VSB Welcomes New Faculty Members

Julie Becher, PhD: In 2020, Dr. Becher joined VSB as a visiting assistant teaching professor from Haverford College. She earned her PhD in Economics at Pennsylvania State University and served as a prevention effectiveness postdoctoral fellow at the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia. Previously, Dr. Becher taught Economics at Haverford College and worked as a research associate for HIV/AIDS prevention at University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. She  will transition to a new position as an assistant teaching professor in VSB’s Economics Department.

Ben Borenstein, PhD: Dr. Borenstein joins VSB from the University of Miami’s Herbert Business School where he earned his PhD in Marketing and later returned to teach marketing analytics, digital marketing, and consumer behavior. Throughout his career, he has researched surveillance technology, consumer-technology interaction, mobile digital marketing, and consumer wellbeing. Dr. Borenstein joins VSB’s Marketing & Business Law Department as an assistant professor.

Laura Iacona: Professor Iacona joined VSB as a business fellow and adjunct accounting professor in 2016. She earned her BS in Accounting at Villanova University and her MBA at La Salle University. Iacona has taught audit, financial accounting, and intermediate accounting during her time as a professor. Previously, she worked as an audit partner and an audit practice leader at Grant Thornton LLP. She will transition to a new position as an assistant professor of the practice in VSB’s Department of Accountancy and Information Systems. Professor Iacona serves as a faculty mentor in Accounting as well as the faculty advisor for the Accounting Society.     

Chris Jeffords, PhD: Dr. Jeffords earned his BS in Economics from Hofstra University, his MA in Economic Forecasting from the University at Albany, and both his MS and PhD from the University of Connecticut’s Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. He has taught Economics at both Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Eastern Connecticut State University. His research includes applied microeconomics, environmental economics, law and economics, and environmental human rights. Dr. Jeffords is joining VSB’s Economics Department in as an associate teaching professor.

Amy Kratchman: After earning her BS in Economics from Cornell University and her MBA from Drexel University, Kratchman served as an assistant portfolio manager for both Eaton Vance Management and BlackRock. She joins VSB from Drexel University’s Lebow College of Business where she taught undergraduate, MBA, and EMBA courses in the Finance Department. Kratchman currently serves as both a CFA instructor and educational review course consultant for the CFA Society of Philadelphia. She is joining the Finance & Real Estate Department as an associate professor of the practice.

Hun Lee, PhD: Dr. Lee joins VBS’s Management & Operations Department as an associate professor. He received his BS from Georgia Institute of Technology, his MIM from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, and his PhD from the University of Maryland at College Park. Dr. Lee has taught courses in management, global business, innovation, and transformation at George Mason University. His research focuses on competitive dynamics, innovations, internationalization, corporate social responsibility, and initial public offerings.

Lily (Yuanzhi) Li, PhD: Dr. Li earned her BA in Finance from Beijing University and her PhD in Finance from New York University. She served BlackRock Inc. in its portfolio management department before she became an assistant professor of Finance at Temple University’s Fox School of Business in 2009. In 2015, Dr. Li became a research assistant professor of Finance at Temple and her financial management research has been reported on by many accredited media sources such as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Bloomberg News. She joins VSB’s Finance & Real Estate Department as an assistant professor.

Yiwen Li, PhD: Joining VSB from Texas A&M University, Dr. Li will be an assistant professor in the Accounting & Information Systems Department. She earned her BA from the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, her MS in Accounting from the University of Rochester, and her PhD from Texas A&M University. Her research includes financial accounting, disclosure, market structure, capital market, and performance evaluation.

Laura Meinzen-Dick, PhD: Dr. Meinzen-Dick earned her BS from the University of Mary Washington and her PhD from the University of California, Davis. She taught at UC Davis  and served as a graduate student researcher. Her research on agricultural and resource economics has been published by the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences and presented within the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association. She joins VSB as an assistant professor in the Economics Department.

Corinne Post, PhD: Dr. Post joins VSB from Lehigh University’s College of Business, where she served as the C. Scott Hartz ‘68 Term Professor and Chair of the Department of Management. Now the Fred J. Springer Endowed Chair in Business Leadership, Dr. Post honors the Springer family through her commitment to advancing the scholarly reputation of Villanova. Her research addresses workplace diversity, with a focus on women on boards, in top management teams and in leadership roles; diversity as enabler or impediment to group and organizational performance; and career trajectories. She earned a grant from the National Science foundation, her research has been presented at academic conferences and professional organizations internationally, and her work has been published in leading academic journals.

Sarah Reed, PhD: Joining VSB, Dr. Reed will be an assistant teaching professor in the Economics Department. She earned her BS in Mathematics and BA in Economics from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, as well as her MS in Economics and Applied Econometrics and PhD in Economics from the University of Delaware. She served the University of Delaware as a teaching assistant, an instructor of Economics, and a research assistant. Her research interests include labor economics and applied microeconomics.

Maira Reimao, PhD: Dr. Reimao joins VSB from the University of Florida’s Food and Resource Economics Department. She earned her BS from Georgetown University, her MA from the University of Oxford, and her PhD from the University of California, Davis. Previously she served as a consultant to the World Bank, a graduate student researcher at UC Davis, a Yale University postdoctoral fellow, and a researcher for the Caribbean Policy Research Institute. Dr. Reimao joins VSB’s Economics Department as an assistant professor.

Saad Siddiqui, PhD: Dr. Siddiqui joins VSB from George Washington University where he lectured on contemporary audit theory, auditing, and financial accounting. He earned his BS and Masters in Accounting from the University of South Alabama and his PhD from the University of Memphis. Dr. Siddiqui also served as the associate director of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in Washington DC. He will be joining VSB’s Accounting & Information Systems Department as an assistant professor of the practice.

Kyoung Yong Kim, PhD: After earning his BA from Kookmin University and MA from the University of Minnesota, Dr. Kim earned his PhD in Business Administration from the University of Houston. He has taught courses at the City University of Hong Kong and was a visiting scholar at Cornell University and the Copenhagen Business School. His work has earned him grants from both the City University of Hong Kong and the Research Grant Council (Hong Kong SAR) for his research interests of strategic human capital, strategic leadership, entrepreneurship, diversity, and top management teams. He joins VBS’s Management & Operations Department as an assistant professor.

Yanan Chen, PhD: Dr. Chen joins VSB’s Economics Department as a visiting assistant teaching professor for a second year, after previously teaching economics courses at West Chester University.

Nayla Dahan, PhD: Dr. Dahan joins VSB’s Economics Department as a visiting assistant teaching professor. Previously, she taught Economics and Business Analytics at Arcadia University and La Salle University.

Madeline DeWoody: DeWoody comes to VSB’s Finance & Real Estate Department from Drexel University where she taught Introduction to Finance.