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Whitman Publications
Fall 2025 Magazine

Fall 2025 Magazine

Letter From the Dean

It is an extraordinary moment in the life of the Whitman School. We are embarking on a bold transformation plan, one that will position us to lead at an inflection point for higher education as we prepare students for a future facing significant change. This plan—which we are calling Transformation 2030—reflects months of thoughtful engagement across our community and significant benchmarking.

Bold Moves, Big Goals: Whitman Launches Transformation 2023 Plan to Become a Top 25 Undergraduate Business School Within Five Years

The Whitman School is embarking on an ambitious effort to become a top 25 undergraduate business school by 2030. Our new initiative, Transformation 2030: Ascending to Excellence in Business Education, represents a clear, measurable commitment to that goal.

“This is far more than a standard five-year strategic plan,” says Haynie, who joined Whitman in 2023 as executive dean with a mandate to elevate the school’s national profile with the full support of the Chancellor’s Office. “Being in the top 25 is a tangible milestone that is part of a larger goal to deliver world-class educational outcomes for our students,” he says.

Whitman Briefings

Impact Speakers

An icon in the world of real estate and a widely respected and influential professional shaping the skyline of New York City today, Bruce Mosler, chairman of global brokerage and the Veterans Initiative Program at Cushman & Wakefield Inc., spoke on April 24 at the Whitman School’s celebration of Whitman Day.

Dean’s Sustainability Challenge Highlights Student Innovation Inspired by U.N. Sustainable Development Goals

Harnessing energy by walking in sensored footwear. Creating a community of underrepresented entrepreneurs. Raising awareness of carbon consumption using a scanner for retail purchases. These were just some of the innovations presented at the second annual Whitman Dean’s Sustainability Challenge Showcase April 17 in Flaum Grand Hall.

Whitman School Receives Insight Into Academia 2025 Excellence in Mental Health and Well-Being Award

The Whitman School received the 2025 Excellence in Mental Health and Well-Being Award from Insight into Academia magazine, a measure of an institution’s individual programs and initiatives that significantly advance the core values of inclusive excellence and belonging through programs, events and other campus activities.

2025 Panasci Business Competition Awards $40,000 to Emerging Entrepreneurs

From clothing designed to make neurodiverse individuals more comfortable to a mobile thrift shop on a school bus that promotes upcycling and reduces waste, this year’s Panasci Business Plan Competition displayed ideas from some of the most entrepreneurially minded students at Syracuse University.

Whitman School Names Julie Niederhoff as Chair of Marketing Department

The Whitman School has appointed Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management Julie Niederhoff as chair of the marketing department. She also serves as co-director of the H.H. Franklin Center for Supply Chain and the Harry E. Salzberg Memorial Program. The Department of Marketing is comprised of marketing, retail and supply chain management programs, providing students with an end-to-end perspective on business processes.

Whitman School Sold on New Master’s Degree in Real Estate

Real estate is more than just closing deals. This fast-moving industry requires expertise in finance, management, development, investment and more. The Whitman School is meeting this demand with the launch of a new Master of Science in Real Estate, with the first student cohort beginning in Fall 2026.

Feature

IMPRESS Celebrates Over a Decade of Leadership Skills Differentiating Whitman Students

In fall 2014, the Whitman School launched the Goodman IMPRESS Program through the generosity of Ken Goodman ’70, retired president and chief operating officer of pharmaceutical company Forest Laboratories. Goodman has always believed that teaching students leadership skills—like teamwork, ethics, business etiquette and networking—is critical to fostering standout candidates for a competitive job market. His donation planted the seed to create the IMPRESS program, and 10 years later the initiative stands as a hallmark of a Whitman education.

Student Spotlights

Finding His Rhythm: Heath Megnin Transforms His Passion for Music Into Data-driven Insights in the Record Industry

As a senior pursuing dual degrees in finance and business analytics at the Whitman School and television, radio and film at the Newhouse School, Heath Megnin ’26 (WSM/NEW) has discovered his niche at the intersection of music, data and storytelling.

Turning Ideas Into Impact: Eden Strachan Brings Her Entrepreneurial Spirit and Author’s Voice to Whitman’s MBA Program

Eden Strachan ’26 MBA knows the power of a well-told story. Whether through journalism, film or entrepreneurship, she has spent her career amplifying voices and creating spaces where they have long been underrepresented.

Building a Foundation: Victoria Darmody Hopes Her Online MBA Will Prepare Her to Transition to a Career in Marketing

Victoria Darmody ’25 MBA never imagined her English literature degree from Fordham University would lead her to a Syracuse University MBA program. But after nearly a decade in business roles without formal business education, the Central Jersey native knew she needed to fill that gap to jump-start her career.

From Market Crash to Machine Learning: Ph.D. Student Jing Wen is Revolutionizing Financial Research with AI

The 2020 stock market crash that sent millions of investors into panic sparked something entirely different in Jing Wen: unquenchable curiosity. While others watched their portfolios plummet, the University of Toronto undergraduate found herself wondering why the markets were behaving the way they were.

Advancement and External Relations

Letter from the Assistant Dean of Advancement and External Engagement

Greetings from Whitman! As you have read throughout this issue, our school is at the start of an exciting transformation—one that focuses entirely on elevating the student experience and, as a byproduct, leading the Whitman School into becoming a top 25 undergraduate program.

Business in Boston: Whitman Furthers Reach to Foster Alumni Relationships, Student Opportunities

From biotech and fintech to banking and startups, companies in the Boston area are thriving along the same streets that once shaped a revolution. Business deals are made over lunches of clam chowder, and there’s sure to be a Dunkin’ on every corner for a mentor meeting or networking opportunity.

“Boston is a booming city with a lot of opportunity,” says Interim Dean Alex McKelvie. “We are committed to furthering our engagement with alumni there, as well as solidifying relationships with them as mentors, speakers and those willing to help Whitman students explore career opportunities.”

Annual NYC Event Continues to Elevate

On a Thursday evening last May, overlooking Manhattan’s Union Square in a reception space glowing in Syracuse Orange, students, administrators, alumni, and friends of the Whitman School came together for the 2025 Whitman Awards and Appreciation Event.

The evening celebrated the many ways our global Whitman community supports current students and helps shape the future of the School.

Fran Brown Jr.’s First Year at Whitman Is a Testament to His Parents’ Commitment to Excellence On and Off the Football Field

When Fran Brown Jr. ’28, known as Frannie, decided to transfer to Syracuse University to attend the Whitman School, he knew his mother, Teara, and father, Fran Brown, head coach of the Syracuse University football team, would have great expectations for him not only on the field, but, more importantly, in the classroom.

This is Brown’s second semester at the Whitman School, which gave him some time to make friends outside of football and get to know his classmates, professors and the opportunities at his new school. While he’s had to balance sports and school most of his life, coming the Whitman School to earn a degree while playing football is a challenge. A long snapper and fullback, Brown is listed as a redshirt sophomore on this year’s roster.

Your Journey, Your Impact: Whitman Supporters Show That Philanthropy Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All

For many, philanthropy starts even before graduation. Each year, Syracuse seniors contribute to a class gift. Since fiscal year 2020, seniors in the Whitman School have led the charge with the most senior giving participants among the entire University. In the Class of 2025, 257 Whitman students made a gift.

“I would encourage people to participate at the level in which they can starting out,” says Michael Paulus, Whitman’s assistant dean for advancement and external engagement. “That can be $100 a year, or it could be $10 a month, however people feel that they can contribute and participate in giving back.”

READ GIVING STORY

Whitman Welcomes Four New Members to Advisory Council as Chair Signs on for Second Term

Class Notes

Learn about your classmates’ new positions, promotions, family additions, awards and recognition in the Fall 2025 Class News & Notes section.

Focus on Faculty

Professor Lynne Vincent Helps Transform Management Major to Reflect Challenges of Today’s Workplace

A year into her role as chair of the Department of Management, Associate Professor Lynne Vincent is leading efforts to ensure the major reflects the evolving needs of today’s job market — and that Whitman students graduate ready to excel in their business careers.

Distinguished Professor Johan Wiklund Named a Top Scholar Globally for Business Research Publications

Al Berg Chair and Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship Johan Wiklund was recently recognized as one of the world’s most prolific business and economics scholars. The article, “What We Know About the Science of Science in Business and Economics? Insights From the Top 50 Journals, 2008–2022,” published in Production and Operations Management (2025), ranked him No. 32 globally, with 42 papers published across journals on the Financial Times Top 50 list.

Social Cues Shape Maladaptive and Adaptive Perfectionism in Professional Ballet

A new study by Rachael D. Goodwin, assistant professor of management, reveals how subtle workplace cues can either fuel unhealthy perfectionism or support a healthier drive for excellence in high-pressure environments.

The Hidden Cost of Startup Growth

A new paper by Johan Wiklund, Al Berg Chair and Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship, in Strategic Management Journal challenges conventional wisdom about rapid growth in startups. “We show that scaling might not be great for everybody, particularly for the employees,” Wiklund said.

Local Knowledge Helps in the Fight against Wildfires

Wildfires usually ravage whole regions—but sometimes leave pockets of land relatively untouched that can’t be explained by geographical barriers. Maria Minniti, director of the Institute for an Entrepreneurial Society and the Louis A. Bantle Chair in Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, and her former advisee Devin Stein ’23 Ph.D., now an assistant professor at the University of Alabama, explore a possible explanation in a new paper forthcoming in the Academy of Management Journal.

Sense of Autonomy Enhances Consumer Decision-Making with AI

Retailers increasingly use AI-based recommendation systems to help consumers make purchase decisions. A new study by Guiyang Xiong, associate professor of marketing, forthcoming in MIS Quarterly, suggests that consumers who feel a sense of autonomy—that AI is assisting rather than determining choices for them—are more likely to make purchases and less likely to return them later.

Does Quantitative Easing Stimulate Corporate Investment?

Yes, say Erasmo Giambona, professor of finance and the Michael J. Falcone Chair in Real Estate, and colleagues in their recent paper in the Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking. His co-authors are Rafael Matta, professor of finance at SKEMA Business School; Jose-Luis Peydro, professor of finance at Imperial College London; and Ye Wang, associate professor at the University of International Business and Economics.

Petty Traders Challenge Bureaucratic Barriers at Kumasi’s Kejetia Market

Kejetia Market in Kumasi, Ghana, is one of West Africa’s largest marketplaces, with 25,000 daily visitors. Over the past decade, foreign investments have reshaped the market and excluded long-standing petty traders who lacked formal registration.

Five New Faculty Members Join Whitman School

HYOJU JEONG

Assistant Professor
of Entrepreneurship

FURKAN OZTANRISEVEN

Assistant Teaching Professor
of Business Analytics

IAN RENNIE L’09

Assistant Teaching Professor
of Law and Public Policy

ANYWHERE SIKOCHI

Associate Professor
of Accounting

Assistant Professor
of Marketing

Are you interested in past issues of the magazine? Please visit our publications page here.

If you would prefer to receive the magazine digitally rather than in hard copy or you would no longer like to receive the magazine, please visit here.

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