Meet the 2020 Baltimore Business Review contributors.
BABU G. BARADWAJ received his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in 1991. He joined the Towson University community in Fall 2001 as a tenure track Associate Professor in the Department of Finance. He received his tenure in 2002. Previously he was at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire from 1990-2001, receiving his tenure there in 1997. He secured an undergraduate degree in Physics from the University of Madras, India in 1979, a M.S. in Business from Iowa State University in 1986 and his Ph. D in Finance from Texas A&M University in 1991. His teaching and research interest lies in the area of Banking and Finance. He has taught a wide variety of courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including Financial Policy, Bank Management, Financial Institutions & Markets, and International Finance. He has published his research in academic banking and finance journals including the Journal of Banking & Finance and Journal of Financial Services Research. He has also served as the Chair of the Department of Finance at Towson University from 2012 until August 2019.
LORRAINE BLACK is a Master of Science graduate student in Supply Chain Management at Towson University, with an expected graduation of May 2020. As a graduate assistant, she performs data analysis, research writing, and social media management. In May 2018, she graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a concentration in Leadership and Management, alongside a minor in Spanish. Her career experience includes academic research to include creating educational modules to improve the backend security of Maryland’s elections process, a Market Analyst position with Y-Tech LLC, and internships with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
CHRIS BREEN is an undergraduate senior majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business at Towson University. As President for the Towson University Investment Group, he strives to promote community outreach and financial literacy while building long-lasting relationships. Chris currently holds an internship at Heritage Financial Consultants, a financial planning firm in Hunt Valley, MD.
KATERINE DELGADO LICONA received her Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Towson University in May 2019. She currently works at the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office where she also interned in their Juvenile and Economic Crimes unit.
JOSH DEHLINGER, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences and the Director of the undergraduate Computer Science program at Towson University. His research expertise lies, broadly, in software safety, multi-agent systems, software product-line engineering, open source software and computer science education. Dr. Dehlinger received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Iowa State University in 2007 and served as a Research Scientist in the Charles L. Brown Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Virginia in 2008.
MICHAËL DEWALLY, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Finance department, holds a MS in Chemical Engineering from France and a MBA and Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. Upon graduation with his doctoral degree, he accepted a position at Marquette University in Milwaukee from where he joined Towson University in 2010. Michaël’s research interests are in the fields of Investments and Corporate Governance. His research areas span from the link between corporate governance structure and firm performance to the profits of market participants in the crude oil futures market. His research has appeared in the Review of Financial Studies, Journal of Business, the Journal of Banking and Finance, the Journal of Corporate Finance, the Financial Analysts Journal among others.
SUSAN FLAHERTY, Ph.D., joined Towson University in 2006. She holds an MA in economics from the University of Delaware and earned a PhD in finance from the Florida State University. Prior to graduate school, she worked professionally for JPMorgan, MBNA, and as an economic consultant. Her teaching and research interests focus on corporate governance as well as market regulation, policy, and international finance issues.
ZACH FOERTSCHBECK is an undergraduate senior majoring in Business Administration with a Concentration in Finance and a minor in Marketing at Towson University. As Vice President for the Towson University Investment Group, he strives to build relationships and provide a valuable experience for students. Zach currently holds an internship at Heritage Financial Consultants, a financial planning firm in Hunt Valley, MD.
MELISSA A. GROVES, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Towson University and a Faculty Consultant for the Council on Economic Education in Maryland. She earned Ph.D. in economics from University of Massachusetts Amherst, and bachelor’s degree from Williams College. Her research focuses on three primary areas; the determinants of naturalization decisions, the impact of personality on labor market outcomes, and the influence of economic and personal finance education on student outcomes. Dr. Groves’ work can be found in the Journal of Economic Psychology, American Economic Review and the Review of Social Sciences as well as in her co-edited book, “Unequal Chances: Family Background and Economic Success.” Dr. Groves is married with two children and lives in Phoenix, MD.
CHAODONG HAN, Ph.D. is an associate professor of logistics and supply chain in the Department of Business Analytics and Technology Management, College of Business and Economics, Towson University. Receiving his Ph.D. in transportation and logistics from the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, Dr. Han has published on U.S. manufacturing, transportation, trade and supply chain technologies in leading logistics and operations management journals, including Production and Operations Management, International Journal of Production Economics, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Transportation Journal, Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, Journal of Computer Information Systems, Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management among others. His publications, titled “Mapping Supply Chain Strategy: An Industry Analysis”, won 2014 Dr. Theo Williamson Outstanding Paper Award for Emerald Journals. Dr. Han has presented his research to Baltimore business communities, international academic conferences, and supply chain management professionals.
SARAUBI HARRISON is a May 2019 graduate of Towson University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. During her time at Towson University, she was involved with numerous research projects, community service projects, and student organizations. She currently works at Amazon Web Services as a Solutions Architect and plans on pursuing her doctorate degree beginning in fall 2020.
RYAN HOR graduated from Towson University in the Spring of 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in both Economics and Political Science. His thesis research with Dr. Groves investigated the effects of civil unrest on education in Baltimore and merged his analytical skills with his passion for understanding the complex ways inequality differentially impacts opportunities. Originally from Saint Mary’s county in Maryland, Ryan is currently in his first year of law school at Fordham University in New York.
AIKATERINI IEROMONAHOS is a student at Towson University with an expected graduation date of May 2020. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Law & the American Civilization with minors in Environmental Science, Economics, and Political Science. She has worked for the Academic Advising Center at Towson as a Student Academic Advisor since March of 2018. She has also worked for the Office of Admissions as an Admissions Ambassador since September of 2018.
FARHAN S. MUSTAFA, CFA, is Head of Investment Risk Management and Head of Quantitative Investments at ClearBridge Investments, a global investment manager wholly owned by Legg Mason. Farhan joined a predecessor firm in 2003. He is Co-Editor of the Baltimore Business Review and serves on the Board of Directors of CFA Society Baltimore. He has a B.A. in Economics and Computer Science from Washington and Lee University and an MBA from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.
NIALL H. O’MALLEY, MBA, is the Portfolio Manager for Blue Point Investment Management. He leverages his understanding of the capital markets and 12 years of international experience to add value for clients. Niall has a B.A. in Political Science from Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada. He studied for a year at the Institute for European Studies in Vienna, Austria, and received an MBA in Finance and Investments from George Washington University. He passed Level II of the CFA examination. Niall enjoys teaching and has taught Investments and Equity Security Analysis at Towson University.
JACOB PIAZZA is an undergraduate junior double-majoring in Economics and Business Administration with a concentration in Finance at Towson University. As Portfolio Manager for the Towson University Investment Group, he manages a portfolio of 22 equities, valued at approximately $195,000. He actively conducts bottom-up, fundamental research on potential additions to the existing portfolio. Jacob currently interns at Heritage Financial Consultants as a financial planning assistant, and as an equity research assistant at Blue Point Investment Management.
TOBIN PORTERFIELD, Ph.D. is an associate professor and chairman of the Department of Business Analytics and Technology Management, College of Business and Economics, Towson University. He received his Ph.D. in transportation and logistics from the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland. Dr. Porterfield’s research addresses supply chain technology integration, humanitarian logistics, and Han has published on U.S. manufacturing, transportation, trade and supply chain technologies in leading logistics and operations management journals, including Journal of Supply Chain & Operations Management, Team Performance Management, International Journal of Production Economics, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Transportation Journal, and Journal of Computer Information Systems.
NATALIE M. SCALA, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Director of the graduate programs in Supply Chain Management in the College of Business and Economics at Towson University. She earned Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Her primary research is in decision analysis, with foci on military applications and cybersecurity. Dr. Scala frequently consults to government clients and has extensive professional experience, to include positions with Innovative Decisions, Inc., the United States Department of Defense, and the RAND Corporation. She is currently serving as the President of Military and Security Society of INFORMS. Her first book, a co-edited volume titled Handbook of Military and Defense Operations Research, is forthcoming in 2020.
YINGYING SHAO, Ph.D., CFA, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Finance at Towson University. Prior to receiving her Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Arkansas in 2010, she completed a Master of Science in Finance from the University of Tulsa in 2006, and earned her MBA from the University of Arkansas in 2003. Her research interests, taking root from her many years of experience at Bank of China, include banking, risk management, corporate finance and emerging markets.
MICHAEL SHAW, Esq., is a Partner with Niles, Barton & Wilmer, LLP, with over 25 years of experience as an in-house corporate and regulatory attorney in the securities and insurance industries. He represents registered investment advisers, broker-dealers, hedge funds, private equity firms, and insurance agencies in resolving their legal, compliance and enforcement defense matters. Michael advises start-up to middle-market firms on state/federal regulations, industry best practices on risk avoidance, compliance, responding to regulatory inquiries, preparing for regulatory examinations, and defending firms in arbitration and enforcement proceedings. He also advises business owners in general representation matters, including counseling clients through all stages of the business cycle, including formation, employment, mergers and acquisitions, and succession planning in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Michael serves on the CFA Society Baltimore Board of Directors, and as the Board Advocacy Chair. Michael has served as in-house counsel for CFP Board, FINRA, and Monumental Life Insurance Company.