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Dividend The official online magazine of the Carson College of Business

Carson College Annual Events Offer Industry Insights to Business Students and Communities

The success of any business often depends on how well it manages information systems to improve productivity and make informed decisions, according to Robert Crossler, chair of the Department of Management, Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship in the Carson College. Using this premise, Crossler developed the executive panel for the 2023 Business Technology Symposium, “The Backbone of Business.”

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From Accounting to Academia—A Journey of Service

At the Carson College of Business, there's an engaged community of doctoral students who pride themselves on serving others through their work. One of the program’s shining stars is Pingping Tang, a PhD student in operations management whose professional accounting experience has led her to make a profound impact on her fellow international students and the wider community.

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PhD Corner – Director’s Message – December 2023

Dear friends:

Our student spotlight focuses on Pingping Tang, an operations and management science doctoral student who volunteered her precious time on behalf of fellow students and the local community last spring. After passing three exams to become an IRS-certified tax preparer, Pingping spent every Saturday afternoon for nine weeks volunteering for the WSU VITA program, which provides free tax assistance to students and community members earning below a specified income threshold.

Pingping rather nonchalantly told me that she believes WSU has taught its graduate students not only to work hard on developing research skills but also to take care of others in need and serve the community. In that spirit, she decided to commit to the WSU VITA program to help students struggling with their tax returns. As an international student herself, she is particularly motivated to aid international students. I am awed by such a selfless act from a student going through a challenging PhD program.

Over the years, I’ve witnessed numerous PhD students going above and beyond their expected teaching assistant roles to provide individualized help for struggling undergraduate students. Despite no specific request from their supervising professors, these PhD students will frequently provide one-on-one tutoring outside of regular office hours. I have also seen them respond to student emails at all hours of the night and on weekends. Some TAs have volunteered to provide extra help sessions or office hours prior to big exams. I’ve seen others reach out when a student seems to have “disappeared” from the course.

Not all assistance is course related. Many undergraduate students feel more comfortable opening up to their TAs than to the older, more intimidating professors. I’ve overheard many conversations over the years where our TAs are providing advice on career planning, time management, and more.

Mentorship can be a big part of the PhD student experience. Senior students provide all sorts of guidance to their juniors, ranging from which courses to take, to which faculty to seek out, and how to study for comprehensive exams. Perhaps the biggest impact comes from sharing job market experiences while these senior students obtain faculty positions across the world. These mentorship activities emerge informally, but they provide a critical mechanism for knowledge and PhD culture to be passed through the generations of students moving through the program.

Our doctoral students form a core value of giving back to others, especially via their TA work and mentoring of their younger peers. Once they become faculty and have some extra time, we see these young professors donating their academic talent to their communities in numerous ways, from coaching K-12 math teams, to acting as treasurer for the neighborhood homeowner’s association, and serving on nonprofit boards of directors. Such service commitments arise naturally because the role of a teacher, at any level, is to go the extra mile to help others grow and succeed—one student at a time.

Chuck Munson,
PhD Program Director

December 2023 – New Hires

Seung Kyo (SK) Ahn is an assistant professor in the Department of Accounting. He earned his PhD in accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a master’s degree in accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in South Korea. He also gained five years of professional work experience in the finance and government industry before finishing his PhD. In his free time, he enjoys taking astrophotography, walking his dog, and watching college football games.
Asa Brown is an assistant scholarly professor in the Department of Management, Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship. He teaches entrepreneurial finance and small business strategy courses within the department. A Florida native, Brown relocated to the Palouse in 2016 with his wife, a University of Idaho faculty member. He holds his JD, MS, and BA degrees from Florida State University, where he played collegiate rugby and was selected to the All-Florida team in 2009. He is a licensed, practicing attorney in Washington and Idaho offering startup law, intellectual law, and business and estate planning services. His law experience contributes to his teaching practices and drives the real-world application of ethical business principles. He has two children and is an avid rugby fan.
Tommy Christianson is an academic advisor with the Carson Center for Student Success. He graduated from WSU with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and will be earning his master’s degree in college student services administration from Oregon State University. He’s originally from Cheney, Washington, and has spent time all around Eastern Washington. He spends his free time playing guitar and bass, watching basketball, and spending time with his cat.
Corey Cook is the student engagement coordinator for the Carson Center for Student Success. She previously worked for WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Accounts Payable, and Global Campus. She is currently working on her degree in data analytics. Cook enjoys spending time with her family, fiber arts, and snowshoeing.
Ivan Garcia is an administrative assistant in the Dean’s Office. He previously worked as a program manager for a nonprofit organization and most recently as an administrative assistant for the Toronto District School Board. He earned his associate’s degree at Yakima Valley College. In his free time, he enjoys being outdoors with his kids, hiking, working out at the gym, and playing sports recreationally or competitively.
Joshua Khan is the administrative assistant for the Office of Technology. Originally from Los Angeles, California, he moved to Pullman to attend WSU and earn a degree in business administration in 2018. He has previously worked with WSU’s department of Human Resource Services and the Office of Research. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports, watching movies, playing video games and board games, and spending time with friends.
Youngjin Kwon is an assistant professor in the Department of Management, Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship. He earned his doctorate from Temple University, a master’s degree from the Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology, and a bachelor’s degree from Yonsei University, both in South Korea. His research explores the contemporary challenges of discrimination manifested through digital mediums such as social media and online platforms.
Stephen Lee is an assistant professor in the Department of Management, Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship. Prior to joining WSU, he was a postdoc in the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a PhD in organizational behavior from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan. His research focuses on mixed motives involved in social interactions in the workplace, such as workplace gossip, interpersonal helping, and voice.
Lauren Lesmeister is the communications manager for Graduate, Professional, and Online Programs in the college’s marketing and communications unit. She was born and raised in Walla Walla, Washington, and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and marketing from Whitworth University. Previously, she worked as a marketing coordinator in the banking industry and most recently as the social media and PR coordinator for WSU Spokane. She enjoys watching sports, cooking, and spending time with her family.
Kay Meyer (’93 Busi. Admin., ’99 MBA) is a scholarly assistant professor in the Department of Management, Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship. She brings more than 30 years of diverse business experience to her role. She’s held various management and leadership roles within the hospitality, technology, agriculture, and financial industries and within start-up and small business environments, nonprofit, mid-size, and Fortune 500 enterprises. She provides insights into successfully navigating strategic approaches, market and stakeholder considerations, cultures, and organizational challenges and change into her classes. Meyer finds purpose in developing people to be their best, developing effective teams to accomplish a greater good, and being a positive influence in her communities, especially the Coug community. She lives on her family farm 15 miles south of Pullman with her husband and two children and loves the outdoors.
Abel Mironchuk (’23) is the new employer connections coordinator for the Carson Center for Student Success. He graduated from WSU with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a certificate in behavioral business research. He was born and raised in Fife, Washington, to immigrant parents. In his free time, he loves watching and playing sports, as well as spending lots of quality time with his girlfriend and friends. His future career ambitions include working in sports marketing or consumer behavior research.
Drew Moreno is a career consultant in the Carson Center for Student Success. His career in education began in the Department of English and the Writing Center at his alma mater, the University of Idaho. Since then, he’s gained experience in career services and student services in higher education and spent two years teaching fifth and sixth grade in Madrid, Spain. Whether his students are 12 years old or 22, he feels most rewarded when he’s able to help learners connect their education to the world around them. Being a career consultant allows him to do just that, and he looks forward to playing whatever role he can in helping Cougs begin rewarding careers of their own.
Pavan Munaganti (’20) is an assistant professor (career track) in the Department of Marketing and International Business and the new director of the Center for Behavioral Business Research. Pavan graduated with his PhD in marketing from WSU and was previously on faculty at San José State University. His research focuses on human-robot interactions. He is interested in learning how consumers are adapting their behavior in the age of robots and AI.
Jessica Murray (’22) is a scholarly assistant professor and one of the culinary educators in the School of Hospitality Business Management. She earned her PhD in business administration from WSU. Her primary research areas include restaurants, agritourism, food, wine, and memory-dominant logic in the hospitality industry. She also has a master’s degree in food science as well as certificates in both culinary and pastry arts. Murray has worked extensively with the USDA-ARS on food research and has restaurant experience. She is passionate about interdisciplinary projects and student experiential learning.
Long Nguyen is an assistant professor in the Department of Management, Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship. He earned his doctoral degree in management with an information systems concentration at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His research focuses on digital platform users’ interactions with computers and AI, users’ motivation, and cognition, especially in the crowdsourcing, and e-commerce contexts. Prior to earning his PhD, he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics with a business administration minor from Colorado State University and Foreign Trade University, Vietnam, then worked in various managerial positions in different areas, including e-commerce, facility management, sales, and consulting.
Emma Pesis is an academic coordinator and advisor on the WSU Everett campus. Originally from California, higher education first led her to Oregon where she earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy. She then worked in Washington state and at WSU. She has spent the last decade creating, coordinating, and evaluating educational programs, ranging from young children to adult learners. In her free time, she enjoys board game nights, reading, and gardening.
Nicole Smith joined the Carson College of Business at WSU Vancouver in July as the employer engagement and experiential learning coordinator. She will focus on employer engagement for CCB and the Murrow College of Communication. Smith will coordinate employer and career-connected learning, and support other CCB and Murrow programs, including the Business Growth Mentor and Analysis Program.

PhD Corner – Director’s Message – August 2023

Dear friends:

This summer, my family and I are spending time in Busan, South Korea, enjoying the beautiful Gwangalli Beach and other sites. By the way, if you’re ever there on a Saturday night, the drone show is out of this world!

Speaking of drones, I’m pleased to introduce you to the work of Amirhossein Moadab, a doctoral student studying operations and management science. Our feature article describes his efforts to harness the potential of aerial drones to deliver swift assistance to those in need of humanitarian aid after natural disasters or other crises. He’s no stranger to the devastating impact of natural disasters, having experienced severe earthquakes in his home country of Iran when he was a young boy. Moadab is using his industrial engineering background and WSU training in operations and management science to help save lives. He also has a forthcoming research paper in which he proposes a mathematical model geared at enhancing the supply chain network for COVID-19 PCR diagnostic tests.

Moadab is just one example of how Carson doctoral students develop technology and business insights for social good. Another is the work of operations and management science doctoral student Shirin Shahsavand, who is highlighted in the PhD Corner achievements section. She received third place in the communication and political science category of the GPSA Graduate Research Exposition this past spring. Shahsavand is exploring the fast fashion industry and some retailers’ efforts to provide monetary incentives for customers to return used clothing to stores for recycling rather than sending their clothing to the landfill.

Back in Korea, it feels so safe to walk around Korean cities, day or night, which causes me to ponder the rising homelessness, pervasive drug addiction, and other issues that are impacting cities in our nation and world. It’s time for more of us, collectively, to get involved. With donor support and seed funding, I’m confident Carson doctoral students and faculty possess the talent to develop new models that can not only improve business practices but also impact larger humanitarian efforts such as emergency services, sustainable housing, food security, basic health care, and drug rehabilitation.

If we work together, Washington State University can be the leading source of insights for social good through the study of business and power of community.

Chuck Munson,
PhD Program Director