The Maine Business School is pleased to welcome Dr. Daehyun Kim to the University of Maine! Dr. Kim, Assistant Professor of Accounting, came to academia from the world of investment banking, managerial accounting, and corporate finance. Finding a lack of work-life balance, Dr. Kim took the advice of his father to pursue his Ph.D.听

What is your area of expertise?

In terms of teaching, I teach managerial accounting. I have taught managerial accounting as a Ph.D. student at the University of Texas at Austin and as a professor at the University of Toronto. I have taught both at the undergraduate and MBA levels, and I thoroughly enjoy it.

For research, I am interested in how the boards of directors govern corporations. Boards are at the pinnacle of the corporate hierarchy, but not much is known about them because board meetings are private and confidential. It is interesting to uncover patterns of their behaviors by analyzing data on individual directors and board structures.

How did you get interested in your field?

You may think it odd that, although I am an accounting professor, I am not a CPA. I jokingly refer to myself as nCnPnA: non-certified, non-public, non-accountant. I have never worked in public accounting as an accountant, and I don’t know much about financial accounting rules. People often picture CPAs and public accounting when they think of accounting, but there is a much greater field in accounting in terms of career opportunities: managerial accounting! Managerial accounting is used by all organizations, for-profit or non-profit. To make profitable business decisions, to motivate people through compensation, and to plan the allocation of resources, organizations use managerial accounting. All the decision-making and control aspect of managerial accounting fascinates me. Moreover, I also worked as a financial analyst. A financial analyst is basically a managerial accounting specialist.

When I first joined the Ph.D. program at the University of Texas at Austin, I thought corporate governance was the most boring topic. However, I had a chance to work with a professor who works in the field and gradually gained interest in the topic. Now, it is the most intriguing topic for me as a researcher.

What classes do you teach at 91福利?

Managerial Accounting! You can meet me in ACC 202 and ACC 305.

What are your expectations of your students?

Challenge yourself. What you will gain in college is not the output (e.g., grades/GPA) but the process in which you obtain it. GPA is not a requirement to have a good, fulfilling career, but the work ethic and resilient attitude are.

Be ethical. Consider what you can lose by compromising the principles. Be a person that the future you can be proud.

Be independent and responsible. Don’t bring a secondary school mentality. You are an adult now. Don’t expect hand-holding in college; relying on that will only hurt you in the workplace.

What do you enjoy doing outside of academia?

Walking in the woods with my wife and our dog-daughter. This is why we moved to Maine! But my wife is a bit afraid of walking in the woods here, because she heard there are black bears in the Maine woods. I told her I see thousands of Black Bears on campus.

What advice do you wish you had received as an undergraduate student?

Experiment with many things. You are young and can afford to make mistakes because you will get many more chances. This applies to any aspect of life, and is also true for careers. If things don’t work out for you, you can always come back to school as a graduate student. I had three different jobs before I returned to school and found my calling as an academic.

Develop a philosophy of life. Deliberate on why you are in this world. What is the purpose of your life? The earlier you begin contemplating, the more meaningful your life will be.

What are your first impressions of Maine?

Trees, trees, trees! It was a clear day when my first flight to Bangor was descending, and all I could see were trees. I expected the greenery, but I did not expect this much greeeeenery.

People are so nice here. I appreciate the kindness and friendliness of Mainers. When I lived in big cities like Toronto and New York, I missed these little things that truly improve the quality of life.

An accredited public relations professional, Shane Perry brings his extensive experience in marketing and communications to the Maine Business School as the new Lecturer in Marketing.

What inspired you to become a professor?

Dr. Kathryn Lasky at the University of Southern Maine inspired me to want to become a professor. Kathryn was someone who effectively challenged my idea of “settling for good enough.” She got to know me as both my professor and my advisor. She encouraged me to continue my education into grad school and told me I would make a good teacher.

What is your area of expertise?

Marketing and Public Relations.

How did you get interested in your field?

It was an undergrad media criticism course that first sparked my interest in the field of marketing and communications. I found that marketing combined my interest in research and data with my background in the arts. In marketing, creativity can lend itself to unique solutions for real-world business problems. I like being able to use the data and metrics as a starting point for creative output.

What classes do you teach at 91福利?

Introduction to Marketing (MKT 270), both in-person and online.

What are your expectations of your students?

It’s my job to help my students build a solid understanding of the fundamentals of marketing so they are well-prepared for more advanced marketing topics. I hope students will come to class with a curious mind. I think classes are more enjoyable for everyone when there is active participation. I foster an inclusive, welcoming classroom environment, encouraging students to ask and answer questions without fear of judgment. This is an intro class, and there are no stupid questions.

What do you enjoy doing outside of academia?

One thing I really enjoy doing is playing tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons or Settlers of Catan. I have a group of friends I meet with weekly, and we try out new games. Right now, my favorite game is Monster of the Week.

What advice do you wish you had received as an undergraduate student?

Don’t rush your college experience. I dismissed a lot of the “college experience” as partying and didn鈥檛 participate in a lot of campus activities.

Part of the college experience is learning how to engage with other people. Learn how to effectively network. Learn how to be a part of a team and what that means. Learn to appreciate what you bring to the table and advocate for yourself. Learn your weak spots so you can better appreciate other people’s contributions. Learn how to handle rejection in a healthy way. Learn how to get out of your comfort zone.

Dr. Alexandru Roman relocated across the country from California to join the Maine Business School this fall. An Assistant Professor of Strategic Management, Dr. Roman earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Riverside.

What inspired you to become a professor?

My father was a professor. He was the one who inspired me to join academia. He has always instilled in me the value of knowledge, creativity, and the need to uphold high professional and moral values.

What is your area of expertise?

My main areas of expertise and research interest are strategy and strategic management. A particular focus is human capital resources within the context of organizational performance.

How did you get interested in your field of study?

My first Ph.D. was in Public Administration. However, as my career progressed, my interest expanded significantly beyond my original focus on governmental and nonprofit organizations’ performance. As a result, I decided to pursue a second Ph.D. in Strategy and Organizations, in line with my newly developed research interests.

What classes do you teach at 91福利?

I teach Strategic Management and Global Supply Chain Network.

What are your expectations for your students?

My hope is that students will seize the moment and opportunity to reach their highest personal and professional expectations.

What do you enjoy doing outside of academia?

I am a huge sports fan – specifically, football and soccer. I follow Chelsea FC and the Kansas City Chiefs.

What advice did you wish you had received as an undergraduate student?

• There are several things that I wish I would have internalized more as an undergraduate student:
• Have a career plan. It does not need to be perfect, however, typically any plan is better than no plan.
• Most, if not all, large successes start small. Small early inputs (e.g., saving, investments, training, etc.) have significant aggregate impacts – such that success is nothing more than a function of small incremental changes.
• Starting any project (i.e., new skill, business, etc.) is typically the most difficult part. It usually gets easier after the initial struggles.
• There will never be a “perfect time” to succeed. My father used to say that if given enough time, one will always find convincing arguments not do something. As such – don’t give yourself too much time to dissuade yourself from success. As the cliche would have it – just do it!
• Life indeed “happens” while you wait to start living. Those who say that youth may be wasted on the young may have a point. Make it your job to prove them wrong.

Xinhui 鈥淕abe鈥� Huang joined MBS in January as an Assistant Professor in Finance. Dr. Huang earned his Ph.D. at Texas A&M International University. His teaching areas include intro to finance, financial management, and corporate finance.

What inspired you to become a professor?

My master’s study advisor, Dr. Pavlo Tsebro, has been a shining example for me. He guided me in setting my goals and advised me on how to achieve them step by step, profoundly impacting my life. Through his mentorship, he demonstrated the true significance and transformative power of education in helping students reach their aspirations. It is his inspiration that fuels my desire to become a professor.

What is your area of expertise?

I am primarily focused on corporate finance, with particular interests in economic policy analysis, corporate governance, financial accounting, and issues related to firm capital.

How did you get interested in your field of study?

Since childhood, I’ve cultivated a habit of reading the news daily. During my college years, my parents provided funds for me to invest in the stock market. Engaging in reading news, analyzing information, applying knowledge gained from classes, making informed judgments, and investing has been thrilling and educational. It has honed my critical thinking skills and fostered my deep interest in corporate finance.

What classes do you teach at 91福利?

I’m teaching FIN 351 Valuation and Corporate Investment Decisions in the spring 2024 semester.

What are your expectations for your students?

My class aims to foster a professional level of critical thinking in finance among my students. I prioritize fundamental principles like ‘Higher risk, higher return’ and ‘Cost-benefit trade-off.’ These principles are the cornerstone of the equations and knowledge found in textbooks. My objective is for students to understand this knowledge and develop a mindset rooted in these foundational principles in finance, empowering them to apply it effectively in real-world situations.

What do you enjoy doing outside of academia?

I have a deep love for travel. I’ve explored nine presidential museums, ranging from JFK to George W. Bush (with Reagan’s Presidential Museum being my favorite). In addition to my passion for history, I enjoy hiking, and my next adventure awaits at Devil’s Tower National Park in Wyoming.

What advice did you wish you had received as an undergraduate student?

Throughout your college years, explore your interests to shape your future aspirations. Set clear goals aligned with your passions, seeking advice from those familiar with your ambitions. Develop a detailed plan and diligently work towards achieving your objectives. Alongside your pursuits, embrace life’s adventures, travel to new places, and broaden your horizons to enrich your experiences.

Adria LaRose, Esq., joined the Maine Business School faculty in the fall of 2023. Originally from Missouri, Adria spent many years in San Francisco before moving to Maine.听

I discovered I really enjoyed teaching! As a practicing attorney, one of my favorite parts of my job was counseling clients and helping them understand the sometimes impenetrable intricacies of the law.听 After giving a few presentations on legal issues to lay people and then teaching a seminar on psychology and the law, I was hooked!”

The law impacts so many aspects of our lives, whether we are aware of it or not. I was drawn to law because, at its best, it attempts to apply fairness and logic to human problems.听

I teach the Legal Environment of Law (MGT 220) and Alternative Dispute Resolution (MGT 335).

In my Alternative Dispute Resolution class, we do simulations that can reveal cognitive biases. In one simulation, I ask students to write down the last two digits of their social security number and then have them write down a bid on an imaginary product. What’s surprising and cool is that, on average, the amounts of students鈥� bids appears to be affected by the completely unrelated digits.听

I know that law can be a forbidding subject, and I try to make it accessible to my students. I hope they feel comfortable asking me questions when I don鈥檛!

Reading, following pop culture, and taking long walks.

Advice is great, but you have to learn to trust your gut.

In September 2023, Dr. Nick Swim joined the faculty at the Maine Business School. He earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Organizational Development – Sport Administration at the University of Louisville, where he was a full-time lecturer. Read on to learn about his research interests, teaching style, and advice.

My original goal was to coach. I loved working with athletes, but then I got into research, which led me to teaching. I realized I could significantly impact a larger group of students in the classroom versus just on the baseball field. There’s a lot of overlap between coaching and teaching, like communication, transparency, holding people accountable, and hard work. What I love about sports is how they can transform people’s lives. Many positive impacts can be made through sport from a manager’s side of things. I love training the next generation of managers. I focus on teaching that sports are inclusive for everyone regardless of age, level, and individuality.

I’ve taught many classes, from sports communication to ethical issues in sports. My research focus is on leadership attainment. I’m focused on researching how to make sports a more inclusive environment from multiple perspectives, such as how we improve access to sports and how it could exclude groups from our populations. From a leadership perspective, how are we hiring and creating systems to support diverse populations to excel at their jobs, especially through supporting people of different races, religions, and international status? And how are we helping these individuals in these spaces? How do we make spaces more inclusive? How do we reimagine sports experiences to ensure fewer people have negative experiences? I see research as a giant puzzle and enjoy figuring out how to assemble things.

The biggest thing for me was always being around sports. Fun fact: my uncle played baseball at 91福利 way back in the day. He was a part of one of the World Series teams in the 80s. That was pretty exciting! My grandpa is a hall-of-fame high school baseball coach in Vermont, and my dad’s side is a golfing family. I’ve been entrenched in sports my entire life. I never really thought I would be working anywhere outside of sports. From an athlete standpoint, I always played multiple sports and, through these different perspectives, learned a lot about leadership.

I am currently teaching Intro to Sport Management. It’s the first class where undergrads are grasping how to move from a fan to a manager, and that is the goal of the sports management degree. In the future, we plan to add a Sport Sales and Sponsorship course focused on the importance of sports selling. I’m also excited to teach an event management course focused on developing sport-focused events. My goal is to bring a positive environment everywhere I am. I don’t want students to come into my classroom with a negative perspective. I want them to come in and say, “Wow, I learned a lot today, and I had fun!”

The most significant part is showing up and being engaged. There’s nothing better than a classroom of students sharing their opinions, giving their perspectives, answering questions, and challenging themselves to improve. If you do that, then you’ll do fine in my classroom and the sports industry!

I was a former college baseball player, so many of my hobbies were sports. I’m also a runner. I’ve run seven marathons with Boston lined up for the spring, which is exciting. Another fun fact about me is that I grew up on a golf course! My father is a golf pro and teaching professional at a local country club in Vermont. I have played and worked at a golf course my whole life, making it a fun hobby for the summer months. It’s a unique way to engage with and meet new people.

As most of my students know, I’m a Swiftie. I’m not a wait-in-the-que-for-hours type of Taylor Swift fan, but I will enjoy her music! For pump-up specific right now, it’s mostly Zach Bryant. I have a high energy level, so music that stays on an even keel is probably where I need to be. I usually have students tell me their walk-up song as an ice-breaker in class, and I share mine, which this semester would be some old-school Drake.

Get more involved on campus. Getting involved in different groups that challenge your perspective is excellent for your development. We sometimes get stuck in doing clubs/organizations that align with our past experiences instead of trying new things! College is about being uncomfortable, so taking on new, unique experiences can really improve you as a person! If I could return to college, I would get involved and do more things to help the campus, the community, and those around me.

Story by Annie Pendergast


 

The Maine Business School added a new Lecturer in Accounting to the faculty at the start of the 2022-2023 academic year. Charles Day, CPA, has lived, taught, and worked in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, Canada, and the United States. We’re thrilled he has joined us in Maine.

“Charles brings a unique background in the energy industry and teaching experience for universities in the UK to the University of Maine,” says Dr. Jason Harkins, Interim Executive Dean of the Maine Business School. “We are excited to see the impact he will have on students focused on Accounting and beyond.”

Maine was a strategic choice for Day. He and his wife, who hails from Australia, have two daughters. One lives in Boston, and the other in California. Since arriving in Maine this summer, Day has loved the access to nature that Maine affords him. “The biggest surprise is probably that I feel like there are more people around than I would expect in a relatively unpopulated state,” he says.

Day has a long history of professional accounting work and began teaching in 2016. “I wanted to contribute to the accounting profession by helping the development of future accounting professionals,” he says. He adds that accounting is primarily learned through doing rather than watching or listening to someone else. Since arriving at 91福利, he has significantly changed his approach to teaching accounting. Instead of lecturing in class and having students complete tasks in their own time, Day has tried to flip the classroom. He has students complete tasks under his supervision so that he can help resolve issues as soon as they arise. “My satisfaction comes when students get it, and I have helped equip them with a skill they will likely have forever.”

A chartered accountant, Day is passionate about the career options of a degree in accounting anywhere in the world. “In South Africa, where I grew up, qualification as a chartered accountant is almost essential to become a chief financial officer,” he says. He adds that a significant number of CEOs are also chartered accountants. “Managing a business requires a deep understanding of the business performance. That only comes from understanding financial performance and position. Accounting is too often mischaracterized as scorekeeping. In reality, professional accountants play a significant role in determining the score on the board.鈥�

Dr. Susan Myrden, Associate Professor of Marketing, has been appointed the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) for the University of Maine. She is the first woman to hold this position at 91福利.听
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In this role, Dr. Myrden serves as a liaison between the institution and the athletics department. She also represents the institution in the America East conference and NCAA affairs. This role is designed to ensure that the academic institution establishes and maintains the appropriate balance between academics and intercollegiate athletics.听
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“We look forward to working with Susan as our Faculty Athletics Representative with the ,” says Samantha Hegmann-Wary, 91福利’s interim director of athletics. “Faculty Athletics Representatives are important partners in our focus on helping ensure student-athlete success in the classroom and in Division I competition. Susan has done that with women’s soccer. Now 91福利 Athletics will benefit from her expertise and leadership.”
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Sports is part of Dr. Myrden’s personal and professional life. “I played soccer in college, so I understand what the 91福利 student athletes are experiencing,” she says. “This is one of the reasons I became a faculty liaison with the women’s soccer team eight years ago.”听
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Dr. Myrden teaches sport marketing in the MBS sport management major and publishes research in the area of sport. “I’ve wanted to become more involved in athletics for a while, and becoming the NCAA FAR for 91福利 seemed like the perfect opportunity.”

The Maine Business School is excited to welcome Dr. Margaret “Peggy” Keiper as Associate Professor of Sport Management. She also fills the role of MBS Area Coordinator for our Sport Management major.

Dr. Keiper comes to 91福利 from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She was the Director of their Sport and Recreation Business Program and Associate Professor of Business Administration. She also held the role of Interim Director of Athletics through the first three months of 2021. Dr. Keiper also spent time as a faculty member at Northwood University, Central Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, and the University of New Mexico.

“Peggy brings an incredible wealth of experience to MBS and our Sport Management major,” says Interim Executive Dean Jason Harkins. “She is a great scholar, has worked in industry, built new and novel ways of teaching Sport Management (including the creation of a MOOC, massively open online course, with over 4,500 students), and engages industry in enriched learning experiences. We are so excited that she is here and know she will thrive!”

Her research focuses on innovative instructional tools and methods, psychometric measures in business, digital marketing automation, and sport marketing. Her career also includes various roles on the business side of the sport industry. Dr. Keiper worked as Director of Business Management in the NBA’s G-League for the New Mexico Thunderbirds. She’s booked sports events as a marketing and sales manager for the West Michigan Sports Commission and the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau. She was also an assistant women’s basketball coach and player in college.

“I worked full-time through my MBA and Ph.D. programs in the sports industry with the intent of eventually teaching full-time,” Dr. Keiper says. Her love of sports started with basketball. She still holds a few scoring/3-point records at the places she played. She began her college coaching career at LSU Eunice in Louisiana (then ranked #11 in the nation) and then at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida (her team won the first conference championship in history). 

Her basketball career continued in the NBA’s Development League in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “Our team ended up relocating, which led to me working in sport tourism for a few years,” Dr. Keiper says. She was fortunate enough to help with events like the USA Track and Field Indoor Nationals, Gildan New Mexico Bowl, numerous NCAA Championships, and many other awesome national and international sports events.

“My experience working in sports informs my research, particularly on characteristics impacting firm survival of minor league teams,” she says. 

Dr. Keiper came to 91福利 with a keen interest in helping build the new sport management major at the Maine Business School. “Being at an R1, AACSB-accredited business school located in the beautiful state of Maine initially interested me,” she says. “But my campus visit sealed the deal. I was highly impressed with the collegiality and friendly people I met both on campus and in the greater Bangor community.” 

An avid outdoorswoman, Dr. Keiper enjoys bow hunting. She’s a contributor to Bowhunter Magazine.

Jason Entsminger has been named assistant professor of entrepreneurship and innovation and assistant Extension professor and small business specialist at the University of Maine, effective September 15.

Entsminger comes to 91福利 from the (NERCRD), hosted at Pennsylvania State University. NERCRD is one of four such centers established by USDA to coordinate research and Extension activities that support rural community development. There he led the center’s outreach-oriented mission, engaging with northeast land grant universities and rural development partners.

Entsminger’s research is focused on economic theories of firms and organizations and their strategic decisions. His work is often through the lens of food systems entrepreneurs. As an Extension professional, he pays particular attention to how the university system can support a successful entrepreneurial environment in rural communities. Topics of current interest include the networks used by entrepreneurs, rural forms of innovation, and minority-owned enterprises.

“We’re excited that Jason Entsminger will be engaged in the theory and practice of entrepreneurship in Maine,” says Jason Harkins, interim executive dean at the Maine Business School. “Along with teaching courses in entrepreneurship and innovation, Dr. Entsminger will help support Maine business owners with their needs and bring the experiences in the field into the classroom and his research.”

Through its economic development strategy, Maine has identified innovation and entrepreneurship as critical components of long-term growth and prosperity. As statewide efforts continue to encourage and facilitate the success of small businesses, Jason’s outreach work will strive to create curricula to help entrepreneurs form meaningful networks that will improve the success and performance of food system businesses.

“We are thrilled that Dr. Entsminger will be joining the Maine Business School and 91福利 Cooperative Extension in this new joint position,” shared Hannah Carter, dean of . “This position addresses both academic and industry needs, and we expect Jason will have an immediate impact as he has a great deal of knowledge and experience especially as it relates to small, rural businesses.”

Entsminger earned his Ph.D. in agricultural and applied economics at the University of Missouri. He holds master’s degrees from the University of Florida and a consortium of European institutions. His three bachelor’s degrees are from the University of Nevada, Reno.