Elon Business School welcomes eleven new faculty members

As the fall semester begins, the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business is pleased to welcome eleven new faculty members.

While their expertise spans multiple disciplines, they share a passion for contributing to Elon’s student-centered approach.

Andrew Schwartz, assistant professor of finance

Ava Hajian, visiting assistant professor of business analytics

Feng Dong, assistant professor of finance

Jose Cerecedo Lopez, assistant professor of management

Katelyn Walls, assistant professor of business analytics

Kem Zhang, associate professor of business analytics

Larry Burke, assistant professor of accounting

Linli Zhao, assistant professor of economics

Mitchell Vaughn, assistant professor of economics

Robert Sheu, assistant professor of accounting

Vinayaka Gude, assistant professor of business analytics

What our new faculty enjoy about Elon

• “At Elon student experience is front and center and as a teacher that encourages me to approach the classroom in a fun and creative way.” – Jose Cerecedo Lopez, assistant professor of management
• “We pride ourselves on creating a student-centered learning environment. The close-knit community here allows me to engage with my students in meaningful ways, helping them not only excel academically but also grow as individuals.” – Ava Hajian, visiting assistant professor of business analytics
• “Our students exhibit a zeal for learning, an openness to sharing, and a joy in participation!” – Linli Zhao, assistant professor of economics
• “Leadership accessibility is one of the best aspects of working at Elon and LSB. The numerous initiatives for student engagement reflect Elon’s top ranking in undergraduate education. I’m eager to explore innovative teaching and prepare the next generation of business and healthcare analysts. The students are exceptional, with strong foundational knowledge, and we’re already diving into data visualization. I can’t wait to see their projects this Fall.” – Vinayaka Gude, assistant professor of business analytics
• “There are two things I really appreciate about Elon so far. First, the collaborative atmosphere at LSB—everyone is incredibly friendly and supportive. Second, the strong focus on helping new faculty succeed, with excellent training, mentoring, and support for both teaching and research.
  If I can add one more, the Signature Sandwich sold on the first floor of Clohan Hall is amazing!” – Feng Dong, assistant professor of finance
• “At Elon, I’m continually impressed by the students’ creativity and their relentless pursuit of knowledge. Their enthusiasm for learning is truly infectious and they’re not afraid of a challenge!” – Katelyn Walls, assistant professor of business analytics
• “Although new to Elon, I have been quite impressed from the first day I started by the culture of collaboration and friendly willingness of everyone I have encountered to help. In addition, the theme of focusing on the student experience is something I heard consistently prior to starting. I can now attest that it strongly influences the approach to how we engage our students in the classroom, which I believe yields strong benefits because of their active participation in learning.” – Larry Burke, assistant professor of accounting

About the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business

Established in 1985, the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business has developed a national reputation for its rigorous program of study that prepares graduates to serve as principled leaders in the global community. Seventy full-time faculty teach nearly 2,000 students each year in the Ernest A. Koury, Sr. Business Center and Richard W. Sankey Hall, two buildings that comprise more than 90,000 square feet of classrooms, computer labs, finance centers, design thinking spaces, faculty offices and collaborative study rooms that foster student teamwork and professional networking.

The Love School of Business offers 12 undergraduate majors across five departments – accounting, economics, finance, management & entrepreneurship, and marketing & international business – with graduate programs in business administration, business analytics and accounting. It also features accelerated 3+1 dual-degree programs in accounting and business analytics, as well as an international business dual-degree program in partnership with universities in Germany, France, Italy and Spain. As of fall 2023, the school’s newest major is financial technology (FinTech).