for a dozen years, Tom consulted with 65 radio stations in 35 states to ratings successes.
As marketing director for Radio Computing Services, Inc. (RCS), a radio software company in New York, Tom wrote text for web pages, product brochures and animated demos. As spokesperson and head writer for RCS for 14 years, he travelled nationwide and worldwide, speaking at trade shows and conferences as an advocate for their broadcast software systems.
Tom was a monthly columnist for a number of years at Talkers Magazine and Radio Ink Magazine, on the board of directors for the Danbury Area Computer Society, and co-host of “Business Backstory”, a weekly radio program aired on campus station WXCI-FM where he served as faculty advisor, and was an instructor in the Communication & Media Arts department at Western for 9 years where he taught radio broadcasting.
Currently, Tom is the host/announcer for weekend shows on WJMJ-FM radio in Hartford, CT. He also consults a number of local businesses with web content and social media ideas, and continues to teach in the Marketing department for Western’s Ancell School of Business.
