This academic year, we are welcoming 14 new faculty members to Mendoza (most of them are new to Mendoza, along with a few faculty in new roles). Because it’s a fairly long list, I will introduce half of them this week and the other half in next week’s Mendoza Exchange:
JEFF CAI, Patricia and George Scharpf Family Assistant Professor in Real Estate (ITAO)
Previous Position: I was a doctoral candidate in the Statistics and Data Science Department at the Wharton School.
Graduate Degree(s): Ph.D. in Statistics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Teaching/Research Specialty: The intersection of statistical learning and data-driven decision making. A significant thrust of my research is on network analysis, model selection and post-selection inference with interdisciplinary research in economics, finance and real estate.
Why did you specialize in this area? Back in college as a computer science major, I always wanted to interpret the machine learning black box; as a statistician/data scientist in a business school, I always aspire to apply and develop the right methodologies for better decision-making and scientific discoveries. Every dot of my past is connected and the network of dots greatly impacted me, so as other networks impact individuals, firms, and housing markets. I believe networks are powerful vehicles to help us understand the formation and impacts of the relationships in which human beings live and thrive. Therefore, I think of everything from a network perspective.
Previous Position: I was a doctoral candidate in the Statistics and Data Science Department at the Wharton School.
Graduate Degree(s): Ph.D. in Statistics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Teaching/Research Specialty: The intersection of statistical learning and data-driven decision making. A significant thrust of my research is on network analysis, model selection and post-selection inference with interdisciplinary research in economics, finance and real estate.
Why did you specialize in this area? Back in college as a computer science major, I always wanted to interpret the machine learning black box; as a statistician/data scientist in a business school, I always aspire to apply and develop the right methodologies for better decision-making and scientific discoveries. Every dot of my past is connected and the network of dots greatly impacted me, so as other networks impact individuals, firms, and housing markets. I believe networks are powerful vehicles to help us understand the formation and impacts of the relationships in which human beings live and thrive. Therefore, I think of everything from a network perspective.
CLAIRE DONOVAN, Associate Teaching Professor of Accountancy
Previous Position: I was a senior lecturer at Saint Mary's College, teaching a variety of accounting courses.
Graduate Degree(s): M.S. in Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame.
Teaching/Research Specialty: In addition to teaching the Foundations of Accountancy course, I will also be studying ESG in order to help implement it further into the accounting curriculum.
Why did you specialize in this area? The area of ESG is incredibly dynamic and growing quickly in the business world. I think the topic is very critical for the future of the world and to continue to grow a more prosperous society.
Previous Position: I was a senior lecturer at Saint Mary's College, teaching a variety of accounting courses.
Graduate Degree(s): M.S. in Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame.
Teaching/Research Specialty: In addition to teaching the Foundations of Accountancy course, I will also be studying ESG in order to help implement it further into the accounting curriculum.
Why did you specialize in this area? The area of ESG is incredibly dynamic and growing quickly in the business world. I think the topic is very critical for the future of the world and to continue to grow a more prosperous society.
MARY HIRSCHFELD, Associate Professor of Business Ethics and Society
Previous Position: Associate Professor of Economics and Theology, teaching in Villanova’s humanities program.
Graduate Degree(s): Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University, Master of Theological Science, and Ph.D. in Moral Theology from the University of Notre Dame.
Teaching/Research Specialty: Bringing economics into meaningful conversation with theology.
Why did you specialize in this area? Given that I started off with a Ph.D. in economics and went on to get a Ph.D. in theology, I had to find a way to bring the two disciplines into dialogue. The results proved to be fruitful – allowing me to make sense of why economics is a valuable discipline, but also why it is subject to the kinds of critiques to which it is subject. I apply my framework to questions like economic justice, the common good and other topics that arise when theologians take up economic questions.
Previous Position: Associate Professor of Economics and Theology, teaching in Villanova’s humanities program.
Graduate Degree(s): Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University, Master of Theological Science, and Ph.D. in Moral Theology from the University of Notre Dame.
Teaching/Research Specialty: Bringing economics into meaningful conversation with theology.
Why did you specialize in this area? Given that I started off with a Ph.D. in economics and went on to get a Ph.D. in theology, I had to find a way to bring the two disciplines into dialogue. The results proved to be fruitful – allowing me to make sense of why economics is a valuable discipline, but also why it is subject to the kinds of critiques to which it is subject. I apply my framework to questions like economic justice, the common good and other topics that arise when theologians take up economic questions.
SUSAN KLEISER, Teaching Professor of Marketing
Previous Position: I worked at Texas Christian University (TCU) for 17 years.
Graduate Degree(s): Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Cincinnati.
Teaching/Research Specialty: My current research and teaching interests are in Marketing Research and Analytics, Consumer Behavior, and Product Management. I have researched and taught in the Digital Marketing space as well.
Why did you specialize in this area? I chose to specialize in the quantitative area of Marketing because of my longstanding interest in solving numbers-based problems and analyzing data. I have found that being able to find the marketing insights in, or tell a compelling story with, data provides such value to the numbers themselves and to the companies that rely on this information to make better marketing decisions such as “which customers should we target for our product,” or “which promotional tools should we use to reach our customers.”
Previous Position: I worked at Texas Christian University (TCU) for 17 years.
Graduate Degree(s): Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Cincinnati.
Teaching/Research Specialty: My current research and teaching interests are in Marketing Research and Analytics, Consumer Behavior, and Product Management. I have researched and taught in the Digital Marketing space as well.
Why did you specialize in this area? I chose to specialize in the quantitative area of Marketing because of my longstanding interest in solving numbers-based problems and analyzing data. I have found that being able to find the marketing insights in, or tell a compelling story with, data provides such value to the numbers themselves and to the companies that rely on this information to make better marketing decisions such as “which customers should we target for our product,” or “which promotional tools should we use to reach our customers.”
ALISON LANSKI, Assistant Teaching Professor of IT, Analytics, and Operations
Previous Position: I was most recently an Institutional Research Analyst & Consultant for ND in the Office of Strategic Planning & Institutional Research.
Graduate Degree(s): M.S. from the University of Notre Dame (ACMS with a specialization in Data Science); Ph.D. from the University of Illinois (Classical Philology); M.A. from the University of Illinois (Classics).
Teaching/Research Specialty: Data visualization, statistical programming, pragmatics.
Why did you specialize in this area? I am fascinated by how people construct meaning and organize communication. These principles apply not only to ancient languages but also to coding, data, visualization and teaching.
Previous Position: I was most recently an Institutional Research Analyst & Consultant for ND in the Office of Strategic Planning & Institutional Research.
Graduate Degree(s): M.S. from the University of Notre Dame (ACMS with a specialization in Data Science); Ph.D. from the University of Illinois (Classical Philology); M.A. from the University of Illinois (Classics).
Teaching/Research Specialty: Data visualization, statistical programming, pragmatics.
Why did you specialize in this area? I am fascinated by how people construct meaning and organize communication. These principles apply not only to ancient languages but also to coding, data, visualization and teaching.
SHIJIE LYU, Howard J. and Geraldine F. Korth Associate Professor of Marketing
Previous Position: I was at the University of Houston and UNC Chapel Hill.
Graduate Degree(s): Ph.D. in Business Administration from University of Southern California.
Teaching/Research Specialty: Digital marketing, online advertising, social media, digital piracy.
Why did you specialize in this area? I got interested in digital marketing because of the constantly changing landscape in this industry. I am personally interested in how to make online information more useful to consumers.
Previous Position: I was at the University of Houston and UNC Chapel Hill.
Graduate Degree(s): Ph.D. in Business Administration from University of Southern California.
Teaching/Research Specialty: Digital marketing, online advertising, social media, digital piracy.
Why did you specialize in this area? I got interested in digital marketing because of the constantly changing landscape in this industry. I am personally interested in how to make online information more useful to consumers.
DREW MARCANTONIO, Assistant Teaching Professor in the Meyer Business on the Frontlines Program (M&O)
Previous Position: I was a postdoctoral research associate at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies.
Graduate Degree(s): M.P.A. in Environmental Management, School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University at Bloomington; M.A. in Anthropology, University of Notre Dame; Ph.D. in Peace Studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame.
Teaching/Research Specialty: Environmental management, enterprise and peacebuilding from the community level to globalized interactions.
Why did you specialize in this area? I have always been interested in human-environmental interactions. My first opportunity to work in this space was leading water and agriculture projects in a highly conflicted area of Afghanistan and I saw the power of putting sustainable livelihoods at the center of peacebuilding programming. Since then, that has been my focus: sustainably promoting the dignity of work for human and environmental flourishing.
Previous Position: I was a postdoctoral research associate at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies.
Graduate Degree(s): M.P.A. in Environmental Management, School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University at Bloomington; M.A. in Anthropology, University of Notre Dame; Ph.D. in Peace Studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame.
Teaching/Research Specialty: Environmental management, enterprise and peacebuilding from the community level to globalized interactions.
Why did you specialize in this area? I have always been interested in human-environmental interactions. My first opportunity to work in this space was leading water and agriculture projects in a highly conflicted area of Afghanistan and I saw the power of putting sustainable livelihoods at the center of peacebuilding programming. Since then, that has been my focus: sustainably promoting the dignity of work for human and environmental flourishing.
Please join me in welcoming the new members of the Mendoza community. Stay tuned for the other seven faculty to be introduced next week. We’re very glad and grateful that they joined us, and I’m looking forward to a great year for them and all of us!
Yours in Notre Dame,
Martijn