51����

Colleen M. Boland, Associate Professor of Accounting, has been reappointed to the Auditing & Attestation Subcommittee of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for 2024-2025. The subcommittee is responsible for final approval of the CPA exam questions in the audit content area. Dr. Boland specializes in auditing and accounting information systems. Her research interests include auditing standard setting, internal controls, corporate governance, audit and auditor quality, and corporate voluntary disclosure. This will be her second one-year term.

Tracy Rank-Christman, Assistant Professor of Marketing, has been honored with the Early Career Award from the Society for Consumer Psychology. The award is bestowed upon researchers within eight years of receiving their PhD. It recognizes emerging scholars whose research shows promise in shaping the field of consumer psychology.

Her research primarily centers around consumer identities with a particular focus on exploring the intersection between how consumers see themselves and how they are portrayed or addressed in the marketplace. A second area of her work explores social change. 

Dr. Rank-Christman graduated from Rutgers University with her PhD in 2016. Since joining the Lubar College that same year, she has published over ten articles in academic journals including the Journal of Consumer Psychology, the Journal of Business Ethics, and the Journal of the Association of Consumer Research. In 2023, she and her co-authors were recognized for the AMA-EBSCO-RRBM for Responsible Research in Marketing Award.

Three Lubar College of Business alumni have been recognized among the Milwaukee Business Journal’s “40 Under 40,” which honors Milwaukee’s brightest young leaders and professionals, including:

• Hassan Akhtar (’08 BBA-Marketing, ’09 Post Baccalaureate Finance), Executive Director and Private Banker at J.P. Morgan Private Bank
• David Binder (’09 BBA-Marketing), Senior Vice President at MLG Capital
• Aaron Matter (’09 BBA-Finance with Real Estate Certificate), Managing Director and Founder of Matter Development

To learn more about them and other 51���� grads receiving the award, see this 51���� Report article.

In other alumni news:

Tim Bonin (’95 BBA-Accounting) has been promoted to Director of Fund Accounting and Fund Administration at UMB Fund Services. In this role, he will provide leadership for the Fund Accounting and Fund Administration departments, setting strategy, policies, procedures, and specific business objectives for both groups. Tim first joined UMB in 2022 as Director of New Fund Operations. Prior to UMB, he was with BMO Funds, Inc. for 16 years as vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer.

Adam Hanson (’04 BBA-Accounting) has been promoted to principal at SVA Certified Public Accountants. Adam is the leader of SVA’s Client Accounting Services. His expertise is focused on financial reporting and outsourced accounting for businesses.

Tyler Sims (’11 BBA-Finance) has joined Cross Management Services, Inc. as Executive Vice President and Chief Operation Officer responsible for directing strategic growth and operations. Tyler worked most recently for Versiti, Inc. where he led the Corporate Development function responsible for mergers and acquisitions and supported the organization’s strategic planning initiatives. Prior to Versiti, Tyler held roles at GE Healthcare and Coca-Cola in strategy, M&A, and business development.

Carly Hauser (’12 BBA-Marketing and ’17 MBA) has joined M.A. Mortenson Co. as Business Development Manager, where she is responsible for engaging with existing and potential customers, connecting Mortenson to the community, and positioning the firm’s construction services.

Katie Jenson (’16 BBA-Marketing) has been promoted to Director of Marketing & Philanthropy at the Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County. Katie will oversee HAWS marketing and media efforts and website, along with corporate engagement and community events. She has grown HAWS mobile adoption and community outreach efforts exponentially since joining the team in 2020, including significant expansion of corporate engagement and fundraising.

Michael Moe (’19 BBA-Marketing/Supply Chain Management) has been promoted to Business Development Manager at Greenfire Management Services LLC. He represents Greenfire at tradeshows, conventions, tribal events, career fairs and other special events.

Andrew Miller (’20 Executive MBA) has joined restaurant group Toro Toro Toro Inc. as Vice President of Operations. Andrew has 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry.

Congratulations to the Lubar College of Business alumni who were honored at this year’s 51���� Alumni Association Awards Ceremony!

Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award
Salvatore (Sal) Miosi, ’88 BBA Finance
President & Chief Operating Officer
MGIC

Sal has worked for MGIC for 35 years, starting in various analytical roles and rising to leadership positions in technology, operations, marketing and strategy. He was named president and COO in 2019, and he serves on several boards and advisory councils, including the Business Advisory Council at the Lubar College of Business, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, Community Development Alliance and Fannie Mae Affordable Housing Advisory Council. Sal has spent the entirety of his career at MGIC, helping millions of families realize their dream of home ownership. His work at MGIC has been instrumental in making housing more accessible for low and moderate-income level families who may not be able to afford a large down payment. Sal is a donor to the 51���� Foundation and serves in the Lubar College’s Multicultural Mentoring Program.

Impact Award
Carla Cross, ’81 BBA Accounting
President & CEO
Cross Management Services, Inc.

Carla began her career as a tax specialist for Arthur Andersen & Co. in Milwaukee and worked in positions related to tax software and tax preparation before being named CFO to Milwaukee’s Next Door Foundation in 1991. She was an economic development specialist for the Department of City Development before launching her own construction management firm and consulting company in 1996. In her leadership role, she coordinates and monitors supplier and workforce diversity inclusion on construction projects to ensure that our workforce represents our community. Her company helps with contract compliance for projects ranging in value from $2 million to $500 million. A loyal donor to the 51���� Foundation, Carla was one of the first members of the Milwaukee construction world to join the Dean’s Council of 51����’s School of Architecture & Urban Planning.

Exemplary Alumni Service Award
Jacquelyn (Jackie) Fredrick, ’88 Executive MBA, ’12 Honorary Doctorate of Business and Public Health
Retired CEO
Versiti, Inc. and BloodCenter of Wisconsin

Trained in medical technology, Jackie has spent her career as a leader in transfusion and transplantation medicine organizations, such as Versiti and the National American Red Cross. In 2018, she was appointed to chair the Advisory Committee for Blood and Tissue Safety and Availability for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a role she held for three years. Jackie brings her 35 years of executive experience to her roles on several boards, including the Business Advisory Council at the Lubar College of Business, the 51���� Foundation Board (serving as chair from 2015 to 2016) and the 51���� Research Foundation Board (serving as chair, vice chair and treasurer). A generous supporter of 51����, Jackie was also instrumental in 51����’s strategic planning as a member of the Preparing for 2030 and Beyond Think Tank.

Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award
Michael Emem, ’20 BBA Finance, Real Estate Certificate
President & CEO
Emem Group

Michael began his career when he was in high school at Bradley Tech, installing cabinets for Holland Construction and managing projects for Cross Management Services. He joined T.L. Reese Construction as a project manager, and in 2013, he became the construction director of Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity and was named a 40 Under 40 winner by the Milwaukee Business Journal. He completed his associate degree in architectural technology at Milwaukee Area Technical College and graduated head of his class from Marquette University’s ACRE program in 2015, all while working full time and raising a family. He began Emem Group in 2018 to create socially responsible real estate projects in areas that have historically seen disinvestment. A Milwaukee native, he has managed well over $100 million in construction and development projects, including over 600 new housing units. He has returned to 51���� as a guest lecturer in real estate management classes.

51���� Alumni Association

Dr. Joan Shapiro Beigh, Teaching Professor of Organizations & Strategic Management, has been selected for the 2024-25 Wisconsin Teaching Fellows and Scholars program sponsored by the Universities of Wisconsin Office of Professional and Instructional Development. The program provides a unique opportunity for collaboration with other exceptional teachers from various disciplines across the Universities of Wisconsin.

Shapiro Beigh also recently received two grants from the Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute (NMDSI), a partnership between Northwestern Mutual, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Marquette University that contributes to the formation of a technology ecosystem and advances southeastern Wisconsin as a national hub for technology.

The first grant was awarded from NMDSI’s Pioneer Collaborative Curricula Program, and will support the development of a new seminar course on “Data Analytics, AI, and Innovation.” Seminar students will perform critical analyses of business problems and organizations, as well as complex problems such as pressing issues related to pro-social, environmental, and business-related issues that matter to students today. The creativity and innovation components of the course will serve as the catalyst to engage students from the liberal arts and other creative, non-STEM disciplines.

Shapiro Beigh was also awarded a Student Research Scholar Grant from NMDSI to support a student research project she is supervising designed to help students understand how AI technologies like ChatGPT are reshaping and challenging traditional practices across multiple sectors. Lubar Business Scholars and seniors Maximilian Hartounian and Collin Jacobi are reviewing existing research and will soon be interviewing Milwaukee business leaders. The working title of their project is “How AI Technologies are Reshaping and Challenging Traditional Business Practices in Milwaukee.” The grant will support Maxx, Collin, and Joan in presenting the study’s findings at the MBAA International Conference in Chicago this coming April. 

Congratulations, Joan!

The Lubar College of Business welcomes these new faculty members!

Dawei Jian
Assistant Professor of Supply Chain & Operations Management

Dr. Jian has expertise in incentives and information management within business contexts, especially in the areas of procurement, distribution channel, services design, risk management, and compensation design. His research primarily focuses on the question of what management can achieve when the information for decision making is dispersed, privately held, and evolving dynamically. He earned his PhD in Operations Management from the University of California, Riverside.

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Pallav Routh
Assistant Professor of Marketing

Dr. Routh’s expertise lies in the domain of marketing strategy and quantitative marketing, where he combines machine learning methods with traditional econometric modeling techniques, especially text-based modeling techniques. His current research focuses on contemporary issues in the realm of B2B relationship marketing, frontline sales management, and social network analysis. In the past, he has worked on topics related to customer relationship management. He holds his PhD in Marketing from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

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Joan Shapiro Beigh
Teaching Professor of Management

Dr. Shapiro Beigh joins us from Loyola University Chicago, where she received awards for teaching innovations in choice-based assignments and creative problem-solving. Her research has focused on heterogeneity within work styles, which she incorporates into her classroom teaching. Prior to her academic career, Dr. Shapiro Beigh had a consulting practice in organizational communication and stakeholder feedback research. She earned her DBA in Business from DePaul University.

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Chad Venne
Lecturer in Real Estate and Director, Real Estate Program

Mr. Venne specializes in real estate management operations and asset management of investment real estate portfolios. He teaches courses in real estate management and development. Mr. Venne is a Certified Property Manager ® with the Institute of Real Estate Management, an IREM Instructor, and a licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Wisconsin.

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Jiadi Xu
Assistant Professor of Finance

Dr. Xu conducts research in the areas of corporate finance, household finance, and urban economics. His teaching focuses on financial modeling and fintech. He earned his PhD in Finance from the University of Texas at Dallas.