Beacom Introduces Nine New Faculty Members
The new faculty members include Subash Adhikari, Ph.D., assistant professor of accounting; Derek Franken, instructor of accounting and finance; Greg Bertsch, Ph.D., faculty in innovation and entrepreneurship; Matthew Heard, instructor of health services administration; Amro Maher, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing; Emily Paulson, instructor of marketing; Aron Spencer, Ph.D., director of the innovation and entrepreneurship program; G. Stevenson Smith, Ph.D., visiting associate professor of accounting and finance; and Sebastian Wai, Ph.D., assistant professor of economics.
“We are pleased to have such fine educators join our esteemed faculty,” said Venky Venkatachalam, Ph.D., dean of the Beacom School of Business. “I am confident our new faculty will serve as great assets to our students as they continue to grow into educated business leaders.”
Greg Bertsch, Ph.D., faculty in innovation and entrepreneurship, earned his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the University of South Dakota. Prior to accepting his role at USD, Bertsch served as the president and CEO of Antimicrobial Materials, Inc. His research interests include biotech new venture development.
Derek Franken, instructor of accounting, received his Master of Professional Accountancy from the University of South Dakota. He previously served as an accounting instructor at Dakota State University for the past 12 years.
Amro Maher, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing, graduated with a Ph.D. in business administration from Old Dominion University. Prior to accepting his role at USD, Maher served as an assistant professor of marketing at Qatar University. His research interests focus on the role of national stereotypes in influencing consumers’ behavior.
Emily Paulson, instructor of marketing, received her master’s degree in business administration with a specialization in marketing from the University of Sioux Falls. Her previous work experience includes business strategy and marketing in various industries, ranging from healthcare, web and digital marketing to hospitality. Her research interests include integrated marketing strategy and communications.
Aron Spencer, Ph.D., director of the innovation and entrepreneurship program, earned his Ph.D. in management from the University of California. He previously served as an assistant professor at the Higher School of Economics for the Russian Federation. His research interests include entrepreneurship and innovation.
G. Stevenson Smith, Ph.D., visiting associate professor of accounting and finance, received his Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Arkansas. Prior to accepting his role at USD, Smith served as a professor of accounting at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. His research interests include forensic accounting and accounting policy theory.
Sebastian Wai, Ph.D., assistant professor of economics, graduated with a Ph.D. in economics from Purdue University. Wai served as an assistant professor at Indiana University before accepting his new role at USD. His research interests include industrial organization, innovation, intellectual property, industrial agglomeration, network economics and semiconductor industry.
