January 08, 2025

Building the Ranks

Kihun Kim is an assistant professor of real estate, a major introduced at Susquehanna in 2023. Prior to joining Susquehanna, Kim taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels at the University of Missouri and Miami University. His research interests include institutional investors, family firms, CEOs, real estate finance and empirical corporate finance. Kim earned his doctorate in finance from Rutgers University. He earned his master’s degree in financial engineering from the University of Michigan and his bachelor’s degree from Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea.

Cindy Pan, assistant professor of finance and analytics, focuses her research at the intersection of financial markets and corporate finance. Specifically, Pan is interested in the trading dynamics of fixed income securities such as corporate bonds and bond exchange-traded funds. Pan has taught courses in principals of finance and corporate finance. She earned her doctorate in finance from the University of Mississippi.

Krista Troiani, assistant professor of management, has diverse professional experience, having grown up in her family’s restaurant business. She previously worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative at Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb. Troiani has taught courses in management, and her research focuses on developing effective solutions to support working mothers while enhancing organizational efficiency. Troiani earned her doctorate in workforce education with an emphasis on human resource management and organizational development from Penn State University.

Chanin Wendling, visiting assistant professor of management, earned her MBA from Auburn University. An adjunct faculty member at Susquehanna since 2019, Wendling has taught Business Government Relations and Healthcare Policy. Prior to joining SU, she held various management positions, including senior director of clinical operations at Contigo Health, associate vice president of informatics at Geisinger Health System and sales manager at IMB Global Services.

Business Students Shine at FBLA State and National Conferences

Students from Susquehanna University’s Sigmund Weis School of Business won awards at the state Future Business Leaders of America Collegiate State Leadership Conference, qualifying them all for the national conference in Orlando, Florida.

At the state conference, individual awards went to:

• Brianna Le ’26, of Douglassville, Pennsylvania, first place for public speaking incorporating the goals of FBLA.
• Benjamin Bostian ’25, of Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania, and Fernando Dysico ’26, of the Philippines, second place for their presentation on emerging business issues, specifically the impacts of technology on the workforce.
• Dysico, second place for his score on a competitive test covering the foundations of economics.
• Madeline Rowan ’26, of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, second place for her score on a competitive test covering the foundations of management.

Susquehanna’s FBLA chapter won first place for its community service project, a business clothing donation drive that was organized in collaboration with Susquehanna’s Sustainability Office and Career Development Center.

The team saw success at the Future Business Leaders of America Collegiate National Leadership Conference, with all finishing in the Top 10. Le and Clarissa O’Neill ’25 presented the chapter’s community service project and took second place; Bostian and Dysico, third; Le, seventh; and Dysico, eighth.

Le founded the chapter as a first-year student in 2022. She currently serves as president of SU’s FBLA chapter, and as vice president on the executive council of Pennsylvania FBLA Collegiate. Members of Susquehanna’s FBLA chapter attend conferences, workshops and networking events with other students and business professionals. On Susquehanna’s campus, members have hosted fundraisers and activities fairs. Meetings often feature guest speakers and updates on business-related conferences and events.

“I am very proud of the accomplishments we have made as a young FBLA chapter,” Le said. “I look forward to witnessing future FBLA members evolve into compassionate, ambitious and dedicated professionals, driving our organization forward.”

Faculty Awards

Lawrence A. Lemons Distinguished Advising Award

Lauren Smith, Lecturer in Management & Marketing
Smith, who joined Susquehanna in 2020, is described by her students as an advisor whose work extends far beyond academic advising, encompassing roles in traditional advising, internship advising, co-curricular advising, hidden advising and more. As the internship advisor for the business school, Smith has advised students in a diverse range of opportunities, including both domestic and international internships.

SWSB Award for Excellence in Research

Jie Hao, Assistant Professor of Accounting
Since joining the Susquehanna University faculty in August 2020, Hao has published seven articles in peer-reviewed journals. All are in A or A+ rated journals, which is an incredible accomplishment. Further, she weaves her research into her teaching, for the benefit of students.

Honor Societies Earn Top Spots

Susquehanna University’s chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society for AACSB-accredited business schools, has earned “Highest Honors” for the 2023–24 academic year. This prestigious designation recognizes chapters that demonstrate a commitment to academic excellence, leadership development and active engagement with both the university and broader community.

“Receiving Highest Honors is a testament to the hard work and commitment of our students. They have not only excelled in their academic pursuits but have also demonstrated leadership and integrity, which are core values of Beta Gamma Sigma,” advisor Anjee Gorkhali, assistant professor of finance and analytics, said. “This recognition further strengthens our reputation as a center of academic excellence in business education.”

Sigma Nu Tau, Susquehanna’s entrepreneurship honor society, has retained its Gold Status for the fourth consecutive years and is one of only two schools in the nation to have been awarded this status.

“I am elated that the work of our students and their dedication to our chapter has been recognized at this level,” said Emma Fleck, chair and professor of management and marketing and advisor to Sigma Nu Tau. “These awards are a testament to the caliber of our students, who have made our chapter something to be very proud of.”