Isenberg PhD Program Welcomes 15 Students for Fall 2023

Isenberg’s PhD program is thrilled to welcome a group of 15 incoming students to Amherst for the fall semester. The group originates from around the world and brings a diverse and interesting skillset to the UMass academic community.

Anran Chen began his first year of the PhD program in finance this fall. He holds a MS in mathematical finance and financial technology from Boston University and a BS in mathematics from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Chen’s research interests are in asset pricing and behavioral finance.

Yejin Jeon and Yifeng (Sandra) Liang represent the first-year PhD students for hospitality and tourism management. Jeon hails from South Korea and Liang from China. Jeon graduated with her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Pukyong National University. Her primary interest is how employee well-being and organizational performance can be improved. Liang holds her MS in Tourism and Hospitality Management from the University of Florida and a BS in Tourism Business Management from the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies and the Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo do Estoril. Liang’s primary research interest is the application of advanced technologies in tourism experiences.

Two information systems PhD students joined the Isenberg community this fall. Yue Xue is originally from China and recently completed her MS in applied statistics from Teachers College, Columbia University. She has also obtained a BBA in accounting and a BBA in business analytics from the University of Iowa. Xue’s research interests include digital innovations, strategic transformations, and data science applications. Shawn Zhou, from East China, holds a BS in economics and a MS in information science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Zhou is interested in how factors such as technology affect group dynamics.

Selma Karim and Huiyun Sima joined the marketing program. Karim holds a MS in international marketing and business development from SKEMA Business School and a BBA from Al Akhawayn University. Her research is driven by her fascination with improving consumers’ well-being through the use of effective marketing tools, specifically in connection with sustainable food consumption. Sima earned her master’s degree in marketing and strategy with distinction at the University of Warwick after obtaining her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Nankai University. Sima’s research interests involve consumer behavior, sensory marketing, and consumer decision making.

Four students joined the PhD program studying operations management. Amir El Moghrabi joins from Lebanon, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Beirut Arab University. He has recently obtained his master’s degree in engineering management at the American University of Beirut. El Moghrabi’s current research involves the accurate estimation of the inventory holding costs in economic order quantity systems experiencing uncertain supply. Samirasadat Samadi earned her master’s in business administration with a major of operations and supply chain management at the University of Tehran following obtaining her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in the field of control at the Hamedan University of Technology. Samadi’s master thesis focused on relief supply chains in flood disasters and the creation of a model to prioritize actions based on the conditions of the flood. Currently, her research interests lie in the fields of supply chain management, humanitarian logistics, and healthcare operations. Ismael Pour pursued his PhD and MS in transportation planning from Sharif University of Technology and his BS in civil engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology. Currently, Pour’s research interests include supply chains, logistics, transportation systems, mathematical programming, networks, and data analytics. Solmaz Abbaspoursaeedabad holds both a master’s degree from Sharif University of Technology and a bachelor’s degree from the Noshirvani University of Technology in industrial engineering. Her research interest is operations and information management.

John Hunter is the lone organization studies student, joining Isenberg from Virginia. Hunter holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and philosophy from Virginia Tech. His research interests include organizational behavior, behavioral ethics, moral psychology, and ethics education.

Shiling Lin and Jake Quinton both come to UMass for the sport management PhD program. Lin is a native of China and recently obtained her MA in sport management from the University of San Francisco. Her doctoral research will focus on sport for development and peace, global sponsorship, Olympic studies, and social enterprise. Quinton is originally from Canada, having obtained a BHK from the University of Ottawa and a MA with a specialization in applied health sciences from Brock University. His research interests involve creating inclusive spaces in sport for LGBTQ+ athletes, LGBTQ+ sport experiences, as well as sport and identity. 

Strategic Management is the focus of the remaining PhD student, Jorge Delgado, who grew up in Texas and moved to California to obtain his bachelor’s degree in biology.