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Meet the Class Mendoza welcomes its first-ever Ph.D. students to campus

There is only one way to describe this inaugural cohort of students: historic.

For the first time at the Mendoza College of Business, students have joined the University of Notre Dame as part of the Ph.D. in Analytics or Ph.D. in Management programs. Led by professors Ahmed Abbasi and Jason Colquitt respectively, these programs signal a new era for the College in its pursuit to develop preeminent business research and support the next generation of business faculty and leaders.

Get to know these exceptional students and their goals for the future below.

Ph.D. in Analytics

The core mission of the Mendoza Ph.D. in Analytics is to develop thought-leaders in the analytics space who are engaged in impactful, cutting-edge scholarly research that considers the ethical dimension of data and its usage. The full-time, five-year program is serving four students in its inaugural year.

Name: Marialena Bevilacqua

Describe yourself: Personable, passionate, purpose-driven; always providing a smile and a helping hand.

Hometown: West Hartford, Connecticut

Undergraduate and Graduate School: College of the Holy Cross with a major in Mathematics, minor in Statistics. Georgetown University McDonough School of Business with an Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA).

Why did you decide to pursue a Ph.D. at the Mendoza College of Business?

Notre Dame’s stellar reputation exists because of its strong campus community and alumni network. When I dove deeper into my business school search, Mendoza stood out because of its mission. Mendoza’s mission of asking more “of business and ourselves” through the Catholic tradition aligns closely with my own personal and professional goals. Additionally, from my first contact with the faculty at Mendoza, I found that they were attentive, passionate and caring about their students and would help them pursue their passions.

What does it mean to you to be a part of Mendoza’s first-ever Ph.D. programs?

Being a part of Mendoza’s first-ever Ph.D. in Analytics program excites me! I was also part of the first ever cohort of my Master’s degree program at Georgetown. This gave the students the unique opportunity of working closely with the faculty to create a path for future cohorts. This also provided personal and professional growth for both the faculty and current students, ultimately benefiting them immensely in our ever-evolving society. I am extremely honored and delighted to be a member of this first-ever Ph.D. program at Mendoza and am forever grateful for this opportunity.

What impact do you expect the Mendoza Ph.D. program will have on your career?

This Mendoza Ph.D. program will have an invaluable effect on my career. The goal of this program is to produce T-shaped scholars that are well-versed in analytical methods and skilled at forming and solving research problems. With this knowledge and ability that I will acquire from Mendoza, I will truly understand the ethics and societal impact of my work and apply it for the greater good.

Name: William Stamey

Describe yourself: Curious, naturally a bit cynical but learning to be optimistic, and self-conscious when self-describing.

Hometown: Waco, Texas

Undergraduate School and Major: Baylor University, majored in Economics and Math

What does it mean to you to be a part of Mendoza’s first-ever Ph.D. programs?

Analytics is a fast-growing field and Mendoza is taking the opportunity to tailor the program to the cutting edge. In contrast, many comparable, older programs at other schools will deal with some inertia in pivoting their programs to a new research landscape.

When you think of Notre Dame, what are the first things that come to mind?

Notre Dame is a highly regarded institution, especially for its student-focused professors. While this is an important trait for undergraduate programs, it may be even more so in Ph.D. programs, where research collaboration between students and professors is critical for success.

What is your personal and professional mission?

Analytics is a discipline which affords the opportunity to better understand business operations. I believe these tools are an opportunity to orient those operations for people. This is especially important regarding global systems which impact almost everyone, like social media. The role of technology in human society is not settled yet, and I hope to help the effort to make that role beneficial.

Name: Xinyuan Zhang

Describe yourself: Be honest, kind and intelligent, find the balance in my life. I’m working on it.

Hometown: Tianjin, China

Undergraduate and Graduate School: University of Sydney with a major in Finance and Statistics and the University of California, Los Angeles, MS in Statistics.

Why did you decide to pursue a Ph.D. at the Mendoza College of Business?

I think this program suits my academic and career goal. I want to use my quantitative knowledge and skills to investigate and solve practical problems. I want to not just use those analytical tools, but also understand how it works and how it can be improved. I think the Ph.D. in Analytics program here is the best to do this type of research.

What does it mean to you to be a part of Mendoza’s first-ever Ph.D. programs?

It’s definitely very exciting and probably also challenging to be the first ever cohort! As a student, I would be a little bit nervous since there won’t be any senior students already in the program that I could learn from or seek help from. However, this is a great opportunity that I can learn and grow with the program, and with all the remarkable faculties in the department, I’m confident this will be a great experience.

What impact do you expect the Mendoza Ph.D. program will have on your career?

My career goal is to become a professor in a university, so this Ph.D. experience is definitely vital when I graduate and start my career in academia. I definitely expect a solid research experience and achievements when I graduate, so I expect the five years in Mendoza will help me become a good researcher.

Name: Kezia Oketch

Describe yourself: I am a technology enthusiast, interested in the intersection of AI and Human-Computer Interaction.

Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya

Undergraduate School and Major: Spelman College, Computer Science

Why did you decide to pursue a Ph.D. at the Mendoza College of Business?

Deciding where to go to school is about deciding where you will be most fulfilled. Part of why I chose Mendoza College of Business is its value in professional visibility, the diverse strength of its faculty and students and expansive research collaborations.

What does it mean to you to be a part of Mendoza’s first-ever Ph.D. programs?

I am honored to be a pioneer and that I could influence students who follow me. I feel like I am in the pioneering era! This program will refresh my career, keep me current with the latest literature in the analytics space, expand my thinking and increase my understanding of the field of Analytics.

What is your personal and professional mission?

I want to build a network of like-minded individuals with a passion for learning and using acquired skills to empower myself and the people around me. On the other hand, my professional goal is to either continue in a high-level research position or work in academia as a professor, become an independent researcher and mentor other people.

Ph.D. in Management

Mendoza's Ph.D. in Management program aims to support students as they look to become a professor of management at a top business school and pursue a research agenda that can improve employee thriving and organizational effectiveness. This full-time, five-year program splits the four inaugural students into two subgroups: Organizational Behavior and Strategy & Entrepreneurship.

Name: Sarah Rose Sarjoo

Subgroup: Strategy & Entrepreneurship

Hometown: Johannesburg, South Africa

Undergraduate School and Graduate School: East Carolina University (Finance & MBA)

Describe yourself: Outside of academia, I enjoy working out and watching sports. As a former student-athlete I believe that in any situation, perseverance breeds success.

Why did you decide to pursue a Ph.D. at the Mendoza College of Business?

The Mendoza College of Business has a world-class reputation. Across its various departments, the College also has world-class faculty. If it is my goal to one day meaningfully add to these literature streams, I would be best positioned to do so having learned from some of the best scholars in the world, and that’s why I have chosen to pursue a Ph.D. at Mendoza.

What is a personal or professional achievement or moment that exemplifies your interests or values and why was this important to you?

A personal achievement of mine was summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro in June 2022. It was significant because climbing Kilimanjaro requires months of training and preparation. This achievement highlighted to me the importance of continuing to put one foot in front of the other in a consistent effort to conquer any mountain that you face in life.

What is your personal and professional mission?

My personal and professional mission overlap in many respects. I would like to research and create systems that use entrepreneurship, on a large scale, as a tool to alleviate poverty in third-world countries.

Name: Claudia Torres

Subgroup: Organizational Behavior

Describe yourself: Curious with a growth mindset, a hint of optimism and a pair of roller skates.

Hometown: North Brunswick, NJ

Undergraduate and Graduate School: University of Notre Dame for a B.A. in Neuroscience and Behavior and a Master of Science in Management.

What impact do you expect the Mendoza Ph.D. program will have on your career?

Mendoza’s Ph.D. program will allow me to explore my research interests while building a solid foundation in theory, methodology, etc. As a result, I will start my academic career not only confident in my ability to conduct high-level independent research, but also passionate about my areas of interest.

When you think of Notre Dame, what are the first things that come to mind?

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Notre Dame is the growth of oneself as well as one’s service to others. Part of the Notre Dame experience is being pushed past your limits to grow not only academically but mentally and personally. The other part is using your journey and new skills to actively help others and explore unmet needs in society.

What is your personal and professional mission?

My professional mission is to keep an open mindset, enthusiastically explore the different areas of management research, and learn as much as I can from my peers and the Mendoza faculty. My personal mission stems from my belief that education is a multi-level process: It benefits the receiver and everyone the receiver touches. As I continue to climb the educational staircase to reach each landing, each professional goal, I have an obligation to then reach down and lift up others, whether it is as a mentor, via volunteerism, or through the questions and topics my research explores.

Name: Henrique Goncalves

Subgroup: Strategy & Entrepreneurship

Describe yourself: Frustrated soccer player, frustrated baseball player, double domer by choice.

Hometown: Niteroi - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Undergraduate and Graduate School: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro for Chemical Engineering and University of Notre Dame for a MBA.

What does it mean to you to be a part of Mendoza’s first-ever Ph.D. programs?

Having received Prof. Colquitt's call telling me I was going to be a part of its first-ever Ph.D. program is truly one of the most memorable moments of my life, something I still can't describe. Not only can I help build the program from its very beginning, but I'll be doing so at a place that I love and consider to be my alma mater.

What is a personal or professional achievement or moment that exemplifies your interests or values and why was this important to you?

As a chemical engineer, I worked for a few years in the oil and gas industry, where I had a nice career. However, while the work opportunities were good, it never felt like my dream job. While I didn't know yet what I wanted to do, over time it became clear what I did not want to do. Oil and gas are still the present, but I wanted my work to be something that would contribute to the future. I see this as a key moment for me as I decided to get an MBA and explore other fields which, after years of searching, led me to where I am today.

What is your personal and professional mission?

I have always looked for ways to make the world a better place, which was what brought me to Mendoza the first time, to pursue my MBA. There, I was able to not just learn more about business, strategy, finance, leadership and all other disciplines but most importantly I learned how to use this knowledge and my skills for good causes in the business world or, in other words, to grow the good in business. And it was this personal purpose of mine to do good in the world that led me back to Mendoza now, where I intend to do the same in the strategy field, as both a researcher and a professor, passing it along to the next generations.

Name: Jefferson McClain

Subgroup: Organizational Behavior

Describe yourself: I’m a disciple of Christ, devoted husband, dedicated father, diligent scholar and distance swimmer.

Hometown: Springville, Utah

Undergraduate School: Brigham Young University, Business Management

What does it mean to you to be a part of Mendoza’s first-ever Ph.D. programs?

I feel a great responsibility to do everything I can to be successful and to help build the program. I am excited at the opportunity to be part of the students who jumpstart the doctoral student culture. I am grateful for the investment the faculty and school have put into me and am committed to growing the good in the program.

Why did you decide to pursue a Ph.D. at the Mendoza College of Business?

The first and most influential factor in my decision was what I learned from the interactions I had with the Mendoza Management faculty. The faculty care deeply about producing meaningful research and mentoring future scholars. Additionally, the energy and excitement the faculty have towards their research and the new program were contagious. Based on those experiences, I knew I would jump at the opportunity to learn from the Mendoza faculty.

What impact do you expect the Mendoza Ph.D. program will have on your career?

My time in the Mendoza Ph.D. program will be a hinge point in my career. This is a make it or break it moment for me. The people I meet and experiences I have will serve as a runway for future meaningful research collaborations. I see myself looking back on my experiences at Mendoza as a blueprint for future professional and personal growth.

The Mendoza College of Business inaugural Ph.D. cohort and the program faculty directors.