New Professors Introduce Specializations in Modern Business Strategies at Whitman School
At the Whitman School of Management, a renowned institution of higher learning, a fresh crop of professors is joining the faculty, each bringing their unique areas of expertise to enrich the academic experience for students.
Furkan "Oz" Oztanriseven, the new Assistant Teaching Professor of Business Analytics, holds a Ph.D. in industrial engineering from the University of Arkansas. With over a decade of teaching and research excellence under his belt, Professor Oztanriseven is advancing coursework in prescriptive analytics, financial analytics, and machine learning, which are increasingly essential in today's business environment.
In the realm of entrepreneurship, Hyoju Jeong, the Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, earned her Ph.D. in business administration from the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on mission-driven entrepreneurship and community innovation, with a particular interest in underserved communities, such as rural regions without internet access. Jeong's research also examines the impact of government partnerships with large versus community banks on small business lending.
Chi Zhang, an Assistant Professor of Marketing, received his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. Zhang's research interests lie in pricing strategy, product design, and the creator economy. Currently, his research investigates the digital artwork market, including how blockchain technologies and generative AI are transforming valuation and exchange.
Ian Rennie L'09, an Assistant Teaching Professor of Law and Public Policy, graduated from the College of Law and has practiced trial litigation for 15 years. He is also president of the Onondaga County Magistrate's Association and a board member of the Onondaga County Assigned Counsel program. Rennie's academic work emphasizes the intersection of law, ethics, and management decision-making. He serves as town justice in DeWitt, N.Y.
Anywhere Sikochi, an Associate Professor of Accounting, earned his Ph.D. in business administration from Penn State University. His research examines how access to capital influences community development and the reliability and divergence of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings. Sikochi is engaged in developing a credit-rating framework for small and medium-sized enterprises in Nigeria. At Whitman, he teaches financial statement analysis at the upper-division and graduate levels.
At Whitman, Zhang is teaching new product development, while Rennie teaches Introduction to the Legal System and Commercial Transaction Law.
In a significant recognition, Zhang was awarded second place for the Best Dissertation Proposal at the Product Development and Management Association Doctoral Consortium in 2024.
Rural communities stand to benefit greatly from founding their own cooperatives, as research by Jeong reveals. Cooperatives provide support in infrastructure investment, diversification of agricultural products, adoption of sustainable agricultural models, environmental protection, and strengthening socio-economic development through product quality standards and supply chain integration. This, in turn, promotes social security and cultural identity preservation. Cooperatives also enhance collective management of natural resources, improve productivity and climate resilience, and foster local participation and rights, especially for vulnerable groups.
The arrival of these new professors promises to invigorate the Whitman School of Management, offering students a diverse and enriching learning environment.
