Department of Management

Stephanie is Chair of the Management Department and Professor of Strategy at Northern Kentucky University for the Haile College of Business. Her research interests include strategy, innovation and risk mitigation. Stephanie has over 20 years of experience in the intelligence/market analysis space providing services to Fortune 100 type clients. Stephanie is a serial entrepreneur and has founded/co-founded 6 separate businesses including 4 technology businesses utilizing data to help organizations uncover market and technology-based opportunities and reduce personnel, business, and market risk. Stephanie received her BS in Marketing and an MBA in International Business from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA. She received her Ph.D. in International Business and Strategic Management at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.

Teresa is the Academic Coordinator for the Department of Management and the Department of Marketing, Sports Business and Construction Management.  She has worked at Northern Kentucky University since 2006 starting in the division of Student Affairs and joining the Haile College of Business in 2012. In 2007 she created the Computers 101 track and trained students enrolled in Project Aspire and the Whitney M. Young Scholars program. Teresa received nominations for the Regents Distinguished Service Award in 2011 and 2012. Teresa received the Black Faculty and Staff Associate President’s Award in 2012 and the African American Student Affairs “Advisor of the Year” award in 2008.In her spare time she serves on several local committees dedicated to improving literacy and education. Teresa enjoys creating greeting cards, scrapbooking and meeting people.

Joan Adkins has a doctorate in management (Organizational Development and Change) and an MBA with a concentration in Human Resource Management which she received from Colorado Technical University. She has been in academics for over 12 years. She has facilitated courses in business, Microsoft Office, HR management, and student success strategies.

She has worked as an HR director and found that she loved training and developing employees. Due to this, she pursued her goal to teach in colleges where her focus is on training individuals. Joan co-authored five book chapters, “Succession planning for large and small organizations; A practical review of professional business corporations”, and “Project-based organizational maturity in architecture, engineering, and constructing: A theoretical premise for practical purposes” Along with being a faculty member Joan is an academic coach. She enjoys mentoring and motivating students in reaching their dreams.

Dr. Cristiane Biazzin is an Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management at the Haile College of Business. Originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, she holds a Ph.D. and MSc in Business Administration (major in Operations and Supply Chain Management) from the Sao Paulo Business School at Fundacao Getulio Vargas. Additionally, she completed a postdoctoral program in Industrial Engineering at the University of Sao Carlos (UFSCAR).

Prior to her academic career, Dr. Biazzin accumulated 18 years of executive experience managing Operations and Supply Chain in multinational corporations within the auto parts, chemical, and electronics industries. She is a prolific author with numerous book chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles on topics including Purchasing strategy, Supply chain, and Operations Management. Dr. Biazzin's current research interests encompass global supply chain intelligence, socio- and geo-politics.

Dr. William D. Boyce is an instructor at Northern Kentucky University.

Dr. Boyce was born number two out of seven children in New Haven, Connecticut on March the 7th, 1954. He graduated from Notre Dame High School in West Haven, CT in June of 1972.  After a tour in the U.S. Marine Corps where he was twice promoted meritoriously, he commenced his career in the Paper Manufacturing and Distribution Industry.

While attending Central Connecticut State University, where he graduated with a Bachelors’ in Science in Marketing and Management, he worked in various positions in his chosen industry. His career path included roles in the warehouse and driving a truck to a Director of Marketing at a Division of International Paper Company. His education continued during his career with certificates from Columbia, Northwestern, Stamford, and the University of Kentucky.

His business career consisted of mostly domestic postings in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Boston, Harrisburg and Cincinnati. His roles included various progressive positions such as Sales Professional, Sales Manager, Division Manager, V.P. of Sales and Marketing and Director of Marketing, Senior Consultant and Manager of an International Leadership Institute. During his career he worked on various successful programs including a team that developed the first CRM tool for the distribution industry in the U.S. He also received many awards during his career such as the Division Manager of the Year and the Sales Manager of the Year.

But his last five years with International Paper as a Senior; he worked with teams to solve Business Problems in the Continental U.S., Canada, Brazil, Eastern and Western Europe as well as China, and Japan.

At the end of his career he decided to go back to school and attended the Executive MBA program at Henley Management College in Henley-on-Thames in England. Henley, which is triple accredited college, provided him with new concepts and competencies, thus, adding to his portfolio. He continued his education by commencing a Ph.D. program at Aston University in Birmingham, England.

Dr. Boyce has been in his current position; first as an adjunct and now as a full time instructor for ten years. He loves what he does; assisting students to be better prepared for their own career path. He teaches several courses including Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing and Strategy.

Dr. Boyce completed his Ph.D. requirements in June of 2016 at Aston University, a triple accredited University, in Birmingham, England. He conducted research into the enhancement of a high performance team – to be more high performance.

As an active member of his local community he has served as the Board Chairperson for the Parkcrest Condominium Association as well as on the Board of Directors for the Incline Incubator in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is an advisor a partner in the Incline Consulting LLC organization. He has also advised over ten start-up organizations in greater Cincinnati, Ohio.

Carole L. Cangioni, was born and raised in Avignon, France. In France, she earned a Degree in Finance and Accounting from Valence Institute of Technology, a degree in Tourism Marketing from Toulon Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration (Marketing) from the American Business School in Paris. Carole later earned her Master’s of Business Administration (Management) from the University of Richmond. Afterwards, she worked for 7 years as the head of the marketing department of a ski lift company in the French Alps before coming to the University of Texas at El Paso to pursue her Ph.D in International Business. Carole taught International Management, Global Business Environment, International Marketing, Organizational Behavior, Marketing Research, and Introduction to Management classes at UTEP, University of Maryland Europe in Germany, and M.B.A. Marketing Management for the University of Phoenix Europe in Germany. Her research work includes journal articles and conference proceedings at national and international meetings on intellectual property rights violation, social entrepreneurship and immigrant entrepreneurs.She is an Assistant Professor of Management at NKU and currently teaching ENTP320 Social Entrepreneurship, ENTP 375 Marketing Strategies for Entrepreneurial Businesses, and MGT 360 Comparative International Management both online and on campus at NKU.

Dr. Erenay is an Assistant Professor of Management at the Haile College of Business at Northern Kentucky University. Prior to joining NKU, Dr. Erenay served as a faculty member teaching courses in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, and Data Analytics fields at undergraduate and M.B.A. levels at Wilkes University, PA. He has worked as a business data analyst in insurance industry, and as an industrial and manufacturing engineer for various companies.

Dr. Erenay obtained his Ph.D. from Industrial and Systems Engineering Department at Ohio University. He got his MS and BS in Industrial Engineering from Yildiz Technical University, Turkey. His research focus includes supply chain network design and optimization, transportation, manufacturing system design and control, manpower allocation, statistical modeling and data mining, sustainability, and occupational safety. He has published many peer reviewed articles and conference proceedings, and presented his work at prestigious conferences such as DSI, POMS, INFORMS and IISE.

Dr. Fortsch has a Ph.D. in operations and supply chain management and strategy from the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) with a minor in industrial engineering. She received her executive M.B.A. from the University of Rochester in New York, and a bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from the Northeastern University in Boston. She has more than 15 years of industry experience working for companies like Eastman Kodak, Gillette, and HP. Before joining NKU, she worked as an assistant professor at the University of Southern Indiana and the University of Michigan Flint. Her research on the blood supply chain is nationally recognized and awarded. She engages in empirical investigation using econometrics analysis to target supply chain sustainability, supply and demand information accuracy, bullwhip effect, and supply chain coordination. Her teaching practice includes supply chain and global operations management, new product and process development management, supply chain risk management, project management, strategic management, value chain management, and Lean and Kanban management.

Dr. Richard Gilson joined the Department of Management in Fall 2001. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2002, specializing in Organizational Behavior. He has a Master of Social Science degree in Human Resource Management from Utah State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Weber State University. Rich is currently teaching the Behavior in Organizations and Human Resource Administration courses. His work experience includes work as a training facilitator, as a senior R&D chemical technician, and as an account manager. He has worked for several large organizations, notably Thiokol Corp. and Morton International. Prior to that, Rich served as an Army field artillery officer and attained the rank of Captain before transferring into the Inactive Reserve.Rich has conducted and presented research in several areas including innovation in work teams, individual creativity, psychological engagement at work, and computer learning. He is also interested in workplace democracy, procedural justice, intrinsic motivation, and employee rights. His published research appears in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology and the Journal of Educational Computing Research.

Dr. Merle Heckman is presently a Master Trainer and Consultant for Dale Carnegie in Cincinnati, Kentucky, and southern Indiana. Most recently he was the Manager of Organizational Development for Power Transmission Solutions (PTS) in Florence, Kentucky. Merle oversaw the training of employees and development of leaders throughout the organization. PTS was one of the business units of Emerson Electric which was a Fortune 125 company. He is the designer and master trainer of “Safety Leadership Skills” an Emerson course and trained over 500 internal trainers who in turn presented the course to over 27,000 employees worldwide. Merle was also the designer and master trainer of sales training for Regal Beloit – a global manufacturing company.

Merle’s work experience is very diverse. Out of college, he worked for a non-profit organization counseling and training young people. After this Merle was employed by a privately owned transportation company and was involved in operations, customer service, recruitment, and safety. The transportation company specialized in hauling candy and confectionery products like M&M Mars, Nabisco, Brach, Wrigley, Tootsie Roll, and others allowing him interaction with these major companies. He has also worked for a government housing authority as the Director of Human Resources prior to Emerson. His work experience in the areas of a non-profit organization, a privately held transportation business, a government agency, and a large publicly held global manufacturing company allows him to relate to employees in many different levels of employment.

He earned a MA in counseling, a MBA with concentrations in Human Resources, Finance, and Marketing and a MPA. Committed to lifelong learning, he completed his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Northern Kentucky University.

He is a certified instructor for the Dale Carnegie Training in Effective Communication and Human Relations/Skills for Success, Sales Advantage, Leadership Training for Managers, High Impact Presentations, Dale Carnegie Online, and the Advanced Dale Carnegie Course. As a Master Trainer, he trains and coaches new and seasoned trainers globally for Dale Carnegie. He has instructed individuals from major organizations in manufacturing, technology, government, military, financial, educational, and many other groups. Dr. Heckman has taught for various universities over the last 18 years both in house and online.  He has the SPHR-SCP certification (Senior Professional in Human Resources) from the Society of Human Resource Management. Merle has been designated as a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) through the National Speakers Association. In 2022, he was named the number 1 leadership trainer in the world for the Dale Carnegie organization.

Dr. Liu is an assistant professor in the Department of Management at Northern Kentucky University. She received her M.S. in International Business from Hanyang University in South Korea, her M.B.A. and Ph.D. in Strategic Management from Baruch College, The City University of New York (CUNY). Dr. Liu’s research is in the area of behavioral strategy. She employs a behavioral approach to understanding firms’ strategic decision-making and performance. She is an active member of the Academy of Management, Strategic Management Society, and the Academy of International Business. Dr. Liu teaches in the area of Strategic Management.

Louis J. Manchise has been a mediator in the Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky area for the past 33 years. Most recently before joining the faculty at NKU, he served as Director of Mediation Services, Federal Mediation Service (FMCS) in Cincinnati. He is very well known in the conflict management community as a dedicated, hard working, fair and creative problem solver. He was honored with a special Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 for his service and for the outstanding contribution in the field of labor management education.

Dr. Mauger has been an Assistant Professor of Management at NKU from 2019. Born and raised in France, he holds a masters’ degree from ESC Rennes School of Business in France and a M.B.A. from The University of Akron, where he was an exchange student. During his tenure at Akron, Yohann was the captain of the #1 NCAA division 1 men’s soccer team and a First team All American in 2005. He pursued a career as a professional athlete for several years in France before working as a strategist for a French government agency, consulting for the several major companies around Europe. Soon after, he received his Ph.D. in Management from Paris, France. Yohann’s research focuses on decision making, both at the company level (strategy) and the individual level (organizational behavior). His academic work on recruiting, soft skills, coach to player fit and sports organizations’ strategy has been presented in international conferences such as The Academy of Management and The Academy of International Business. In addition, Yohann started a company called Hive Skills, that evaluates soft skills in the sports industry. The company works with major professional teams and top colleges, mostly in soccer and basketball, to optimize their performance. In the past seven years, he supported teams to win championships in six different countries.

Jacob McCartney, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of Human Resources in the Haile College of Business. He received his Ph.D. from the School of Human Resources and Labor Relations at Michigan State University and his Master's degree in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Jacob studies how individuals' perceptions of their accountabilities impact their performance and well-being at work. He additionally studies perspective taking, listening, DEI, and new forms of work including labor platforms (e.g., Uber, MTurk, Upwork, DoorDash). Jacob has published research in Work & Stress, The Academy of Management Proceedings, and presented at numerous conferences. He has a forthcoming co-authored book chapter in the Handbook of Accountability (Elgar Publishing) that provides an overview of individual level accountability in organizations.

A native of Ghana, Dr. Dekuwmini Mornah came to the states to pursue his Ph.D. in Economics and Law at the University of Mississippi. He completed his post doctoral degree at the University of Florida where he focused on international business and entrepreneurship. In 2012 he joined the faculty at Virginia Military Institute where he taught courses in economics and entrepreneurial thinking. In 2020, he joined the Haile College of Business as an assistant professor in entrepreneurship.

Dr. Tabitha Muchungu is an Assistant Professor of Management at Northern Kentucky University’s Haile College of Business. She joined the faculty in 2024 after completing her Ph.D. at Morgan State University where she focused on Strategy and International Business.

Tabitha’s research examines digitalization, resources and capabilities, and institutional influences on firm performance and internationalization. She is particularly interested in how emerging technologies are reshaping strategic and internationalization behavior.

In addition to her research, Tabitha is passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation of business leaders. Her teaching methods are centered on active learning, where she incorporates experiential learning and real-world case studies.

Prior to her academic career, Tabitha worked for several years in accounting, audit and business development roles for various public and private companies in Kenya and USA. This experience informs both her research and teaching, allowing her to bridge theory and practice effectively.

Dr. Perrmann-Graham is an Assistant Professor of Management at NKU. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Miami University and earned her M.B.A. at Xavier University. She received her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the Carl H. Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati. Jacki’s research examines leadership, creativity, identity, and employee perceptions in organizations. Her work has been published and featured in Management outlets such as Organization Behavior and Human Decision Processes and Harvard Business Review online. She is an active member of both The Academy of Management as well as The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Prior to her work in academia, she had several years of experience in the health care field and as a learning consultant for a publishing company.

Dr. Spataro is a Professor of Management at NKU and the Director of the MBA and MBLI programs. She holds bachelor’s and masters’ degrees in Economics and Sociology, respectively, from Stanford University. She received her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Sandra’s research examines status and influence processes in organizations, demographic diversity, and organizational cultures. Her work has been published in various journals in Management and Psychology. In addition, Sandra has published two books: "Unstuck: A Tool for Yourself, Your Team and Your World", co-authored with Keith Yamashita and “Dare to Inspire: Sustain the Fire of Inspiration in Work and Life” co-authored with Allison Holzer and Jen Grace Baron.  Prior to her work in academia, Sandra worked for several years at Oracle Corporation in California in various staff and line positions. Dr. Spataro has a consulting firm, InspireCorps, that specializes in developing leaders, teams, and organizations to thrive. The firm offers executive coaching and training to improve overall organizational effectiveness.

Zac Strobl is the Director of Northern Kentucky University's Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship and an Entrepreneurship professor. Zac has played a major role in the success and growth of a multitude of university programs, businesses, and community initiatives. He co-founded and grew the INKUBATOR, a pre-seed stage business accelerator, into one of the top five university business accelerators in North America. Under his leadership, teams have raised $7.3 million in outside funds, created 64 jobs, and launched 37 businesses. Zac's background also includes launching multiple ventures, working at a start-up company, running/selling a family business, and consulting with start-ups/small businesses through the Small Business Development Center.

Mark A. Thackeray joined NKU in May of 2017 as Director of the new BSBA, Global Supply Chain Management Degree program, offered through the Haile College of Business. In addition, Mark is a Professor of Practice, providing real world business and Supply Chain experiences/challenges in a highly engaging and interactive academic setting. Prior to joining NKU, Mark spent nearly the last 10 years of his career as the Senior Vice President, Global Manufacturing & North American Operations for General Cable. In this role, he had responsibility for over 40 manufacturing and warehousing/distribution sites in 22 countries. In addition to overseeing the Operational Excellence journey, he was responsible for Sourcing, Logistics, Global Quality and Manufacturing Process Improvement Innovation. Prior to this, he held the position of SVP, North American Operations since October 2006 where he was responsible for the direct leadership of operations in North America while working with the other regions supporting their specific regional priorities when it comes to Lean Manufacturing, operational excellence and manufacturing technology. Mark also led the Global Manufacturing Council which has a principle objective of identifying and driving best practices across plant, countries and regions. Since joining General Cable in April 2001, he has served as Vice President of Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, Vice President of Manufacturing and Team Leader for Communications and Assembly plants and Vice President of Supply Chain. Prior to General Cable, Thackeray was President/Owner of Cincinnati Industrial Consulting, a consulting firm that specialized in operations and process improvement technology using Lean and Six Sigma methodologies. He was Vice President of R.D. Garwood Inc. from August 1996 through January 1998. He has also held a number of manufacturing operations and plant manager positions during his business career, including serving as Operations Manager for Tomkins Industries and Litton Material Handling Systems. Mark holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and has a Master of Business Administration from Xavier University. He is a certified Six Sigma Champion and an active member of IIE (institute of Industrial Engineers) and APICS (American Production and Inventory Control Society). Mark also has served multiple terms for the Boy Scouts of America and on the Board of Directors for Wire Association International (WAI). He is an avid long distance runner, reader and loves to spend free time on historic home gentrification. 

Jeff Varrone is the Assistant Director for the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and serves as a faculty member in Entrepreneurship.  He also works with students on various events and academic programs to prepare them for business opportunities and to help create awareness of entrepreneurship across campus and in the community. He joined the Entrepreneurship Program while completing his Master’s Degree with a focus on Entrepreneurship at NKU.

Originally from Saint Louis, Missouri, Jeff graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Science in Geography and a Minor in Entrepreneurship. While attending college, he successfully started and managed an entrepreneurial business venture for three years.

Jeff is also a faculty-in-residence at Callahan Hall (a residential building on NKU’s campus). He is proud to have won several awards, including the NKU Indelible Spirit Award, the NKU Outstanding Coach/Advisor of the Year, the Outstanding Part-Time Geography Faculty Member Award, and the IdeaStateU Business Plan Competition Faculty Advisor Award.

Jennifer Wehr Holt is a Marketing professional with over 20 years of direct industry experience encompassing all aspects of the field. This experience has allowed her to start 2 companies, JWH Consulting, where she assists businesses with marketing, analysis, ideation and implementation, social media, and overall strategic growth; and Forté For Life, a motivational Fitness and Nutrition business. Jennifer uses this combined wealth of industry and education experience by serving as a full-time faculty member for Northern Kentucky University. She teaches a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses in Management, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. Jennifer is a published author with articles appearing in Quirks, Womenista, Skinny Mom, numerous blogposts

Jennifer is an active member in the community and an advocate for charitable organizations including being on the Board of Directors for the NKCCA, Scripps Howard Community Engagement Board, Faculty Advisor for the NKU Women In Business student organization, a KY Foster and Adoptive Parent, a St. Jude Partner in Hope, a previous Make a wish ‘Wish Granter’, and nominated member of the 40 under 40 Business Courier class. She is also involved with NEW and the AMA.

Jennifer most currently worked as the Account Director of Kroger on-site in Cincinnati for Spins. Previously, Jennifer held Leadership, Board & Steering Committee positions as well as VP of Marketing. Notable roles include Catalina Marketing, HR ProFile, MRSI, Directions Research, and Loyalty 360. She focuses on brand development and overall marketing strategies and implementation. Additionally, Jennifer led a client team as an Account Lead at Catalina Marketing where she further developed her CPG and Retail expertise while concentrating on New Product Promotion and Loyalty Development efforts that were nationally recognized and awarded.

Jennifer has a BS in Marketing and a 4.0 MBA from Northern Kentucky University in Entrepreneurship. She also has noteworthy college experience in Art, Design and Website Development and Programming. She is a Certified Personal Trainer in Fitness and a Nutrition, Wellness, and Lifestyle Consultant.

In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys the arts, tennis, traveling, and personal fitness training. She resides in the Cincinnati area with her daughter.