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Jindal School Continues to Boost Faculty, Student Numbers

Dr. Hasan Pirkul

Dr. Hasan Pirkul

As the UT Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management commemorates its 40th anniversary, the school continues to build momentum for its academic and research programs. 

“The Naveen Jindal School of Management turns 40 this year, and I am happy that the largest student body in the school’s history will be here to help us celebrate,” said Hasan Pirkul, Jindal School dean and Caruth Chair of Management. 

The school’s fall semester enrollment stands at 8,200, up 9 percent from last fall. 

Seven new tenure or tenure-track faculty members join the school this semester, adding further expertise in accounting, finance, information systems, marketing and operations management. The school employs 262 full-time, adjunct and visiting faculty members. 

“Each year, as our stature among business schools rises, we are able to attract more and more new faculty members with top credentials in education and research,” Pirkul said. “They are sold on the Jindal School in part by the outstanding faculty already here, whose research output and teaching excellence help us recruit more exceptional talent. Our students and the local business community are the first beneficiaries of this expertise, but we think UT Dallas benefits too.” 

The school continues to climb in national business school rankings. Earlier this year, its online MBA and online graduate business programs were listed among the nation’s top 10 best online programs by U.S. News & World Report. The school also garnered top rankings in the publication’s 2016 ranking of graduate schools, with the Full-Time MBA program tying for 33rd in the nation, and the Professional MBA program tying for 29th in the nation. 

“In four short decades, we have grown from a small graduate program within the University to its largest school,” Pirkul said. “And not just any school. The Jindal School now has national and international visibility and respect, backed with top rankings and a reputation for excellence. Our immediate goals are to thank the many students, alumni, and corporate and community friends who got us here, and to continue to serve them with commitment.” 

Also this fall, the school has a new Master's in Energy Management program, which is offered by the finance and managerial economics area. Headed by Dr. Anastasia Shcherbakova, the program is designed to create economic leaders in the oil, gas, wind and renewable energy business. New within the bachelor’s in business administration and finance programs is the Risk Management and Insurance Concentration, headed by Debra Richardson, a newly hired senior lecturer. 

 

New Tenure-Track Faculty
 

Dr. Xiaolin Li

Dr. Xiaolin Li

Dr. Xiaolin Li, assistant professor, marketing

Previously: PhD candidate, University of Minnesota

Research interests: B2B marketing, salesforce compensation, marketing channels and procurement behavior

Quote: “Methodologically, I am an empiricist who uses observational data as well as field experiments to study these topics. I emphasize the use of structural econometric models to uncover the theoretical mechanisms.” 

 
Dr. Vikram Nanda

Dr. Vikram Nanda

Dr. Vikram Nanda, O.P. Jindal Distinguished Chair in Finance

Previously: professor and Albert R. Gamper Chair in Finance at Rutgers University

Research interests: financial economics with a focus on corporate finance, intermediation and financial institutions

Quote: “I think it’s interesting to look at what drives people to do what they do and to assess the decisions they make. You learn so much about this in financial markets. The insight it gives you into human behavior can be surprising.” 

 
Dr. Naim Bugra Ozel

Dr. Naim Bugra Ozel

Dr. Naim Bugra Ozel, assistant professor of accounting   

Previously: assistant professor of accounting, University of California, Los Angeles

Research interests: capital markets, debt contracting, economic networks and information economics

Quote: “Debt markets are interesting in that the amount an investor can lose in a bad situation is usually much larger than the amount she can earn in a good situation. Therefore, understanding the risks and taking necessary precautions are the keys in debt markets. Accounting information has a bit to say about the risks debtholders face. Similarly, economic downturns cause a lot of hardship for many people, and it is important to have timely signals about the direction of the economy. I believe accounting data can help in this dimension, too.” 

 
Dr. Alejandro Rivera

Dr. Alejandro Rivera

Dr. Alejandro Rivera, assistant professor of finance

Previously: PhD candidate, Boston University

Research interests: corporate finance, macroeconomics, asset pricing

Quote: “I am very excited to be joining the UTD Finance Department. I hope to be a good teacher and mentor for my students, and I look forward to bouncing research ideas around with my new colleagues." 

 
Dr. A. Serdar Simsek

Dr. A. Serdar Simsek

Dr. A. Serdar Simsek, assistant professor of operations management

Previously: instructor/researcher, Cornell University

Research interests: empirical operations management, pricing and revenue management, supply chain analytics

Quote: “There is a vast amount of available data and an increasing need for incorporating data-driven decision-making into companies’ complex processes in today’s business world. I am fascinated by the possibilities when this field data is combined with correct scientific methods and the exponentially increasing computing power. Observing the value of empirical studies for various industries assured me to pursue this line of research.” 

 
Dr. Steven Xiao

Dr. Steven Xiao

Dr. Steven Xiao, assistant professor of finance

Previously: assistant professor of finance, Rutgers University

Research interests: empirical corporate finance; financial markets and the real economy; finance and innovation; culture, law, politics and finance

Quote: “Specifically, my current research focuses on the relation between financial markets and the real economy. For example, I study how secondary stock markets impact firms’ real performance, technological innovation and decision-making by supply-chain partners.” 

 
Dr. Zhe (James) Zhang

Dr. Zhe (James) Zhang

Dr. Zhe (James) Zhang, assistant professor of information systems

Previously: visiting assistant professor, UT Dallas

Research interests: economics of information systems, pricing strategy of information goods, piracy of information goods, cloud computing, daily-deal websites

Quote: “My passion lies in studying how information technology and the Internet transform products and shape the business landscape, and how firms should respond to these transformations to increase their market share and profitability. The program at UT Dallas is perfect for me to develop a career as a researcher and teacher in information systems. I am proud to be a part of it.” 

 

New Faculty Series

News Center is publishing profiles of tenured and tenure-track professors who have recently joined the University. The following school profiles have been published:

Media Contact: The Office of Media Relations, UT Dallas, (972) 883-2155, [email protected].

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