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Dividend The official online magazine of the Carson College of Business

A Message from the Dean – December 2022

Some of you have heard me tell stories about my dad, Larry Hunter. He became the first person in his family to earn a four-year degree, and it opened up a lifetime of opportunities for him. At the Carson College of Business, the education we provide continues to open doors for our students—including people whose families haven’t previously benefitted from higher education.

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December 2022 – New Hires

Paige Adler is an academic advisor in the Carson Center for Student Success. She previously worked at Seattle University, coordinating clinical experiences for nursing students. She recently earned a master’s degree in management and organizational leadership from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. In her free time, she enjoys planning future travel adventures and discovering new coffee shops.
Richard Barnes is an associate professor (career track) in the Department of Accounting. His research explores human behavior in tax decision-making and the taxation of employee benefits, particularly paid family and medical leave. Barnes was previously a faculty member at North Carolina State University. He has also worked as a visiting faculty member at Pacific Lutheran University and at the European School of Business in Reutlingen, Germany. Barnes holds a Master of Laws degree in taxation from the University of Alabama, a JD degree from the University of South Carolina, and a Master of Accountancy from the University of South Carolina.
Roberto Bello is associate professor (career track) in the Department of Marketing and International Business after teaching for more than 20 years in Canada. His research focuses on manager-consumer relationship and qualitative research. He loves soccer, having played and coached at a competitive level. He holds a competitive soccer coaching license.
Ruiying Cai (‘18 PhD) is an assistant professor in the School of Hospitality Business Management. Before joining WSU, she was an assistant professor at Colorado Mesa University. Her research interests include consumer behavioral research, service marketing, and technology adoption. Her research appears in top-tier journals such as the International Journal of Hospitality Management, Tourism Management, and Journal of Business Research.
Rayne Chandler is a credential evaluator in the college’s Graduate and Online Programs. She started her career as a para educator for an elementary and middle school and later became a head secretary. She enjoys helping students achieve their goals. In her spare time, she hikes, golfs, and rides horses. And on a cold, -50 degree day (in Montana), “I love just staying inside by the fire reading a good book,” she says.
Minjoo Kim is an assistant professor (career track) in the Department of Marketing and International Business. She is originally from South Korea. She earned a bachelor’s degree and a doctoral degree in marketing at Oklahoma State University. Her research focuses on brand transgression—the negative events that occur in consumer-brand relationships and how to restore those relationships. She also examines the effect of religious beliefs on consumer behavior. In her free time, she likes to watch college football and try out new restaurants.
LJ Klinkenberg is the executive chef in the School of Hospitality Business Management and director of the Marriot Foundation Hospitality and Culinary Innovation Center. Klinkenberg grew up in Washington. He has a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University and numerous culinary certifications. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife and daughter.
Janel Lang is the college’s manager of corporate engagement, building relationships with corporations to increase opportunities for students and alumni. She returned to WSU from the University of California, Davis, where she was the founding director of the Career, Leadership, and Wellness Center for the School of Veterinary Medicine. Lang previously worked for the Carson College of Business in a variety of roles ranging from development to recruitment. She started the Carson Center for Professional Development, which later expanded to the Carson Center for Student Success. When not busy working, Lang enjoys boating, skiing, and spending quality time with her friends and family, especially her new grandson.
Xiaonan (Flora) Ma is an assistant professor in the Department of Finance and Management Science. She earned her two doctorates in finance and epidemiology from the University of South Carolina. Her research focuses on empirical corporate finance with a specialty in banking. She currently teaches introduction to financial management.
Kevin Mayo is an assistant professor of operations management in the Department of Finance and Management Science. He completed both his PhD and MBA at Indiana University and his undergraduate degree at Washington University in St Louis. He is a reviewer for the journals Manufacturing & Service Operations Management and Production and Operations Management. His research interests focus on identifying the right level of turnover to achieve desired operational performance.
Erica Morris is an academic advisor in the Carson Center for Student Success. She previously worked at Spokane Community College, Eastern Washington University, and Spokane Falls Community College. Morris enjoys reading, walking her dog, and spending time with her family.
Julie Nelsen is an assistant professor and director of the Center for Professional Sales supporting the WSU Pullman and Vancouver campuses. After working 20-plus years in sales, marketing, and management roles, she began teaching fulltime at St. Catherine University. Nelsen has bachelors’ degrees in speech communication and merchandizing from St. Catherine University, an MBA from Arizona State University, and a doctorate in strategic business communication from Marquette University. Nelsen was recognized as a 2021 John R. Lawrence Fellow by the Case Research Foundation and a 2021 Emerging Scholar by the Society for Business Ethics. She is a past president of the Marketing Educators’ Association.
McKinzie Turner is a career consultant in the Carson Center for Student Success. She has taught business and English classes at the college, high school, and junior high levels. She coaches high school volleyball in Oakesdale. Turner has a master’s degree in education from Eastern Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in human resources and production operations management from the University of Idaho. She and her husband have two children. She enjoys outdoor pursuits, reading, traveling, crafting, and baking.
Jamie Ann Wilson (’21 Humanities) is the chef de cuisine in the School of Hospitality Business Management. She grew up in Tekoa, Washington, and started working in culinary arts at a young age. During her studies at WSU, she earned a culinary certificate from the university and the American Culinary Federation. She worked as an executive chief and food and beverage director before returning to WSU.
Eric Winslow is a systems administrator in the college’s Office of Technology. He previously worked as IT operations manager at Walla Walla University. In his free time, he enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with family.
Lily Zhu is an assistant professor (tenure track) in the Department of Management, Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship. Her research explores how emotions and emotion management influence entrepreneurship, creativity, and decision-making. She earned her doctorate in management from the University of California-Irvine and her bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University, double majoring in psychology and economics. She also conducted research at Johns Hopkins’ Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise and worked at a consulting firm in Washington D.C.