ST.JOHN’S BusinessThe Peter J. Tobin College of Business 2020-2021 Dean’s Report JOHN P. “JACK” CLARKE, ESQ., ‘55CBA, ‘57L, TOBIN’S LONGEST-SERVING FACULTY MEMBER, IS FEATURED ON PAGE 17. 02 13 MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN ENDOWED CHAIRS AND PROFESSORSHIPS 03 15 PLACEMENT AND PERFORMANCE INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS AND TOBIN IN THE MEDIA 04 17 EXECUTIVE EVENTS INTERVIEW WITH JOHN P. “JACK” CLARKE, ESQ., ‘55CBA, ‘57L 05 18 INTERVIEW WITH UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT STUDENT SUCCESS BRIAN J. SHANLEY, O.P., S.T.L., PH.D. 07 19 FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP TOBIN SENIOR LEADERSHIP 11 20 CELEBRATION OF 150 YEARS BOARD OF ADVISORS MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN At The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, we believe in providing our students an education that is entrepreneurial, experiential, and global. This past year has been one full of challenges, as well as successes, and we are particularly proud of the efforts made by our faculty and students to transition to online learning in response to the challenges of COVID-19. In this Dean’s Report, we share the success of our students in their curricular and cocurricular activities. In addition, we highlight the extraordinary caliber of scholarship by our faculty that is receiving national acclaim across multiple disciplines. The dedication and devotion of our faculty to both their research and their teaching continues to be exemplary. Our experiential learning opportunities have thrived during the past year, as evident in our James and Eileen Christmas Business Plan Competition and Pitch Event, our Tobin CEO Seminar Series, our Henry George Lecture Series, and our Executive-in-Residence Program. We are proud of the positive metrics in the placement and performance of our students, research publications by our scholars, and new professorships endowed by our dedicated alumni. As a Vincentian community, we consider the well-being, health, and education of our students to be our primary priority, and we are grateful to all of our generous and devoted alumni who have supported Tobin this year. Regards, Norean R. Sharpe, Ph.D. Dean Joseph H. and Maria C. Schwartz Distinguished Chair Professor of Decision Sciences The Peter J. Tobin College of Business 1 THE PETER J. TOBIN COLLEGE OF BUSINESS DEAN’S REPORT 2020–21 2 EXECUTIVE EVENTS TOBIN CEO SEMINAR SERIES PLACEMENT Val Ackerman, Commissioner, BIG EAST Conference, spoke on Sept. 10. Commissioner since 2013, she was the AND PERFORMANCE founding President of the Women’s Thanks to a dedicated and talented team of faculty, administrators, and staff, we have collaborated to create new programs, WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP PANEL National Basketball Association and a recruit experienced faculty, and place students in quality, full-time positions. Our Ellen Thrower Center for Apprenticeship past President of USA Basketball, which In commemoration of Women’s History oversees the US men’s and women’s Olympic basketball and Career Services and our Paul and Carol Evanson Career Services Center both advance career opportunities for our Month, Dean Norean R. Sharpe, Ph.D., program. She has had a long and accomplished career in students, as reflected by a strong placement rate, an average salary of close to $62,000 for the Class of 2020, and an enviable moderated a Women’s Leadership Panel, the sports industry and is one of the few sports executives record of placing our graduates at top-level firms in the industries of their choice in the New York metropolitan area. “Women’s Leadership: Progress and who has held leadership positions in both men’s and Potential,” on March 25. women’s sports at the collegiate, professional, national, The panelists were Janice M. Abraham, and international levels. President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Joseph A. Tarantino ‘80CBA, President of United Educators; Georgette Chapman and CEO of global consulting firm Protiviti SEEKING TOP EMPLOYERS Phillips, Ph.D., the Kevin L. and Lisa A. Inc., gave an informative presentation EMPLOYMENT Clayton Dean of the Lehigh University FURTHERING on “Lessons Learned from Managing EDUCATION College of Business; Charlene Prounis, in a Crisis” on Dec. 3. Mr. Tarantino, AIG JP MORGAN CHASE entrepreneur, former CEO of Flashpoint a member of the St. John’s University AMAZON KPMG Medical, and a member of the Tobin Board of Trustees and the 2016 Spirit of Service Award AON MARKEL INSURANCE Board of Advisors; and Lynn Perry corecipient (with his wife, Eileen Tarantino ‘80CBA), shared BDO MARSH Wooten, Ph.D., President of Simmons his story and his connection to St. John’s, and talked about BERSON MAZARS University. The executives spoke about some of his professional experiences in managing through DELOITTE PWC their professional experiences, their a crisis. EAST COAST CAPITAL HOLDINGS STARR COS. individual leadership trajectories, Michael Pugh, President and CEO of EY SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL and the future of female leadership. Carver Bancorp, the largest federally GEICO VERISK ANALYTICS chartered savings bank and the nation’s GRANT THORNTON WILLIS TOWERS WATSON largest publicly traded African- and HENRY GEORGE LECTURE SERIES Caribbean-American operated bank, spoke on Feb. 24 in honor of Black Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan, Ph.D., Associate History Month. After covering Carver’s history, mission, and * within six months of graduation EMPLOYED (PT/FT) Professor and Henry George Chair in for the Class of 2020 focus, Mr. Pugh related his personal story of what motivated Economics, welcomed two distinguished him to go into banking and why he believes that education economists to deliver the Henry George is important. He concluded his talk by sharing his tips Lectures. The Fall 2020 guest was Pavlina for success. AVERAGE SALARY R. Tcherneva, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Economics and a Research Scholar at the Levy Economics Institute of Bard Business and sports consultant Jeff $64,000 College. A specialist in modern monetary theory and public Diamond spoke on April 15. The former policy, Dr. Tcherneva discussed the concepts introduced in Chairman and CEO of consulting firm $62,000 $62,592 her highly regarded book, The Case for a Job Guarantee the Ingram Group, he served as team $62,000 (Polity, 2020). President and Chief Operating Officer of the Tennessee Titans, who competed $60,000 The Spring 2021 guest, Louis-Philippe in the Super Bowl in 1999. Prior to joining the Titans, the $59,146 Rochon, Ph.D., Professor of Economics at Minneapolis native was Senior Vice President of Football $58,000 Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, $58,597 Operations and General Manager for the Minnesota Canada, is an internationally renowned Vikings. He discussed his career as a sports executive, expert and sought-after speaker on fiscal $56,000 providing many fascinating anecdotes and offering and monetary policy and theory, and post-Keynesian 2017 2018 2019 2020 useful management advice. economics. He lectured on the topic of “The Income Distributive Nature of Monetary Policy.” 3 THE PETER J. TOBIN COLLEGE OF BUSINESS DEAN’S REPORT 2020–21 4 STUDENT SUCCESS TOBIN ACCOUNTING STUDENTS WIN COMPETITION KAYLA MESAROS ALICIA VILLAFANA ‘20TCB, ‘21MBA For the first time in two years, a team of Tobin College A standout on the St. John’s Women’s Soccer team, Business Alicia Villafana graduated in May 2020, summa cum accounting students from Staten Island finished first in its major and Hospitality Management minor Kayla Mesaros plans laude, with a B.S. in Marketing and a minor in International category at the Beta Alpha Psi Best Practices Competition to combine her passions for sports, sustainability in business, Studies. As Secretary of the Marketing Club and President for the Atlantic Coast Region, which was held in March and corporate social responsibility when she graduates from the of the Student Programming Board, Alicia was voted and sponsored by Deloitte. five-year Fast-Track M.B.A. program in 2023. In addition to her Student Leader of the Year. She also served as the media The team from the Kappa Zeta chapter of Beta Alpha 3.9 grade point average, the Royersford, PA, native is a member and marketing graduate assistant for St. John’s University Psi—Alexandra Baratta, Matthew Bertone, Anna Gaglio, of the University’s Athletics Council on Community, Culture, Career Services. and John Giammarino—will now advance to the national and Social Justice, and the Student-Athlete Advisory Council. competition in August. The team was advised by Benjamin She also serves as a business development intern for Kids in She earned her M.B.A in Business Analytics in May and R. Silliman, Ed.D., Professor of Accountancy. the Game, a provider of youth sports programs in the New now works full-time at the NPD Group as an Account York City area, and as a co-head coach for the Yeshiva Associate for Commercial Technology. University High School for Girls’ soccer team. IVANS ESPERANCE ‘21TCB WINS BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION The annual James and Eileen Christmas Business Plan MOHAMMAD SOLTANI-NEJAD ‘21GSRM Competition and Pitch Event was held virtually on April 15. A graduate student at the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science, This year’s top honors and a prize of $5,000 went to Ivans Mohammad Soltani-Nejad was one of three finalists in Esperance for College Savvy, a mobile app designed to the global credit rating agency A.M. Best’s inaugural facilitate effective business writing, communication, and Student Challenge competition. This challenge is open professionalism during the college undergraduate journey. to students from risk and insurance graduate and Second place, with a prize of $2,000, went to Tineal De La undergraduate programs nationwide. Cruz for We-Be!, an online educational team building and This competition tasked risk management and insurance coaching company. Two teams tied for third place: a prize students with creating innovative solutions for catastrophe of $1,000 each went to Steven Sweet for BottleSense App, which connects recyclable bottle consumers and collectors, risks.