Congratulations to our Fairfield Dolan class of 2022! Dolan students participated in commencement ceremonies under sunny skies on May 21-22, 2022. Over 400 Dolan undergraduate students received their degrees and 95 graduate students. The Shanghai MBA Finance Program also held their graduation ceremony online on April 10, 2022. Despite challenges posed by the pandemic, all students in the inaugural Shanghai MBA 2020 Fall cohort graduated. The program continues its success with the fourth Shanghai MBA Cohort launched earlier this month. Associate Dean of the Dolan School of Business, Anca Micu said, “I am extremely proud of this year’s graduating class. They were resilient during these past couple of years, excelled at academics, and contributed to countless campus organizations, local not-for-profits as well as corporations through volunteering and internships. I am confident they are prepared and inspired to make a difference wherever they will go.”

Dolan’s leadership in providing students with a leading global business education is evident in the School’s recent recognitions by U.S. News & World Report in their 2023 Best Graduate Schools rankings. The Dolan’s part-time MBA program is ranked in the top 100 nationally at #92 for Best Part-Time MBA. Dolan’s specialties in accounting, business analytics, finance, and marketing rank in the top 25 nationally at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Data from the class of 2021 reported 97% of undergraduate students secured employment or enrolled in graduate/professional school within 6 months; 100% of graduate students secured employment within 6 months.

A recent study of LinkedIn profile data conducted by Fairfield Dolan has identified 125 Dolan graduates who are current CFOs. Among them are two CFOs of current Fortune 500 companies, Jennifer Piepszak '92 of JPMorgan Chase and Noreen Dever ’96 of American Express, as well as Ursula Hurley ’04 who is CFO of JetBlue, a former Fortune 500 company prior to the pandemic. “We are proud of our CFO alumni who have accomplished so much in their careers and who serve as examples for our current students of how a Dolan education can prepare individuals for top positions at their companies,” said Dolan School of Business Dean Zhan Li, DBA.

Of the 125 alumni CFOs, most graduated with an accounting or finance major, however economics, information systems and operations management, marketing, and management are also represented. The majority of current Dolan CFOs work in finance, however several industries are represented, including technology and entertainment. This versatility across industries aligns with the breadth of coursework and concentrations available to Dolan students. Fairfield Dolan strives to develop socially responsible, intellectually curious, and ethical global business leaders who excel in their careers.

Fairfield Dolan hosted the first Sports Analytics Hackathon where Business Analytics graduate students put their skills to the test and competed for a chance to win cash prizes provided by sponsor Athletes Unlimited. Over 70 attendees joined the live event with the primary participants being student teams from the graduate sports analytics course, offered as part of the Artificial Intelligence specialization in the MSBA. Five groups of student teams competed for part of a $10,000 prize pool. Business Analytics professor and director of the Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program, Philip Maymin, PhD, serves on the advisory board for Athletes Unlimited and hosted the event. “I’m extremely proud of all the work the students did and the marvelous presentations and papers they put together,” said Maymin.

With opening and closing remarks by Dean Zhan Li, DBA and Athletes Unlimited CEO Jonathan Soros, all the attendees enjoyed a unique glimpse into how advanced sports analytics actually matters and makes a difference in the real world and at the highest levels. “The work done by all of the teams was really amazing,” said Soros. “They each took on a different, really hard problem and went all the way to the heart of it. For someone who’s been living these questions for the last few years, it was both really entertaining and really useful to get these new perspectives.” Learn more about the MSBA Program.

Fairfield Dolan’s professional networking and partnership programs continue to support student success and industry connections. This May, our incoming Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) cohort, participated in an Accounting Firm Networking event following their 2022 Orientation. The cohort of 62 students joined representatives from 8 of firms including Alvarez & Marsal, BDO, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, Marcum, PwC, and RSM where they enjoyed networking and dinner. Professor Kathi Mettler, CPA is the Director of the Graduate Accounting Programs at Fairfield’s Dolan School of Business and shared that “we are so fortunate to have such strong relationship with the Firms, which is evidenced by their continued support of our students and programs.”

Fairfield Dolan has also forged a strong and successful partnership with Synchrony through the Dolan School of Business Co-Op program. Six students who completed the program have recently joined Synchrony as full-time employees, welcoming alumni: Tochi Agulanna '21, MS in Finance, Mark Drummond '22, MSBA, Andrew Mahoney '22, MSBA, Jack Stroud '21 MSBA, Stathis Tsiranidis '21, MS in Finance, and Arnold Welles '22, MS in Information Systems and Business Analytics ‘22. A new cohort has been selected and is expected to start mid-June.

Fairfield Dolan student Kathleen Conway ’23, is a junior with a double major in management and marketing with a fashion concentration, minor in international studies.

A. I began my studying abroad experience in January 2022 and the semester ended in May 2022, so I had four full months in Florence. As a part of the Fashion Marketing program, I have learned from various professors about a multitude of topics regarding the fashion industry and the relevance of fashion in Italy. I have been able to use this information and combine it with my outside experiences within Italy.

A. This was the first class we took upon our arrival in Florence. We learned about the history and rise of fashion in Italy. During this course, on one of the days, we stood outside of the Pitti Uomo Fashion Show and were able to see the different looks from the shows. We analyzed the looks and learned how to predict future trends following the show.

A. We have worked on several different projects, some required experiential activities, while others were more academic-based. The different projects that we completed throughout this three-week intersession definitely aided us in successfully completing the rest of our courses. We were able to use the information that we learned in the classroom and applied it to our work at the school store, Fashion Loves You (FLY), and were able to see the influence of fashion all around us. (FLY is a creative learning lab and retail store at FUA’s school of Fashion and Accessory Studies and Technology (FAST). The store features vintage and handcrafted clothing and objects open to the public and all of its operations being executed by academic courses.)

A. Overall, participating in the Fashion Marketing program has enabled me to further my academic and professional goals. I am passionate about fashion and was very excited to be able to learn about fashion in a place that is rich in culture and history. I am excited to bring this new knowledge back to Fairfield and definitely plan to combine my fashion knowledge with my management, marketing, and international business studies.

Students in Associate Professor of Analytics Vishnu Vinekar's Business Analytics Capstone course won the Stags Choice Award in the Independent Research category at Fairfield University’s Innovative Research Symposium, Spring 2022. The Analytics capstone project was “Netflix Analysis to Drive Revenue and Subscriber Growth”. Congratulations to students Matthew Bevacqua ‘22, Julie McGovern ‘22, Olivia Doody ‘22 and Caylee Gatto ‘22.

Nazli Sila Alan, PhD, associate professor of finance, had her paper “Global Equity Market Volatility during the Initial Stages of Pandemic: Drivers and Policy Responses,” accepted for publication in Journal of Portfolio Management. This paper is co-authored with Ahmet K. Karagozoglu from Hofstra University and Robert F. Engle from NYU Stern School of Business.

Mousumi Bhattacharya, PhD, associate professor of management represented Fairfield University at the 59th Annual Meeting of the Eastern Academy of Management (EAM), May, 2022. The Eastern Academy of Management, an affiliate of the Academy of Management, is the premier scholarly organization in the Northeast. As President of EAM, Dr. Bhattacharya has provided leadership in the publication of the scholarly journal, responsible fiduciary management, and establishment of operating procedures for the long-term success or the organization.

Michael P. Coyne, PhD, CPA, MBA, associate professor of accounting, presented his paper “How the Development of the Intercontinental Railroads in the United States in the 19th Century significantly changed the practice of Accounting and Finance” at the Economics and Business History Society Conference in Salt Lake City Utah in May 2022.

Arleen Kardos, adjunct accounting professor, was recognized as the 2022 Undergraduate Adjunct Faculty Teacher of the Year. Students and colleagues recognized Professor Kardos’ success in achieving her overall objective to convey a deeper appreciation for Accounting’s crucial role in business reporting, disclosure, and influence on everyday business decision making.

Valeria Martinez, PhD, associate professor of finance, had her Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) paper: “My Multinational Corporation: What does it mean for companies to do business internationally? Risks and Opportunities,” accepted for presentation at the World Finance Conference in Turin, Italy that will take place in Summer of 2022.

Stanislav Vavilov, PhD, assistant professor of management, had the article "Creating Complementarities: How Entrepreneurs Mobilize Crowdfunding and Local Ecosystems" published in Strategic Organization.

June 14, 2022 & July 12, 2022

Pictured: Jack Sartor '22, business analytics major and Jack Kelly '22, marketing major with Vishnu Vinekar, associate professor of analytics.

Congratulations to the Class of 2022 Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) program who graduated May 21, 2022.