Saunders Business Beat!
Check out your monthly recaps covering all the exciting news from you, our Saunders community, and upcoming events. Learn about event promotions, our newly launched Saunders Ambassador Program, and more at Saunders announcements.
|
|
|
Accomplishments from Saunders Students
- Myren Bobryk-Ozaki ’24 (communication), ’25 (MBA), competed in the American Advertising Federation's National Student Advertising Competition at Pace University with teammates from RIT's College of Liberal Arts.
- Three teams from RIT advanced to the finals of the Finger Lakes regionals of the New York Business Plan Competition.
- Manisha Puppala MS ’24 (technology, innovation, management and entrepreneurship), Aedan Frank ’25 (MBA), Angel Yang MS ’25 (visual communication design and entrepreneurship), and Jordan De Pina ’27 (neuroscience) pitched a business plan for a mental health app called HeartBox.
- Ben Hart ’25 (MBA) presented Hart Homes.
- Lamya Hamad ’24 (EMBA), Jen Spencer ’23 (EMBA), and Alex Sunseri ’23 (EMBA) pitched Health Sync.
Learn more about these accomplishments and read previous months online.
Alumni News and Recognitions
- Fern Schwartz '97 Merrill Lynch Wealth Management advisor and managing director at The Schwartz Group has been named to the 2024 Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list.
- Saunders College of Business presented the 2023-2024 Outstanding Alumni Awards to alumni “who have brought distinction at the highest levels to their college and RIT through professional, community or philanthropic achievements.”
- Distinguished Alumni Awardee: James R. Salzano '87 (accounting)
- Outstanding Business Leader Awardees:
- Joanne Braeunle '96 (EMBA)
- Jack Shirman '71 (MBA)
- Abenaa Addei '06 (management information systems)
- Geoff Taylor '92 (finance)
- Robert D. Thomas '84 (business administration)
- Sarah Margaret Gillam Award
- Scott R. Loretan '84 (hotel and resort management)
- Outstanding Community Partner Award
- Phil Saunders Cornerstone of Philanthropy Award
- Jay Levine '76 (accounting)
- Stephanie Levine '75 (accounting)
Learn more about these accomplishments and read previous months online.
Saunders Faculty and Staff Go Above and Beyond
- Jennica E. Dupra, MSW, associate director of MS advising, University of Pittsburgh and Florida State University, has been hired as an academic advisor in Saunders Student Services.
- Anne Zachmeyer, academic advisor, received the outstanding staff award, given annually to a staff member who demonstrates enthusiasm for their job and sets an example for others.
- Peggy Tirrell, senior associate director for graduate programs and admissions, was named Advocate of the Year by the Center for Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution.
- Emi Moriuchi, Ph.D., associate professor of MIS, marketing, and analytics, was the featured faculty member in the RIT Faculty Scholarship Report for Saunders College of Business, recognized for research productivity over time.
- Faculty and staff members celebrate anniversaries at Rochester Institute of Technology:
- Five Years
- Lia Giasi, marketing and promotions coordinator
- Kenan Guler, Ph.D., assistant professor of management
- Andy Lawrence, lecturer in management
- Jancy Nightingale-Burch, assistant director of marketing
- Elizabeth Sherwood, senior staff specialist
- Holly Yates, senior staff assistant
- 10 Years
- Matthew Arlaukas, web applications developer
- Philip Gelsomino, senior lecturer in finance and accounting
- Malarvizhi Hirudayaraj, Ph.D., associate professor of management
- Kean Wu, Ph.D., associate professor of accounting
- 15 Years
- Raj Murthy, Ph.D., associate professor of MIS, marketing, and analytics
- 20 Years
- Dana Pelliccia, senior staff assistant
- 25 Years
- Dave Ballard, director of technical services
- John Ettlie, Ph.D., professor of management
- 35 Years
- Ashok Robin, Ph.D., professor of finance and accounting
- Zutes Awardees which recognize and celebrate the output and quality of intellectual contributions and foster continuing achievement.
- Kristin Bain, Ph.D., assistant professor of management
- Muhammet Kesgin, Ph.D., associate professor in the department of international hospitality and service innovation
- Mehdi Khorram, Ph.D., assistant professor of finance
- Jing Tang, Ph.D., assistant professor of MIS, marketing, and analytics
- Ali Tosyali, Ph.D., assistant professor of MIS, marketing, and analytics
- Endowed professorships
- Manlu Liu, Ph.D. and Rong Yang, Ph.D., Forman Research Professorships
- Sandy Rothenberg, Ph.D., Forman Professorship for Collaborative Research
- Hao Zhang, Ph.D., Rosett Research Professorship
- Stan Hoi, Ph.D., Tessoni Professorship in Accounting
- Sean Hansen, Ph.D., E. Philip Saunders Professorship
- Externally funded awardees
- Sandy Rothenberg, Ph.D., chair of public policy, Essential Emergency Resources and Services and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community in Monroe County NY: A Geospatial-Visual Approach (Sr. Personnel), NSF, $1M
- Vic Perotti, Ph.D., professor in MIS, marketing, and analytics, Data Science for Non-Computing Majors in Data Science (Co-Pi), NSF, $750,000
- Jerrie Hsieh, Ph.D., professor in the department of international hospitality and service innovation, and Muhammet Kesgin, Ph.D., associate professor in the department of international hospitality and service innovation: Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, $125,000
- Rick Mislan, Ph.D., senior lecturer in MIS, marketing, and analytics, SBIR (Phase 1) AFWERX, US Army 82nd Airborne Innovation Office, $50,000
- Ashok Robin, Ph.D., professor of finance and accounting, and Ali Tosyali, Ph.D., assistant professor in MIS, marketing, and analytics, Allstate (Phase 1), $50,000
- Student Research Initiative Research (SRI) Projects
- Steve Choi, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of international hospitality and service innovation - “Investigating Residential Real Estate Market Conditions via Deep Learning Large Language Models (LLMs)”
- Kenan Guler, Ph.D., assistant professor of management - “Strategies for Utilizing Artificial Intelligence Solutions for the Climate Crisis”
- Manlu Liu, Ph.D., professor of MIS, marketing, and analytics - “Examining AI and Auditing Between the US and China”
- Ali Tosyali, Ph.D., assistant professor of MIS, marketing, and analytics - “An Explainable AI Framework to Identify Deceptive Reviewers on E-commerce Platforms Evidence from Amazon”
- Hao Zhang, Ph.D., professor of finance and accounting - “Effects of Corporate Transparency and Risks on Capital Markets”
- Exemplary teaching performance awardees
- Faculty Certificate for Outstanding Teaching Effectiveness:
- Hao Zhang, Ph.D., professor of finance and accounting
- Archana Jain, Ph.D., associate professor of finance and accounting
- Vic Perotti, Ph.D., professor in MIS, marketing, and analytics
- Richard DeMartino, Ph.D., professor management
- Raj Murthy, Ph.D., associate professor of MIS, marketing, and analytics
- Neo Bui, Ph.D., associate professor of MIS, marketing, and analytics
- Faculty Certificate for Exceptional Student Impact
- Keith Weber, senior lecturer in MIS, marketing, and analytics
- Lorraine Hems, senior lecturer in international hospitality and service innovation
- Saiwu Lin, senior lecturer in MIS, marketing, and analytics
- Suzanne McCaffrey, lecturer in finance and accounting
- Philip Gelsomino, senior lecturer in finance and accounting
- Rick Mislan, Ph.D., senior lecturer in MIS, marketing, and analytics
- Faculty Certificate for Exemplary Adjunct Teaching
- Jesse Redlo, Ed.D., program manager executive MBA
- Anthony Testa, director of commercialization training programs
- John Striebich, adjunct faculty
- John Cittadino, adjunct faculty
- Jim Minno, director of reporting and analytics
- Faculty and staff promotions:
- Terri Monsees has been promoted to program manager, accreditation and assessment and leadership academy.
- Neil Hair, Ph.D., executive director of the center for teaching and learning, has been promoted to full professor.
- Herbert “Andy” Lawrence, lecturer in management, has been promoted to senior lecturer.
- Raj Murthy, Ph.D., associate professor of MIS, marketing, and analytics, has been promoted to full professor.
- Ettore Spadafora, Ph.D., assistant professor of management, has received tenure and been promoted to associate professor.
Learn more about these accomplishments and read previous months online.
Students, alums, faculty, and staff can share their news with your Saunders community by emailing us at communications@saunders.rit.edu.
|
|
|
News
- Anne Zachmeyer bids farewell to RIT after 37 years. Anne Zachmeyer, who is retiring in June after recently marking 37 years at the university, began her RIT career downtown in the former School of Applied Industrial Studies, then part of the College of Continuing Education (CCE).
- Graduate Sarah Sabal receives Fulbright award to pursue graduate education in Taiwan. Sabal received a Fulbright scholarship to pursue her graduate education at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in Taiwan. She is one of a record six Fulbright U.S. Student awardees this year from RIT.
- RIT to offer new pathway for earning MS degree in sustainable systems and MBA. University responds to growing demand for graduates with environmental and business acumen.
- Resilient students make up class of 2024. Skills of adaptation and perseverance make this class truly unique.
- Tiger Love: Couple finds love and community far from home. Karuna Mukherjea and Deepak Sharma came from far away to attend RIT. The couple believes it was destiny that brought them together.
- Ortiz named Alumni Association president. Orlando Ortiz ’04 (manufacturing engineering technology), ’08 (MBA) took over as the RIT Alumni Association
president in January. He will serve for two years.
- RIT Accounting Student Volunteers Assist Families in Need with Tax Return. Every year during tax season, student volunteers from Saunders College of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology provide free tax return services to families in need through a program called VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) offered by Creating Assets, Savings & Hope (CASH),
a Rochester non-profit.
- NTID alumnus runs interpreting agency with community mindset. Michael Rizzolo ’78 (social work), ’86 MS (human services management) didn’t plan on learning American Sign Language when he came to RIT as a student, but he grew interested and eventually became an interpreter. Today, he is founder and CEO of the interpreting agency Interpretek.
See these and past news online.
Media Coverage
See these and past news online.
|
|
|
|
|
