Graduation cap with a gold tassel resting on a podium, set against a softly blurred background of warm lights and an auditorium filled with graduates.

PhD Corner

Chuck Munson, professor of operations management, is the PhD program director. During his 30 years on faculty in the college, he has won the college’s outstanding research award, teaching award, and service award as well as receiving WSU’s highest teaching award. Prior to becoming director, Munson served as the PhD coordinator for the operations and management science program for many years. He is a coauthor of Pearson’s leading textbook, Operations and Supply Chain Management (15^th ed.).

PhD Corner – Director’s Message – August 2026

37 # of PhD Students

73 # of PhD Faculty

Our PhD Students Come From 10 Countries

86% of graduating PhD students recommend the program to others

100% of graduating PhD students are employed within six months of graduation

Student Spotlight

Recent PhD Graduate Placements
at Peer or Aspirant Universities

Shirin Shahsavand (2026)
Operations and Management Science
University of California, San Diego

Tingxuan Zhao (2026)
Finance
University of Alabama, Birmingham

Adam Bross (2025)
Accounting
Auburn University

Gregory Denton (2025)
Hospitality and Tourism Management
Michigan State University

Jiyoon (Jennifer) Han (2025)
Hospitality and Tourism Management
University of Massachusetts Amherst

Cathy Jun (2025)
Accounting
University of South Carolina

Shaun Parkinson (2025)
Management
New Mexico State University

Anabella Donnadieu Borquez (2025)
Marketing
University of Texas at El Paso

JT Bates (2024)
Management
Rutgers University

Demi Deng (2023)
Hospitality and Tourism Management
Auburn University

Deepika Naidu (2023)
Marketing
University of Nevada

Vasilis Pavlopoulos (2023)
Operations and Management Science
University of Alabama, Huntsville

Yafang Li standing in graduation regalia at a large indoor ceremony, giving a thumbs‑up amid rows of seats and a crowd in the arena.

Yafang Li (2022)
Management Information Systems
University of Memphis

Carlos Torres (2022)
Management Information Systems
Baylor University

Current PhD Student Achievements

Seyede Mina Hosseini (center) stands with two others holding framed best paper award certificates in front of an Auburn University step‑and‑repeat backdrop.

Seyede (Mina) Hosseini, hospitality & tourism management, received the Best Paper Award at the 31st Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism, hosted by Auburn University in January 2026. Her paper, “When AI Is Talking Like a Friend: The Role of AI Language Style and Product Fit on Impulsive Buying Intentions,” was recognized by the International Journal of Hospitality Management.

Ramin Sepehrirad, operations and management science, won a Best Reviewer Award in the operations and supply chain management division at the Academy of Management Conference in August 2023.

Current PhD Students with Accepted Publications

Ramin Sepehrirad and coauthors Paul F. Skilton, Alan Mackelprang, and Ednilson Bernardes published “Supply Base attributes and diversion risk in a supply chain for hazardous pharmaceutical products,” Journal of Operations Management, Special Issues on Health Care Supply Chains, (2024) 1–20.