College of Business Welcomes New Members and Appoints New Department Chairs

Growth and forward movement are propelling The University of Akron College of Business; we are truly a remarkable institution where our students can live our Experience Business motto. To start the new academic year, the College of Business has announced some important leadership changes, new members of the CoB family, and more.

Effective July 1, 2023, Dr. Eric Brisker stepped into the role of Department of Finance Interim Chair. With a PhD from Florida State University and more than 20 years of teaching experience in Corporate Finance, Financial Analytics, and Investments, Dr. Brisker brings a wealth of knowledge to lead our department in the burgeoning field of finance. Dr. Eric Brisker is an Associate Professor and joined the College of Business faculty in August 2012.

Ms. Julianne “Jules” Jones began her tenure as Interim Director of the George W. Daverio School of Accountancy, effective August 14, 2023. Ms. Jones earned a joint JD and MTax degree from UA and has taught full time in our undergraduate tax courses and MTax program for 13 years. After spending some time in BMF's tax department and the US Peace Corps, Ms. Jones discovered a passion for education. As Professor of Practice in the CoB, she has been instrumental in incorporating professional development experiences into the School of Accountancy curriculum.

We welcomed two new administrative assistants to academic departments in the College of Business. Welcome to Greta Myers in the Department of Finance and to Brenda Reichert in the Department of Economics.

Three new faculty members joined the College of Business family this fall. Welcome to Mr. Tom Hammond, Associate Professor of Practice in the George W. Daverio School of Accountancy; Mr. Mario Mastrandrea, Visiting Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Finance; and Dr. Leila Shadabi, Visiting Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Economics.

In response to increasing enrollments and evolving needs, the Dean’s Office has embarked on a significant restructure of our professional staff positions. The professional staff members listed below have received promotions: