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Dear Manning Community,
This spring, the Manning School of Business continued to advance its mission of preparing students for meaningful careers through industry engagement and impactful scholarship. Our inaugural Manning Industry Days was a major success, drawing more than 100 professionals and alumni for two days of vibrant discussion, mentoring, and connection—a new tradition that truly lived up to our theme, “Building Bridges: Connecting Knowledge, Experience, and Opportunity.”
Throughout the semester, our faculty and students earned national recognition for their work in areas ranging from AI and data ethics to sales innovation and healthcare transparency. Our faculty’s research productivity has been exceptional this quarter, with peer-reviewed publications in top journals including Human Resource Management, Journal of Business Ethics, Academic Emergency Medicine, and OMEGA. These contributions enhance our academic reputation and drive real-world impact.
We’re also proud to highlight faculty leadership in prestigious editorial roles, including Professors Asil Oztekin and JM Song, who have taken on key positions in leading journals in analytics and decision sciences.
Our students continue to shine - winning investment competitions, excelling in sales challenges, and presenting award-winning research at regional and national events. Behind every success is a dedicated faculty mentor providing guidance and inspiration.
Finally, I want to thank our alumni, partners, and supporters for their continued investment in our mission. As you explore this newsletter, I invite you to celebrate all we’ve accomplished, and all that’s still ahead. Let’s keep building, connecting, and leading - together.
With gratitude and pride,
Bertie Greer, Ph.D.
Rist Family Endowed Dean
Manning School of Business
University of Massachusetts Lowell
| | LEADERSHIP NEWS & UPDATES | | Dean Greer Recognized for Leadership and Service | | |
Appointed to Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union Board
Dr. Bertie Greer, Rist Family Endowed Dean, has joined the Board of Directors of Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union, where she brings expertise in global supply chain management and a strong commitment to community engagement.
Inducted into MEANES Honorary Society
Dean Greer has been named to the 2025 class of the Mechanical Engineering Alumni Network of Experts and Scholars (MEANES), an honorary society which recognizes distinguished contributors to the engineering profession and community.
Named a Woman of Influence in Business Education
In recognition of International Women’s Day 2025, Dean Greer was named a Woman of Influence in Business Education by Blue Sky Thinking and will be featured in EFMD Global. The honor highlights women shaping the future of business and management education worldwide.
| | Assoc. Dean Deokar Speaks at Leading Events on Generative AI | | |
Dr. Amit Deokar, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs & Accreditation, recently delivered a series of talks on the evolving role of generative AI in business and academia. He gave the keynote at "The Future of AI in the M3 Region" event hosted by the Middlesex 3 Coalition in partnership with Project LEARN, Inc., where he also participated in a dynamic panel discussion alongside regional experts, emphasizing the importance of public-private collaboration in shaping responsible AI innovation.
Dr. Deokar also traveled to the University of Minho in Portugal, where he participated in a panel on GenAI in academia and led a workshop on using generative AI for research and teaching. In another recent engagement, he conducted a workshop on “GenAI for Academic Research” at Kennesaw State University’s Michael J. Coles College of Business, where he led insightful discussions with a group of engaged faculty researchers. Across all events, his insights emphasized how advances in generative AI are enhancing productivity and transforming education, research, and the future of work.
| Assoc. Dean Yang Co-Authors Study on Digital Capital | |
Dr. Yi Yang, Associate Dean, Graduate Studies and Research, co-authored a new study in the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal titled “Cost-effectively leveraging digital capital to develop means for effectual decision-making.” The research explores how aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those in the digital economy, use online tools like social media, tutorials, and digital communities to build the capabilities needed for entrepreneurial action. The study highlights how digital capital serves as a strategic resource for decision-making in today’s creator economy.
| | THOUGHT LEADERSHIP FROM THE MANNING COMMUNITY | | Ph.D. Candidate Nolan Talaei Wins Best Overall Conference Paper | | Nolan Talaei, a Ph.D. candidate in Decision Sciences, earned the Best Overall Conference Paper Award at the 54th Annual Northeast Decision Sciences Institute (NEDSI) Conference. The award-winning paper, titled “Counterfactual Explanations for AI Decision Systems,” was coauthored with his dissertation committee from the Operations & Information Systems faculty: Dr. Asil Oztekin (Dissertation Chair), and committee members Dr. Luvai Motiwalla and Dr. Harry Zhu. Nolan was also recognized by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Science (INFORMS) - where he was awarded Runner-Up (2nd place) in the Best Paper Competition at the INFORMS 19th Workshop on Data Mining & Decision Analytics. | | From left, Dr. Salih Tutun (Washington University), Ph.D. Candidate Nolan Talei (UML), Dr. Anol Bhattacherjee (University of South Florida) and Dr. Asil Oztekin (UML) at the INFORMS Workshop on Data Mining & Decision Analytics. | | |
Pictured at the NEDSI Conference, from left, Dr. Joy Field (Boston College), Chair of the NEDSI Awards Committee; Ph.D. Candidate Nolan Talei (UML); and 2024-2025 NEDSI President Dr. Amit Arora (University of the District of Columbia).
| | Dr. Asil Oztekin Re-Elected to Leadership Role in INFORMS Data Mining Society | | Dr. Asil Oztekin (far left) as the INFORMS Data Mining Society Representative with his colleagues at the INFORMS Subdivisions Council. | | |
Professor Asil Oztekin (Operations & Information Systems) has been re-elected to serve as the INFORMS Data Mining Society Representative for the 2025–2027 term. His continued leadership reflects the community’s confidence in his contributions to data science and analytics and recognizes his efforts to foster collaboration and innovation within the global data science community.
Dr. Oztekin was also named Co-Editor-in-Chief (EiC-Elect) of Applied Operations & Analytics, a journal published by Taylor & Francis in partnership with the Operational Research Society (ORS). This role adds to his editorial experience, which includes serving as Associate Editor for the Journal of the Operational Research Society and Area Editor for Health Systems. He also joins the ORS Publications Committee, collaborating with editors of leading journals such as the European Journal of Information Systems and the Journal of Business Analytics.
| | JM Song Appointed Appointed Journal Editor, Shares Expertise on Pricing Disparities | | |
Dr. Ju Myung (JM) Song
Associate Professor
Operations & Information Systems
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Associate Professor Ju Myung (JM) Song (Operations & Information Systems) has been appointed to a three-year term as Associate Editor for OMEGA – The International Journal of Management Science, a leading journal in management science, information systems, and operations research. His selection reflects his expertise and ongoing contributions to high-impact scholarship.
Earlier this year, Dr. Song also shared expert commentary on grocery store pricing disparities, explaining how factors like operating costs, supply chains, and competition affect prices in lower-income neighborhoods. Business Professor Breaks Down Grocery Price Disparity (2/3/25)
| | Bob Li Shares AI Research at Baruch College Seminar | | |
Dr. Xiaobai (Bob) Li
Professor
Operations & Information Systems
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Professor Xiaobai (Bob) Li (Operations & Information Systems) was invited to present his research at Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business as part of its faculty seminar series. His talk, “Risk-Sensitive Counterfactual Explanations for Machine Learning Model Predictions,” introduced a new method for improving the reliability of AI model explanations.
Dr. Li’s research in machine learning, data privacy, and explainable AI supports the growing need for trustworthy, transparent AI tools in business and beyond.
| | JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS (January- March 2025) | | |
Dr. Denise Dunlap
Associate Professor
Marketing Entrepreneurship & Innovation
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Palmer, B., Arias, S., Dunlap, D., Gould, G., Rahmoun, M., Boudreaux, E., & Nebeker, C. The ethics of proximity: Enrolling patients in emergency department hallway beds for suicide research. Academic Emergency Medicine, Volume 22 (4), 454-462.
Associate Professor Denise Dunlap co-authored a study on the ethical challenges of conducting suicide prevention research in emergency department hallway beds. The article highlights how collaborative problem-solving helped ensure patient privacy and advance critical mental health research in challenging clinical settings.
| | From left: Dr. Kimberly Merriman, Professor, Management; and Dr. Tamara Montag-Smit, Assistant Professor, Management. | | |
Merriman, K., Kostanski, S. (Ph.D. candiate), Ebrahimi, N. (Ph.D. candidate), and Montag-Smit, T. (2025). The Signaling Effect of Biophilic Job Posts: Do Applicants Trade Green for Green? Human Resource Management.
Professors Kimberly Merriman and Tamara Montag-Smit, along with Ph.D. students Sarah Kostanski and Negin Ebrahimi, published research in Human Resource Management (one of the Financial Times Top 50 Business journals) showing that nature-themed imagery in job ads can boost applicant interest and convey positive organizational values - even influencing perceptions of salary expectations.
| | Scott Latham on AI and the College Experience | | |
Dr. Scott Latham
Professor
Management
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Professor Scott Latham (Management) was featured in Town & Country, discussing how AI is reshaping higher education—from lesson planning to plagiarism. The article was also picked up by AOL.com and Yahoo! News. He also contributed an essay to the Chronicle of Higher Education titled “Are You Ready for the AI University?” exploring the ethical and academic implications of AI in colleges.
AI Is changing the college experience as we know it
Town & Country, 5/22/25
Are You Ready for the AI University?
Chronicle of Higher Education, 4/8/25
| | Belleh Fontem Weighs In On Boston's High Energy Costs | | Mentorship That Matters: BEST Program Success | | Senior Sudeep Gubbala (left) and faculty mentor Dr. Belleh Fontem present their research at the NEDSI conference in 2024. | | |
Manning Honors College student Sudeep Gubbala and Assistant Professor Belleh Fontem (Operations & Information Systems) were featured in Inside Lowell for their work through the Business and Entrepreneur Scholars in Training (BEST) program. Gubbala collaborated with Prof. Fontem on resource optimization research, which they presented at the 2024 Northeast Decision Sciences Institute Conference.
UMass Lowell Mentors Make a Difference for Local Grads
Inside Lowell, 5/17/25,
| | Manning Industry Days Brings Students and Professionals Together | | |
This March, the Manning School of Business hosted its first-ever Manning Industry Days, a two-day event at the Pulichino Tong Business Center designed to connect students with alumni, faculty, and industry leaders. Centered on the theme “Building Bridges: Connecting Knowledge, Experience, and Opportunity,” the event fostered collaboration between academia and industry while preparing students for impactful careers.
More than 100 professionals from top firms in finance, technology, healthcare, and manufacturing participated in keynotes, panels, and interactive workshops. Students gained real-world insights, sharpened professional skills, and built connections with mentors and potential employers.
Keynote speakers included Fred Lowery of Thermo Fisher Scientific; sponsor and Manning alum John Pantanella ’90 of Chemline Inc.; and Vala Afshar ’94, ’96 of Salesforce. With strong participation from students and industry partners, the inaugural event was a great success—with plans already underway to make it an annual tradition.
Industry Days Bring Business World to Classroom: Manning School’s Inaugural Two-Day Event Connects Students with Professionals (4/3/25)
| | Students brainstorm wellness ideas during an Industry Days session. | | Dean Bertie Greer (left) addresses Industry Days participants at the Pulichino Tong Business Center. | | Manning students had impactful conversations with representatives from a wide range of industries. | | Keynote speaker Vala Afshar ’94, ’96 from Salesforce (left) speaks with a student his keynote presentation. | | Students Shine at First-Ever UMass Lowell Sales Competition | | |
On April 18, the Manning School of Business hosted the inaugural UMass Lowell Sales Challenge, a case-based competition that brought together top students from UMass Lowell and Plymouth State University.
Ten students from each school participated in sales role-play rounds based on a real-world case study provided by Northwestern Mutual, which also served as the buyer in the simulation. The event also featured a fast-paced elevator pitch contest to test students’ communication skills under pressure.
The competition marked a key milestone for the UMass Lowell Sales Initiative, launched in 2023 to promote sales as a career path and help companies connect with emerging talent.
Contact Professor Berk Talay for more information on the Sales Team or sponsorship opportunities.
Business Students Close the Deal at Sales Challenge: Competition Highlights Growing Sales Hub, Expanding Curriculum and Corporate Partnerships (5/14/25)
| | | | Members of the Manning School of Business Sales Team pose with Dean Bertie Greer, left, Visiting Faculty Lecturer and team advisor Bill Phelps, second from right, and Professor and MEI Department Chair Berk Talay, right. | | Business Attire Pop-Up Shop Helps Students Dress for Success | | |
More than 500 students attended this spring’s Business Attire Pop-Up Shop, a campus-wide event that provided free professional clothing to help students feel confident and career-ready ahead of the Career Fair and Industry Days. Hosted by the Manning School of Business in collaboration with UMass Lowell’s Office of Advancement, STRIVE, the Career & Co-op Center, and the Rist Institute for Sustainability & Energy, the event aimed to remove barriers to accessing professional attire.
The event was powered by an incredible team effort. Staff volunteers sorted more than 2,500 donated items and helped students find outfits for interviews, internships, and co-ops. Special thanks to Tailored for Success, Inc. for donating over 300 suits and offering professional fittings—creating a meaningful experience that helped students feel prepared for the next steps in their professional journeys.
| | Alumni Hall on north campus was transformed into the Business Attire Pop-Up Shop, providing free professional clothing to the 500 students who visited. | | |
Country Roads Lead Back to UML for Jilly Martin ’09
6/6/25
Country artist and Manning alum Jilly Martin '09 (pictured) returned as keynote speaker at the May Student Awards Ceremony, where she was also inducted as an honorary member of Beta Gamma Sigma. Jilly shared how her business degree has helped her successfully manage and grow her music career.
| | From left, doctoral students Oscar Aliaga, Cintya Gajardo Véjar, and Bruce Lezana present their iLearn educational app. | | Sophomore business major Alex Donnelly gives materials to Idea Challenge judge Lorna Boucher '86 while pitching his myHub personal branding app. | | Students from the Bear Hugs team (from left) Amanda Pajak, Dilon Costa and Aidan McGrail after receiving the Contribution to a Healthier Lifestyle award. | | |
Show and Tell: Student Researchers Take Center Stage
4/10/25
At UMass Lowell’s 28th annual Student Research and Community Engagement Symposium, more than 200 students presented their work—and several Manning students stood out. Ph.D. student Haoran Wang (Marketing) won the Manning “fan favorite” award, while Bruce Lezana (Entrepreneurship) earned best graduate oral presentation. See more winners here.
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UML Student Investors are Right on the Money
4/1/25
A team of Manning finance students topped the UMass system in the annual Student Managed Fund Competition, earning the highest portfolio return for FY24. Led by Associate Professor Ravi Jain, the team included both undergrad and grad students, with Finance students Corey Perez and Abigail MacAllister (pictured) presenting the team's winning strategy at a recognition luncheon in Boston.
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Executive Decision: Alum Returns to Mentor Business Students
2/13/25
TThe Manning School of Business welcomed its first Executive in Residence this year - David Laurello ’81, ’88, former president and CEO of Stratus Technologies. In this new role, Laurello shares his leadership expertise through classroom visits, mentoring, and professional development events.
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Every milestone we reach and opportunity we provide at the Manning School of Business is made possible by the generosity of our supporters. In this section, we recognize the individuals, families, and organizations who believe in our mission and invest in our students. Their gifts support scholarships, mentorship, career development, and innovative programs that transform lives—and we are deeply grateful.
Rist Foundation Pledges $1 Million for Student Success
Brian Rist ’77, ’22 (H) and the Rist Family Foundation have pledged $1 million over five years to fund scholarships and enhance student support programs, mentoring, internships, and AI-focused learning opportunities.
Pulichino-Tong Gift Expands Internship Access
John Pulichino ’67, ’14 (H) and Joy Tong ’14 (H) committed to a $500,000 pledge over the next five years to sponsor paid internships for Joy Tong Women in Business members at community nonprofits and to support educational and professional development programs for students.
Reader Donation Launches Mentorship Initiative
Doug Reader ’83 pledged $50,000 for the next four years to establish the new Manning School Mentorship Initiative, which will connect students with business professionals for one-on-one career guidance, networking, and real-world preparation.
Pantanella Invests in Career Experiences
John Pantanella ’90, CEO of Chemline Inc., contributed $35,000 to support peer mentorships, field visits, and Manning Industry Days. He also welcomed students to Chemline’s St. Louis headquarters—providing an insider’s view of entrepreneurship and generously arranging private jet travel for the group.
Special thanks to all who continue to support Manning through scholarships and endowments, especially our dedicated Advisory Board members.
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Manning School of Business
Mary Lou Kelly
Business Manager and Newsletter Editor
Bertie Greer, Ph.D.
Rist Family Endowed Dean
Manning School of Business
University of Massachusetts Lowell
One University Avenue
Lowell, MA 01854 (978) 934-2850
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