VSB Welcomes Seven New Faculty Members

Nathan Coates: A 2016 graduate of the VSB Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) program, Coates joins the VSB faculty as a visiting instructor for the Management & Operations department. After graduating with a B.A. in chemistry from the University of California Santa Cruz in 1993, he pursued a career as a data scientist and engineer, working for organizations like the University of California, Berkley; Nextel; Lockheed Martin; Etherstack and Economics 4.0. Coates began teaching in the MSA program as an adjunct professor in 2016.

Xiaoxiao Li, PhD: Dr. Li received her B.S. in international economics and trade from Anhui University of Chinese Medicine before coming to the United States to pursue graduate studies. She received both an MA and MS from Kent State University and Purdue University respectively and recently earned her PhD in economics from Purdue University. While obtaining her PhD, Dr. Li served as a course instructor for intermediate macroeconomics at Purdue from 2013-2016 and was awarded the Purdue University Graduate School Summer Research Grant Certificate for Distinguished Teaching. Her research interests include labor economics, economics of education, international economics, and applied econometrics. She joins VSB as an assistant professor in the Economics department.

Matthew Manion ’11 MSCM: The former President and CEO of the Catholic Leadership Institute, Manion returns to his alma mater as a professor of practice and the faculty director for the Center for Church Management. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business with a BS in economics, Manion received his MS in church management from VSB in 2011. While at the Catholic Leadership Institute, Manion envisioned, created, and implemented the Disciple Maker Index to provide relevant metrics for parishes and priests.  In its first three years, the collected and analyzed data from over 58,000 Catholics in 259 parishes across 17 dioceses in North America. He also designed and launched Good Leaders and Good Shepherds curriculum for priests and oversaw the implementation in 92 cities for over 2,500 priests.

Manuel A. Nuñez ’03 MBA: After graduating from Eastern Mennonite University with a B.A. in biology, Nuñez earned his MBA from VSB in 2003 before pursuing his post-baccalaureate in special sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. Professionally, he served in multiple positions, including associate director of Global Marketing at Merck, before becoming the managing director of the Inter-American Foundation’s Office of External and Government Affairs. He remained an active member in the VSB community throughout his career, serving as the chair for the Center for Global Leadership Advisory Council from 2011-2014, and as an adjunct professor. In 2010, Nuñez was awarded the inaugural Rev. Joseph C. Bartley, O.S.A. Alumni Medallion, which is presented to outstanding alumni who have distinguished themselves in their career and who provide extraordinary service to VSB. He joins VSB’s faculty as a visiting instructor for the Management & Operations department.

Flannery G. Stevens, PhD: Dr. Stevens joins VSB’s faculty after serving as an assistant professor of management operations for the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. After graduating from Binghamton University with a A.B. in psychology and a minor in French, she received her MS in psychology from Tulane University and her PhD in management and organizations from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Her research interests include inequality, employment discrimination, geography and labor outcomes, and diversity in and around organizations. Dr. Stevens is affiliated with many professional organizations such as Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, Law & Society Association, and the Academy of Management. She joins the Management & Operations department as an assistant professor.

David Stout, PhD: A former faculty member of VSB from 1988-2003, Dr. Stout returns as the new faculty director for the Master of Accountancy Program. An experienced and accomplished scholar, Dr. Stout received a B.S. in finance from La Salle University. He received his MBA and PhD from the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business, focusing his research on accounting. Dr. Stout has published more than 100 articles and has served as an editorial board member for the Journal of Accounting Education, the Accounting Editor’s Journal, the Journal of International Accounting Research, and many other publications. Before returning to VSB, Dr. Stout served as a professor for the Accounting and Finance department at Youngstown State University.

Sheryl Winston Smith, PhD: After serving as an assistant professor of strategic management and entrepreneurship at Temple University’s Fox School of Business, Dr. Smith joins VSB as a visiting assistant professor in Management & Operations. She graduated from Yale University with a dual-degree in history and biology and then received her Masters of Public Administration and PhD from Harvard University. Her areas of research include strategic management, technology and innovation policy, entrepreneurship, economic growth and entrepreneurial labor markets. She is a member of the Strategic Management Society (SMS), the Academy of Management (AOM), and the Academy of International Business (AIB) and has also been invited to present her work at Cambridge University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.