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Leeds Welcomes Dynamic New Faculty Across Divisions, Expanding Academic Excellence

Jane Majkiewicz — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 16:05:13 +0000

Leeds Welcomes Dynamic New Faculty Across Divisions, Expanding Academic Excellence Jane Majkiewicz Fri, 08/08/2025 - 10:05

Jane Majkiewicz

Leeds continues to strengthen its reputation for academic excellence with an impressive cohort of new faculty members starting this fall.

Tenure-track faculty bring cutting-edge research and global expertise

Danielle Bovenberg, assistant professor of SEO, joins Leeds from the Yale School of Management, where she was a postdoctoral associate. She earned her PhD at UC Santa Barbara in 2023, focusing on technology management. Leeds’ “unique position at the intersection of innovation and entrepreneurship” drew her to the school.

“The Strategy and Entrepreneurship faculty bring diverse perspectives to studying innovation, creating an intellectually rich environment that really excites me,” Bovenberg said. “These strengths are further enhanced by our location in Boulder’s Front Range, where we're surrounded by world-class research institutions like NREL and NIST, alongside a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Bovenberg sees these factors perfectly aligned with her research, which explores how innovation happens at the frontiers of science and technology. She focuses on how skilled professionals collaborate to solve complex technical challenges.

Sebastian Schuetz, assistant professor of OLIA, was similarly drawn to Leeds by the opportunity to collaborate with “exceptional faculty” whose work he has long admired. He holds a PhD in information systems from the City University of Hong Kong.

Schuetz’s research centers on cybersecurity, particularly how leadership and management influence cybersecurity outcomes at both individual and organizational levels. He has designed curriculum on cybersecurity leadership, digital transformation, data visualization, and enterprise resource planning.

In 2023, he received the Best Reviewer Award from MIS Quarterly, the leading journal in the field. He also developed a research-backed education app that helps students retain course concepts—which he describes as “Duolingo for college courses.”

Mu-Jeung (MJ) Yang, assistant professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy, left a tenured position at the University of Oklahoma to join Leeds. He earned his PhD in economics from UC Berkeley and cited the collegial atmosphere and strong scholarship in entrepreneurship and strategy at CU Boulder as key motivators for him to come to Leeds.

Yang’s research interests include scientific approaches to entrepreneurship and venture capital, AI and data-driven decision-making, and transformative innovations. His co-authored research work includes interviews with CEOs of major corporations and startups, and collaborations with the state of Utah on COVID-19 recovery and entrepreneurship field experiments.

“Outside of Leeds, I was very much attracted to the opportunities of understanding the local quantum computing ecosystem,” he added.

Chenshan Hu, assistant professor of operations management, earned her PhD in supply chain, operations, and technology from the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. Her research focuses on data-driven problems in platform operations, environmental sustainability and healthcare operations. She said she was “drawn to Leeds by the exceptional research being conducted by faculty in the department and their incredibly welcoming, collaborative spirit.” She added, “The school’s strong commitment to sustainability perfectly aligns with my research interests in sustainable operations and environmental impact of business practices.”

Hu’s research focuses on sustainable operations, platform operations, healthcare operations, causal inference and structural estimation. Her teaching spans machine learning, operations management, data analytics and programming.

She was the winner of the 2024 INFORMS BOM Best Working Paper Award.

New teaching faculty enrich Leeds with industry experience and academic rigor

An robust group of assistant teaching professors and lecturers will round out Leeds’ academic offerings this year, bringing deep industry expertise and diverse academic backgrounds. Here is a snapshot of the new faculty, organized by division.

Accounting

Christine Kuglin, assistant teaching professor, is the director of the Truth in Accounting Program and adjunct professor at the University of Denver Daniels College of Business. She is an attorney and CPA.

Erik Olson, visiting assistant professor, earned his PhD in management from Yale University. His teaching interests center on financial accounting and real effects of accounting and disclosure.

Jason Patrick (Fin, MAcct’05), lecturer, is a CPA with 20 years of experience in corporate accounting, public accounting, tax, audit and consulting. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Denver Daniels College of Business.

Finance

Cari Clayton, assistant teaching professor, brings 25 years of commercial banking experience, with a primary focus on commercial real estate lending. She is the director of sponsor finance at Cross First Bank in Arizona and Colorado markets.

Maryls Raycraft, assistant teaching professor, is the managing director of Matter Family Office in Denver and is a licensed attorney, with extensive experience working with multigenerational family offices.

Peter Thrasher, associate teaching professor, is a real estate expert and educator. He also teaches at Colorado State University’s College of Business.

Marketing

Jason Dana is a visiting associate professor from Yale, where he teaches management and marketing.

Fiorentia Anglou, postdoctoral associate, focuses on environmental policy, food waste and empirical operations management. 

Pablo Slough, assistant teaching professor, is a digital economy entrepreneur and former Google executive.

Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics

Ellie Gates, assistant teaching professor, received her PhD in strategic leadership and foresight from Regent University. She was an associate professor of business at Nelson University.

Fairy Gandhi, assistant teaching professor, is a PhD candidate at Leeds. She earned her MS in business analytics at Leeds.

Manny Ramos, assistant teaching professor, has been a lecturer at Leeds and has held leadership roles in the US Army, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and GE Renewable Energy.

Professional Effectiveness

Audra Barber, assistant teaching professor, is a speech coach and program coordinator at the University of Colorado Josephine Jones Speaking Lab.

Wei (Julia) Cui, assistant teaching professor, earned her PhD in media and communication at Texas Tech University. She teaches business and public communication.

Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Operations

Yuchen Lu, assistant teaching professor, holds a PhD in applied mathematics and statistics from the University of Maryland. He was a lead data scientist at Bain & Company.

Celebrating Excellence: Leeds Announces New and Renewed Faculty Appointments

Leeds proudly announced a new round of named faculty appointments and renewals, honoring outstanding academic leaders whose work exemplifies excellence in research, teaching and service. This reflects the faculty’s continued commitment to innovation, scholarly impact and the enrichment of the Leeds community. Find their faculty bios in the Leeds Faculty Directory.

New Appointments

EKS&H Plante Moran-Dave Steiner Accounting Fellowship: Bryce Schonberger
KPMG Accounting Faculty Fellowship: Nikki Skinner
KPMG Accounting Faculty Fellowship: Andrea Pawliczek 
MediaOne Professorship: Dan Zhang
Michael A. Klump Chair: Christophe Spaenjers
Michael A. Klump Professorship: Tony Cookson
Myrtle and Tony Tisone Chair: Sarah Zechman
Salim Family Professorship: Phil Fernbach
Tony Tisone Estate Memorial Business Fellowship: Clare Wang

Renewals

Burridge Endowed Chair in Finance: Diego Garcia
Robert H. and Beverly A. Deming Professorship in Entrepreneurship: Janet Berkovitz
Ted Anderson Professor of Free Enterprise: Russell Cropanzano
Tony Tisone Estate Memorial Business Fellowship: Nathan Marshall

Leeds continues to strengthen its reputation for academic excellence with an impressive cohort of new faculty members starting this fall.

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Leeds Community Celebrates 60 Years of MBA Programming

Erik William Jeffries — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 18:59:09 +0000

Leeds Community Celebrates 60 Years of MBA Programming Erik William J… Thu, 08/07/2025 - 12:59

Alumni, students, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Leeds School of Business MBA program on Thursday, July 31, and Friday, August 1, 2025.

The festivities began with a reception at Folsom Field's Byron R. White Club, where guests toured athletic facilities, heard from Tandean Rustandy Endowed Dean Vijay Khatri and Director of Alumni Engagement John Helmers (MBA'07) and connected with fellow MBAs.

"This extraordinary milestone reflects not only the strength of our academic legacy but also our unwavering dedication to preparing the next generation of visionary business leaders. Celebrating 60 years of the Leeds MBA is a testament to our enduring commitment to excellence and remarkable momentum," said Khatri.

Attendees returned to the classroom on Friday for sessions at the Koelbel Building, featuring a keynote by Sean Tufts (MBA'11), a former NFL linebacker and current chief technology officer. Associate Dean for Graduate Programs Kristi Ryujin provide opening remarks and faculty along with alumni speakers also provided insights on topics like conscious leadership, entrepreneurship, and the future of Leeds—and the MBA program.

"Commemorating 60 years of the Leeds MBA marks a significant milestone in our legacy of excellence. It was truly inspiring to convene distinguished alumni, esteemed faculty, dedicated staff and ambitious students—each united by a shared passion for Leeds," said Ryujin.

In honor of this milestone, Leeds announced the MBA 60th Anniversary Fund, with a goal of creating 60 new scholarships this year to attract highly talented MBA students. Learn more here.

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‘Selling Anger’: How Cable News Profits from Outrage

Kelsey Cipolla — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 19:34:08 +0000

‘Selling Anger’: How Cable News Profits from Outrage Kelsey Cipolla Wed, 07/30/2025 - 13:34

Major networks increasingly focus on criticizing the opposing party–fueling division to boost ratings, according to a 12-year study of TV news.

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Should You Be Worried �� the National debt?

Kelsey Cipolla — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 16:16:08 +0000

Should You Be Worried �� the National debt? Kelsey Cipolla Tue, 07/29/2025 - 10:16

From inflated interest rates to future tax hikes, CU Boulder finance expert Shaun Davies explains what today’s debt levels could mean for tomorrow’s economy—and your wallet.

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Market Mood Swings: How Fear Spreads Online—And What It Means for Investors

Kelsey Cipolla — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 17:49:31 +0000

Market Mood Swings: How Fear Spreads Online—And What It Means for Investors Kelsey Cipolla Wed, 06/18/2025 - 11:49

New research shows how online sentiment and attention predict trading patterns and returns during volatile markets.

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After the Layoffs, What Does Trust Mean at Work?

Kelsey Cipolla — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 14:58:54 +0000

After the Layoffs, What Does Trust Mean at Work? Kelsey Cipolla Wed, 06/11/2025 - 08:58

Supervisors often see trust as a motivator—but in a workplace shaken by layoffs, it can create stress instead of stability, according to new Leeds research.

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Spring Guest Speakers Share Industry Experience and Expertise with Business Students

Kelsey Cipolla — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 15:38:02 +0000

Spring Guest Speakers Share Industry Experience and Expertise with Business Students Kelsey Cipolla Mon, 06/09/2025 - 09:38

Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Manna Tree Ross Iverson speaks to students during the Leeds Professionalism Summit

Every semester, the Leeds School of Business welcomes thought leaders, innovators and industry experts to share their insights with students. These opportunities are more than guest presentations—they’re dynamic experiences that enrich learning, provide professional inspiration, and bridge the gap between academic theory and real-world practice.

This spring, students heard from accomplished professionals across industries, from real estate to tech to sustainability. Here are highlights from a few standout speakers who inspired us.

Inspiring voices

Alumna Dana Lorenze (Bus’88), senior VP of global customs for Expeditors, spoke to Teaching Professor and MBA Faculty Director Lori Seward’s International Operations Management class, discussing her career path, her 30 years of working at Expeditors, and how her company has responded to the many changes in U.S. trade policies.

Seward said Lorenze provided an eye-opening overview of how products from other countries make their way into the U.S. Lorenze answered students’ questions about how Expeditors handled customer data security, what was happening around the world with shipping, and where Expeditors saw its value proposition with international customers.

“I am so grateful that our Leeds external partners and alumni want to engage with our students,” Seward said. “Their real-world experience complements our curriculum, and my students tell me these speakers are highlights of any course they take. Hearing from business experts about how business actually works better prepares our students for their careers.”

CBRE Senior Vice President Jon Weisiger spoke with students in the Real Estate Project Competition course, led by Lecturer Craig Ferraro. Weisiger’s talk on retail real estate—covering demand, potential rents and more—inspired students to think big about their own class project: creating a development plan for a commercial site in Thornton, Colorado.

In February, two graduate classes heard from Daniel Ivanoff, founding owner and managing member of Schnitzer West, LLC, who shared his experiences in negotiating.

And students in Assistant Teaching Professor Visda Carson’s Consulting Skills class benefited from meeting Leeds alumnus John Min, the managing director of Accenture Operations, who shared his journey into consulting and how his career has evolved at Accenture. His impact didn’t stop there—after the talk, he joined several Leeds students for a coffee chat about how to pursue their professional goals. 

Overall, Leeds students had the privilege of learning from more than 600 industry leaders and experts during the spring 2025 term. More speakers whose visits left a lasting impression included:

Shannon Sisler (right), Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer, Crocs

Saber Sherrard, Partner, Bain & Company

Tyler Huggins, Co-Founder, Meati Foods

Jamie Saunders, Founder, Affix

Grace Trahan, Software Investor, Five Elms Capital

Jonathan Tress, Vice President, Media Marketing, Matter Communications

Ross Iverson, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Manna Tree

Braeden Mayer, Co-Founder & Partner, Enosis Capital

Jennifer White, Director of Marketing for Oikos, Danone

Chris Joeckel, Senior Manager, GTM Enablement-Career Acceleration, LinkedIn

LeAnn Nichol, Director of Marketing, Ancillary Analytics, Vail Resorts

Danny Goldman, Goldman Property Group

Stephanie Savage, Senior Director, Energy Analytics, Microsoft

Matt Bruehl, Senior Hardware Infrastructure Engineer, NVIDIA

Leon McBroom, Senior Managing Director, JLL

Jackie Marquis, Chairman of the Board, Girls on the Run of the Rockies

This spring, students heard from accomplished professionals across industries, from real estate to tech to sustainability.

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From the C-Suite to the Classroom: How Leeds’ Executive MBA is Redefining Business Leadership

Jane Majkiewicz — Tue, 27 May 2025 15:38:24 +0000

From the C-Suite to the Classroom: How Leeds’ Executive MBA is Redefining Business Leadership Jane Majkiewicz Tue, 05/27/2025 - 09:38

Julie Poppen

The ��’s Leeds School of Business has found its stride in the competitive landscape of graduate business education, thanks to its dynamic Executive MBA program—which just graduated its third cohort.

The Leeds Executive MBA:
Rising in the Ranks

#5 among U.S. public university business schools for career outcomes
#49 globally for employer reputation

Source: QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) EMBA rankings

Designed for high-level professionals seeking transformational leadership development, the Executive MBA (EMBA) program continues to distinguish itself with a hybrid structure, world-class faculty, and a curriculum infused with relevance and rigor. The professional program complements the school’s long-standing and well regarded full-time and professional part-time MBA programs, offering a full suite of options for continuing students and busy professionals alike.

“Our Executive MBA students are already leaders,” said Tracee DeAntoni, senior program director for the Executive MBA at Leeds. “We have physicians, attorneys, scientists, CEOs and CISOs in the cohort—leaders learning from leaders.”

Purposeful design

The Leeds EMBA features a lockstep curriculum centered around three pillars: leadership, innovation and inclusion. Students progress together through foundational business topics and advanced courses drawn from Leeds’ other MBA programs.

“One key differentiator is that we’ve built a cohesive program with world-class faculty and select industry practitioners,” said Lori Seward, faculty director of MBA programs. “Other programs may rely on adjuncts or faculty from outside institutions, but most of the instruction comes from our Leeds faculty.”

The hybrid format combines online learning with three in-person residencies each year, including three weeklong sessions and a three-day orientation and second-year kick-off event. This structure allows working professionals to fully engage without sacrificing their careers.

“We reduce the cognitive load so students can focus on learning,” Seward said. “They don’t have to pick courses or manage complex schedules.”

Recognition and global reach

The Leeds EMBA has already achieved notable rankings, including #49 globally for employer reputation, #63 for career outcomes overall and #5 among U.S. public schools for career outcomes, according to the recently released QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) EMBA rankings.

“It’s exciting to be one of the youngest programs ranked globally—and the only new U.S. addition this year,” said Seward.

A 10-day international residency caps the second year, offering students exposure to global markets and cross-cultural business leadership.

Tight-knit community, immediate impact

Each cohort includes a small number of students to foster connection and exceptional personal attention, and students remain in the same small study groups throughout the program. This cohort-based model at Leeds encourages collaboration, mentorship and alumni engagement.

“Alumni return regularly for events and mentoring,” DeAntoni said. “The community is one of our strongest assets.”

Students also see immediate benefits at work. “Whatever you're learning today in the classroom, you can apply tomorrow at work,” Seward said.

Signature experiences—like the Innovation Challenge—with real clients and a second-year pitch competition, offer hands-on leadership development. Executive coaching is also included, helping students clarify goals and pursue promotions or career pivots.

“We’ve seen students promoted during the program—sometimes earlier than expected,” Seward noted. “And our alumni network supports students in everything from how to survive school and work, navigating LinkedIn, to career advice.”

“There’s a value in having people that aren’t in your day-to-day business that can provide some third-party feedback and can give you their experience ...”

Lauren McCabe (MBA’25)

Already a well-established leader among leaders, Lauren McCabe, a recent graduate from the Executive MBA program and awarded the EMBA Student Excellence Award by the faculty, acknowledges the value of refining some of the tools in her toolkit.

Throughout the EMBA program, having the opportunity to refine some of the tools in her toolkit was impactful, especially in the practice of highly focused, peer-evaluated presentations, which McCabe said is probably one of the strongest skills she’s taken away from the program.

“There’s a value in having people that aren’t in your day-to-day business that can provide some third-party feedback and can give you their experience, their exposure, how they may handle a situation that I might not have thought of because of my specific industry experience,” McCabe said.

Keep Exploring

Second-year Executive MBA student Lauren McCabe describes her experience in the program. Watch the video >>
Learn more about the Leeds Executive MBA. Read program details >>
Celebrate the Leeds MBA 60th anniversary. Join in the events >>

Leeds has found its stride in the competitive landscape of graduate business education, thanks to its dynamic Executive MBA (EMBA) program—which just graduated its third cohort.

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What ‘No Tax on Tips’ Really Means for Service Workers—and Everyone Else

Kelsey Cipolla — Tue, 27 May 2025 15:24:56 +0000

What ‘No Tax on Tips’ Really Means for Service Workers—and Everyone Else Kelsey Cipolla Tue, 05/27/2025 - 09:24

A plan to eliminate federal taxes on tips is moving forward, but the benefits may be smaller than they sound.

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What the U.S. Credit Downgrade Means for the Economy and Your Wallet

Kelsey Cipolla — Wed, 21 May 2025 19:14:53 +0000

What the U.S. Credit Downgrade Means for the Economy and Your Wallet Kelsey Cipolla Wed, 05/21/2025 - 13:14

Finance expert Nathalie Moyen explains why the U.S. losing its top-tier credit rating is more than a symbolic shift—and how it could impact borrowing, savings and government spending.

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News

Leeds Welcomes Dynamic New Faculty Across Divisions, Expanding Academic Excellence

Tenure-track faculty bring cutting-edge research and global expertise

New teaching faculty enrich Leeds with industry experience and academic rigor

Accounting

Finance

Marketing

Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics

Professional Effectiveness

Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Operations

Celebrating Excellence: Leeds Announces New and Renewed Faculty Appointments

New Appointments

Renewals

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Leeds Community Celebrates 60 Years of MBA Programming

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Spring Guest Speakers Share Industry Experience and Expertise with Business Students

Inspiring voices

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From the C-Suite to the Classroom: How Leeds’ Executive MBA is Redefining Business Leadership

The Leeds Executive MBA:
Rising in the Ranks

Purposeful design

Recognition and global reach

Tight-knit community, immediate impact

Keep Exploring

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What ‘No Tax on Tips’ Really Means for Service Workers—and Everyone Else

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What the U.S. Credit Downgrade Means for the Economy and Your Wallet

Related Articles

News

Leeds Welcomes Dynamic New Faculty Across Divisions, Expanding Academic Excellence

Tenure-track faculty bring cutting-edge research and global expertise

New teaching faculty enrich Leeds with industry experience and academic rigor

Accounting

Finance

Marketing

Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics

Professional Effectiveness

Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Operations

Celebrating Excellence: Leeds Announces New and Renewed Faculty Appointments

New Appointments

Renewals

Related Articles

Leeds Community Celebrates 60 Years of MBA Programming

Off

‘Selling Anger’: How Cable News Profits from Outrage

Related Articles

Should You Be Worried �������� the National debt?

Related Articles

Market Mood Swings: How Fear Spreads Online—And What It Means for Investors

Related Articles

After the Layoffs, What Does Trust Mean at Work?

Related Articles

Spring Guest Speakers Share Industry Experience and Expertise with Business Students

Inspiring voices

Related Articles

From the C-Suite to the Classroom: How Leeds’ Executive MBA is Redefining Business Leadership

The Leeds Executive MBA:Rising in the Ranks

Purposeful design

Recognition and global reach

Tight-knit community, immediate impact

Keep Exploring

Related Articles

What ‘No Tax on Tips’ Really Means for Service Workers—and Everyone Else

Related Articles

What the U.S. Credit Downgrade Means for the Economy and Your Wallet

Related Articles

Should You Be Worried �� the National debt?

The Leeds Executive MBA:
Rising in the Ranks