Category: News

Dr. Koushikee Dutta is an assistant professor in the CBE Department of Management. Dutta received her Doctor of Business Administration (Management) from Louisiana Tech University. Prior to joining academia, she worked in start-ups in India and Singapore as a Human Resource Business Partner across various industries. Dutta is currently teaching EBTM 350, Introduction to Business Analytics. Through this class, she hopes that students will use data to discover patterns and trends to make predictions and solve business problems. Her current goal is to step outside her comfort zone, as well as to “become an impactful educator and researcher.”

 

When asked what made her want to become a professor for CBE, she explains that, “I am a life-long learner and have always been curious about learning new things. I believe that curiosity can spark explorations and creations in driving the society forward. It was this curiosity that led me to ask this question to myself about How can I create an impact? All the answers led to the idea that education is one of the most powerful tools to empower and aid brilliant minds. This led me to switch careers , from being an HR professional to academia. And, four years later, I feel fortunate to finish my program and find a job at TU. I believe that TU has created an environment that sparks curiosity, experimentation, and innovation, things that are meaningful to me. In turn, I can aid students in realizing their possibilities and not their limitations.”

 

During her time at Towson so far, Dutta has enjoyed being back on campus and engaging with students in-person. “The students at Towson are keen to learn, and it puts a smile on my face knowing that I am playing a small role in their learning process. I have enjoyed getting to know my new colleagues and exploring teaching and research projects with them. Towson has taken every step and has provided ample resources to ensure a safe and healthy on-campus environment, so challenges have been minimal.”

 

Dutta believes that teaching is one of the most impactful ways to empower and create change. She states that while at CBE she looks forward to “creating a shared impact by learning new things, helping my students unlock their potential, and realize their life and career goals. In addition, I look forward to collaborating on research projects with other TU faculty members.”

 

In her current research, Dutta explores micro and macro level concepts within strategy and entrepreneurship. Dutta explains that “one of my research streams focuses on mission driven ventures and mechanisms of resource acquisitions, which raises several interesting research questions. Nascent ventures often acquire a particular type of resource through participation in accelerator programs which substantially aid and accelerate new venture development. One of my research projects explores how social impact accelerators make cohort admission decisions. Additionally, in another current research project, I utilize an experience sampling methodology to understand the role of affect and creativity in new venture performance.”

 

Dr. Dutta shares that having lived and worked in three different countries, she has developed an interest in learning about different cultures, languages, and folklore. She is a trained Hindustani classical vocalist, as well as a major horror movie fan. We are excited to have Dr. Dutta as part of our CBE team!

Our next faculty feature highlights Dr. Brett Kazandjian, an assistant professor in the Department of Marketing. He received his PhD from Mississippi State University in 2021 where he was a research assistant. He is currently teaching Strategic Marketing (MKTG 485) and Advanced Selling and Sales Management (MKTG 452).

 

Kazandjian places heavy emphasis on making his classes as close to real-life as possible and accomplishes that through various teaching methods. “For example, my strategic marketing students are doing a simulation where they are in charge of making strategic marketing decisions for their car brand while competing for market share against other students in the class.I hope that these practical exercises help students be more confident when they graduate and enter the professional world. Not only am I using practical exercise in the classroom,I am also trying to bring practitioners into the classroom to offer students a different perspective.”

 

Regarding transitioning to CBE he says “There were a few factors that made Towson the place I wanted to teach and research. I think that Towson offers a great balance between teaching and research, which I was hoping to find. Moreover, the opportunity to teach sales and contribute to the success of the sales competition were two of the deciding factors for me. In addition, the location made Towson very attractive!”

 

Kazandjian enjoys teaching and says “Teaching at Towson has been a fantastic experience. The students have been engaged throughout the semester and brought their own experiences to the class. I am happy to be teaching in person and get to know the students in my class.”

 

One of the things that he is looking forward to is creating a new sales course. He says “I would love to contribute to growing the offering in sales class by creating a technology sales course to dive deeper into the software used every day by most salespeople.”

 

Looking to the future Kazandjian says “I am focusing on tweaking my classes to make them better while also making progress on my research. I have research at different stages and I hope that some of them get published soon. I will be happy to share my work once it is accepted.”

 

Welcome to the Tiger family Dr. Kazandjian!

 

By: Millie Klefsaas

As CBE introduces our new faculty, we would like to place our spotlight on Joseph Wesolowski. Wesolowski is a certified public accountant and earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Loyola College, graduating summa cum laude. He holds a Master of Administrative Science from the Johns Hopkins University. Wesolowski currently teaches Principles of Financial Management (FIN331) and Essentials of Financial Management (FIN330).  “I have a lot of real life business experiences that I pass on to the students. This is what they get from me, the way things are done in the ‘real world” he shares. 

Before joining the College of Business and Economics,  Wesolowski most recently served as chief operating officer for Enterprise Community Investment where he directed and oversaw Bellwether Enterprise, Enterprise Mortgage Banking Operations and Enterprise Homes, Inc. Previously, Joe’s area of responsibility included the New Markets Tax Credit program and coordination of field production for all business lines at Enterprise. 

Wesolowski also has over 40 years of experience as a real estate professional. Formerly, he was chief financial officer of USF&G Realty Advisors, Inc. where he oversaw all financial operations. He served as executive vice president for a local real estate developer responsible for development, financing, leasing and management of owned real estate. Wesolowski was also a political appointee to Baltimore City as a real estate officer with responsibility for overseeing city government real estate acquisition, disposition, leasing, analysis and approval of all deal structures. 

Wesolowski shares that “After 42 years in the business world, I decided that teaching could be a great next step for me. I did teach a course at Towson as an adjunct approximately 20 years ago, so it was something that was not totally new to me.” Wesolowski is also using what he is teaching in class to apply to his own financial situation, such as with investing! 

So far in his time with CBE, Wesolowski has really enjoyed interacting with the students. “It has made me feel 40 years younger!” he exclaims. Even though he had to learn the new systems being used in teaching, he shares that it has become better with experience. 

While teaching at Towson, Wesolowski is most looking forward to watching the students progress into successful careers and life. “These are our next leaders,” he explains. 

Wesolowski says that his current goal is “to be the best Educator that I can possibly be!” Outside of teaching,Wesolowski also rides a Harley and loves to explore the outdoors. 

By: Emily Flinchum

Dr. Qing Yan is currently teaching Principles of Financial Management (FIN331) and Financial Institutions and Management of Risk (FIN430) in the College of Business and Economics as one of our new faculty members. Yan received her Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Arkansas in 2021. Yan’s research focuses on investments and machine learning. Her research has been presented at multiple finance conferences including Midwest Finance Association, Eastern Finance Association, and Financial Management Association annual meetings. During her Ph.D. studies, she has taught both undergraduate level and graduate level courses in finance. Before studying in the US, she worked as an investment consultant at one of the largest investment banks in China for three years.

 

Yan expresses that “in addition to the subject matters, I also hope students will learn how to learn.” 

 

When asked what led her to become a professor at Towson, Yan explains that CBE’s department of Finance’s emphasis on data analytics to prepare students for success in their careers resonates with her teaching and research interests. 

 

“Seeing the ‘aha’ moments from students when they see the connections between different concepts we have discussed has been the most enjoyable part of teaching at Towson” Yan shares. 

 

Outside of teaching, Yan is currently working on mutual fund performance prediction. Yan states that “I and my co-author find that mutual fund managers who have previously demonstrated better risk management skills deliver superior performance in the future.” 

 

Her professional goals include improving her teaching and helping “students feel learning finance is not only useful but also fun.” 

 

Yan is looking forward to the successful graduation of her students during her time in CBE. Outside of teaching and research, Yan also loves sketching and painting. Welcome to CBE Dr. Yan!

This semester the College of Business and Economics welcomed five new faculty members to the Tiger family. One of the five is Dr. Feng Cheng, an Assistant Professor of Business Analytics here at TU. Cheng received her Ph.D. in Supply Chain Management from Arizona State University.  She currently teaches EBTM 350 – Introduction to Business Analytics which she describes as “a class that uses data to discover patterns, trends, and therefore, make predictions to solve business problems.”

 

When asked about her time so far at CBE she said “So far, I have been very much enjoying teaching at Towson University in many aspects. One of my favorites is interacting with the diverse students at TU. It gives me lots of satisfaction and joy from conveying a useful technique or a problem-solving insight.” 

 

Cheng is passionate about her subject, students, and Towson. When asked what led her to become a professor Cheng shared “I am always enthusiastic about teaching and research which essentially is a professor’s main job. Also, I used to live, study, and work in the Baltimore area. So joining Towson is coming back home for me.” 

 

Moving forward, Cheng says “My current future goal is to carefully read the literature from Joshua D. Angrist and Guido W. Imbens, winners of the Nobel Prize in Economics this year.” Specifically she is reading/working on the methodology/business analytical tools developed by above winners “to better reveal the causal relationships among various entities in this world.”  

 

In closing Cheng shared “I look forward to the unique opportunity to learn from my students and their diverse experiences.Thanks for this opportunity to introduce myself to the Tiger Family!” 

 

Welcome Dr. Cheng, CBE is excited to learn and grow from your knowledge and experience!

 

By: Millie Klefsaas