Welcome New Faculty

Editors’ Note: This feature appears as it was published in the autumn 2023 edition of UT Dallas Magazine. Titles or faculty members listed may have changed since that time.

Welcome New Faculty

Nine new associate professors and 18 new assistant professors joined the Naveen Jindal School of Management this fall in every academic area as well as in Executive Education. Both the Information Systems Area and the Organizations, Strategy and International Management Area added eight new faculty members

The twenty-seven new hires bring the Jindal School’s full-time faculty total to 247.

REZA (RAY) ARIA
REZA (RAY) ARIA

REZA (RAY) ARIA

Associate Professor of Instruction, Information Systems

PhD in Business Administration – Information Systems McMaster University

Research Interests: Blockchain, AI, Healthcare

“I’m excited to join the JSOM community as Associate Professor of Instruction, bringing with me a rich blend of academic, research and entrepreneurial experience. My academic qualifications include a PhD in Business Administration, an MSc in Computer Engineering with a focus on artificial intelligence and a BSc in Computer Science. My research has made significant contributions to areas like real-time machine learning algorithms, health informatics and sustainable digital systems, as well as cutting-edge domains like financial technology and AI-assisted Blockchain technology. Beyond academia, I’m also an entrepreneur who has founded startups that address real-world challenges. This entrepreneurial background not only enhances my research but also brings a practical dimension to my teaching, offering students a holistic view of the interplay between academia, industry and entrepreneurship.”
DENISE CORDOVA
DENISE CORDOVA

DENISE CORDOVA

Associate Professor of Practice, Organizations, Strategy and International Management

Master of Human Resources, Rollins College

Research Interests:Business Communication, I/O Psychology

“I have a strong passion for teaching and developing courses. I am driven to enhance collegiate programming related to business communication, career support, and building strong company relationships for my students. I am full-heartedly dedicated to my students’ professional development goals, transforming lives via the power of education and inspiring individuals to achieve excellence. In my courses, I encourage ongoing student self-reflection while providing opportunities to close the gap between existing and desired performance. My true-north values and guiding principles as an educator are affiliated with motivating my students to continuously partake in experiential learning, develop a global perspective and utilize entrepreneurial as well as innovative thinking. My ultimate mission is to prepare tomorrow’s business leaders by delivering high quality management education to diverse groups of students, providing an equal opportunity for all. In my free time, I enjoy reading, jogging, outdoor activities, traveling, museums, networking, watching the performing arts and spending time connecting with my friends and family.”
RAMI EL-YOUSSEF
RAMI EL-YOUSSEF

RAMI EL-YOUSSEF

Associate Professor of Instruction, Information Systems

Doctor of Engineering, George Washington University

Research Interests:Big Data and Business Analytics, Statistical Modeling, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, ERP technology

“As a passionate learner and educator, I am not only eager to explore and share new insights but am also deeply committed to fostering the success and well-being of my students.”
DANIEL LOWRANCE
DANIEL LOWRANCE

DANIEL LOWRANCE

Associate Professor of Practice, Finance and Managerial Economics and Associate Director of the Weitzman Institute for Real Estate

PhD, Multidisciplinary in Real Estate and Finance, Texas A&M University

Research Interests:Real Estate Investment Trust (REITs) Governance and Investment Choices, Impact on Housing Stock, and Build-To-Rent Initiatives

“I enjoy doing what I teach and am eager to share my interests and collaborate.”
CAROL MARCUS REHTMEYER
CAROL MARCUS REHTMEYER

CAROL MARCUS REHTMEYER

Associate Professor of Instruction, Organizations, Strategy and International Management
Executive Director, Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

MBA, Louisiana State University

Research Interests: Strengthening the U.S. as a Leader in Innovation and Entrepreneurship

“I’ve been a lifelong entrepreneur in toy licensing and manufacturing and a turnaround leader for two museums and numerous not-for-profit organizations. My joy is giving back to the community, the arts, and doing ballet.”
RABIH NEOUCHI
RABIH NEOUCHI

RABIH NEOUCHI

Associate Professor of Instruction, Information Systems

Doctor of Engineering, Engineering Management, Southern Methodist University

Research Interests:Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

“I started my career working at Microsoft Corporation. I am a hands-on data scientist with expertise in building predictive models.”
GARY REICHMUTH
GARY REICHMUTH

GARY REICHMUTH

Associate Professor of Instruction, Executive Education

MBAUniversity of Texas at Dallas

Research Interests:Marketing

“I worked at Texas Instruments for over 30 years in a number of executive level positions in marketing and strategic business management roles.”
KEVIN SHORT
KEVIN SHORT

KEVIN SHORT

Associate Professor of Practice, Information Systems

MBA, University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business

Research Interests:Cloud Computing

“Fun fact… I am a twin. Also, I still have my first car, a 1965 Mustang.
KANNAN SRIKANTH
KANNAN SRIKANTH

KANNAN SRIKANTH

Associate Professor of Practice, Information Systems

MS Computer Science, University of Texas at Dallas

MBA, Northwestern University

Research Interests:: Number Theory, Graph Theory, Establishing Metrics to measure long-term vision and success of any enterprise.

“I am very excited to be part of JSOM. I started my stint at UTD as a student back during 1990-92 and am excited to be a faculty member at UTD. I am eager to contribute to the success of our students and collaborate with my colleagues to create innovative programs and research areas.”
PRAJAKTI (PRAJ) VIKAS AKARTE
PRAJAKTI (PRAJ) VIKAS AKARTE

PRAJAKTI (PRAJ) VIKAS AKARTE

Assistant Professor of Instruction, Information Systems

Program Director, BS Business Analytics

PhD, Public Policy and Political Economy, University of Texas at Dallas

Research Interests: Machine Learning, Foreign Direct Investments, International Political Economy

“Statistics is fascinating to me. When applied ubiquitously, it can influence every aspect of society. This inspired me to pursue graduate studies in Business Analytics, Political Science and Finance. My experience in Investment Banking and Management Consulting further helped me gain a holistic perspective of the fast-changing world around us. Now, I want to share that perspective. I am passionate about teaching and mentoring students and it is why I am thrilled to serve as director of the Undergraduate Business Analytics program. UT Dallas provides an enriching academic environment that helps push boundaries of knowledge and research while providing the perfect canvas to learn, improve and evolve, for students and faculty alike. I am excited to embark on this journey with an incredible Team UTD and learn more along the way!”
ZIYI CAO
ZIYI CAO

ZIYI CAO

Assistant Professor, Information Systems

PhD, Management, University of California, Irvine

Research Interests: Information Systems

“My research interests lie in the realm of the platform economy that covers areas such as e-commerce, the sharing economy and Fintech innovations. I combine machine learning and natural language processing techniques with econometric analysis in my work to draw out deeper insights about agent competition, user behavior, market structure, platform strategies and regulations, and their economic impacts in data-driven industries.”
MINGLIU CHEN
MINGLIU CHEN

MINGLIU CHEN

Assistant Professor, Operations Management

Ph.D., Duke University

Research Interests:Operations Research, Operations Management, Mechanism Design, Business Analytics

“For research, I am interested in operations research and management. In particular, I am intrigued by market and mechanism designs. For teaching, I am eager to share my knowledge with students and encourage discussions. I strive to create an exciting, fair, and inclusive classroom environment.”
QINGQING CHEN
QINGQING CHEN

QINGQING CHEN

Assistant Professor, Organizations, Strategy and International Management

PhD, Applied Economics, University of Pennsylvania

Research Interests: Strategy, International Business, Innovation and Technology Strategy

“My research interests are in the intersection of innovation, technology management and international business. My recent studies investigate firms’ involvement in international standard-setting organizations and political factors affecting the evolution of technological trajectories.”
JUNFAN (JUNE) HUANG
JUNFAN (JUNE) HUANG

JUNFAN (JUNE) HUANG

Assistant Professor, Accounting

PhD, Accounting, University of Chicago

Research Interests: Corporate Disclosure, Corporate Social Responsibility, Political Economy

“I’m moving to Dallas from Chicago, where I recently completed my PhD and MBA. Before going back to school for my PhD, I worked in investment banking at J.P. Morgan, focusing on energy firms, and at CODE Advisors, focusing on technology and media clients. In my personal time, I enjoy cooking, reading and indoor rowing.”
KARREN KNOWLTON
KARREN KNOWLTON

KARREN KNOWLTON

Assistant Professor, Organizations, Strategy and International Management

PhD, Organizational Behavior, University of Pennsylvania

Research Interests: Intergroup Relations, DEI, Change in Organizations

“I’m thrilled to be here and get to know the community!”
XINYAO KONG
XINYAO KONG

XINYAO KONG

Assistant Professor, Marketing

PhD, Marketing, University of Chicago

Research Interests: Marketing, Empirical Industrial Organization

“My research interests include consumer dynamic decision-making, consumer finance, and brands and branding, with an emphasis on applying frontier econometric methods to analyze markets and inform policy. My current research studies consumer dynamics and ‘forward-looking behavior.’ For example, my thesis studies the effective price premium paid by low-income consumers for automobile loans due to their relative myopia regarding future interest rate changes. I also have a co-authored working paper that studies the non-parametric identification of habitual brand loyalty and the propensity for forward-looking consumers to plan their future brand loyalty, in the spirit of rational addiction.”
ALEX (NING) LI
ALEX (NING) LI

ALEX (NING) LI

Assistant Professor, Organizations, Strategy and International Management

PhD in Business Administration, University of Maryland

Research Interests: Leadership, Teams, Resilience/Adaptation

“I am a dog person.”
THU (HIEN) NGUYEN
THU (HIEN) NGUYEN

THU (HIEN) NGUYEN

Assistant Professor of Instruction, Operations Management

PhD in Economics, University of Texas at Dallas

Research Interests: Sustainable Resource Management, Sustainable Supply Chain Management

“I love teaching and consulting students in both academic knowledge and various research areas.”
BETHANY PITCHFORD
BETHANY PITCHFORD

BETHANY PITCHFORD

Assistant Professor of Instruction, Organizations, Strategy and International Management

PhD, Media and Communication, Texas Tech University

Research Interests: How journalists frame mental illness when reporting on mass shootings, how creativity helps people cope with trauma

“I’m looking forward to joining the JSOM community!”
JONATHAN (JON) SCOTT
JONATHAN (JON) SCOTT

JONATHAN (JON) SCOTT

Assistant Professor, Finance and Managerial Economics

PhD, Economics, Texas A&M University

Research Interests:Energy & Environmental Economics; Industrial Organization; Public Economics

“I have long been interested in the manner in which markets interact with the environment, when markets may fail to achieve socially efficient outcomes, and policies that target these inefficiencies. The energy sector is a relevant and fascinating setting to study these interactions.”
ANAVIR SHERMON
ANAVIR SHERMON

ANAVIR SHERMON

Assistant Professor, Organizations, Strategy, & International Management

PhD in Business Administration (Strategy & Entrepreneurship), University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Research Interests: Innovation & Technology Management, New Industry Emergence, Entrepreneurship

“I am a big fan of traveling. I thoroughly enjoy navigating unfamiliar streets, finding hidden gems, eating new food and immersing myself in local cultures and languages.”
XIAONING (GAVIN) WANG
XIAONING (GAVIN) WANG

XIAONING (GAVIN) WANG

Assistant Professor, Information Systems

PhD, Information Systems, University of Pennsylvania

Research Interests: Technology and Entrepreneurship

“I am passionate about exploring how nascent technologies such as social media and artificial intelligence can facilitate the scaling of innovation and entrepreneurship. In my leisure time, I love traveling and enjoy trying cuisine from all around the world.”
MENGXIN WANG
MENGXIN WANG

MENGXIN WANG

Assistant Professor, Operations Management

PhD in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, University of California, Berkeley

Research Interests: Revenue Management, Optimization, Data analytics.

“I analyze data to understand how customers make choices and how those choices impact products and revenue on modern platforms. I am interested in the problem-solving aspects, taking into account the uncertain and dynamic nature of consumer choices. JSOM is a vibrant community filled with amazing scholars and students. I look forward to becoming a part of it!”
JUNYA ZHOU
JUNYA ZHOU

JUNYA ZHOU

Assistant Professor, Finance and Managerial Economics

PhD, Economics, Purdue University

Research Interests:Behavioral and Experimental Economics, Information design, Strategic Communication

“My current research projects analyze (i) information design in strategic communication; (ii) how bounded rationality influences strategic decision; (iii) hedonic adaptation and reference dependence. For fun, I like playing badminton, table tennis, rock climbing, hiking and singing.”
NICOLE (NIKI) WEST
NICOLE (NIKI) WEST

NICOLE (NIKI) WEST

Assistant Professor, Organizations, Strategy and International Management

PhD, Business Administration (Strategic Management), University of Washington

Research Interests: Non-market Strategy, Corporate Political Activity, Stakeholder Management

“I study how firms engage in scientific discourse to influence regulation and stakeholder demands on the firm. More broadly, I am interested in the types of evidence and arguments (e.g. empirical, cultural, identity-based, etc.) that firms use to mitigate threats from stakeholders, and under what conditions certain types of evidence and arguments are more effective.”
WENSI ZHANG
WENSI ZHANG

WENSI ZHANG

Assistant Professor, Marketing

PhD Business Administration (Marketing), University of Southern California

Research Interests: Content Creation, Social Network, Entertainment Industry, Digital Marketing, Empirical Modeling

“Hello JSOM community! With a background in quantitative marketing, I am passionate about research in digital entertainment and creative industries. When I’m not working, you might catch me playing Pokemon Go around campus. I’m thrilled to join JSOM and can’t wait to collaborate and contribute in meaningful ways.”
HONGDA ZHONG
HONGDA ZHONG

HONGDA ZHONG

Assistant Professor, Finance and Managerial Economics

PhD, Finance, University of Minnesota

Research Interests:Theory

“Besides theory, I also enjoy practice. I like swimming, playing pool and snooker, and flying. I hold a private pilot’s license, although I don’t have a plane.”