Global Executive Track alumni

• 

  Paschal Aguwa, Ph.D. ‘22

  • Paschal is employed by Ford Motor Company as a Product Design Engineer. 

  • Dissertation: “Managing supplier selection: strategic and collaborative alignment to engineering requirements from a global perspective” 

• 

  Venkatesan Balaraman, Ph.D. ‘22

  • Venkatesan is employed by Ford Motor Company as Program Management Specialist. 

  • Dissertation: “Framework to integrate Industry 4.0 and lean methodologies: operational excellence in the automotive industry” 

• 

  Aniekan (Michael) Ini Abasi, Ph.D. '21

  Michael is employed by Slingshot Labs as the Founder/CEO.

  Research interests

  • Predictive analytics
  • Reinforcement learning
  • Big Data
  • machine learning algorithms
     

  Teaching case study topics

  • Confessions of a Small Fish in a Big Ecommerce Ocean: Rapid Customer Acquisition in the Age of Amazon, Google, and Facebook - A Startup's Perspective
  • Pay What You Want: Unleashing the Newest Weapon in the Online Battlefield
     

  Dissertation topic

  • Building less data-hungry predictive models with persuasion profiling
     
• 

  Donna Bell, Ph.D. '19

  Donna is employed by Ford Motor Company as the Director, Technology and Features Strategy and Planning.
  Connect on LinkedIn

  WSU's GET program is a hidden gem! The interaction that I have received with other cross-industry executives has given me greater insight as a leader.

  Research interests

  • Intersection of Innovation and Quality
     

  Teaching case studies

  • Innovation and Collaboration Challenges in a Mature Firm
  • Building a Global Commodity Business Strategy: Choosing the Optimal Supplier of Automotive Instrument Clusters
     

  Dissertation

  • How Innovation and Quality Work Together
     

  Advisors

  • Ratna Chinnam
  • Julia Gluesing
     
• 

  Peter Chhim, Ph.D. '16

  Peter is employed by DRiV as a Director of Global Warranty & Data Analytics.
  Connect on LinkedIn

  Research interests

  • Knowledge Management
  • Process Improvement
  • Quality
     

  Teaching case studies

  • Corporate Governance within an Automotive Supplier
  • Process Improvement and Management
     

  Dissertation

  • Manufacturing Knowledge Management
     

  Advisor

  • Ratna Chinnam
     

• 

  Mark Colosimo, Ph.D. '18

  Mark is employed by Urban Science as the VP of Data & Analytics.
  Connect on LinkedIn

  The GET program combines both the necessary PhD activities while adding practical application and the ability to share with other experienced professionals. The scope of the education not only promotes and supports the ability to research but also understands the implications of global business activities while still instructing on analytical techniques and processes.

  Research interests

  • Retail Process Improvement
  • Business Analytics
  • Automotive Supply Chain Efficiency
  • Sales and Marketing Analytics
     

  Teaching case study

  • Managing Automotive Dealer Performance through Scorecards
     

  Dissertation

  • A Data-Driven And Mixed Methods Analysis of Automotive Retail Operations Management
     

  Advisors

  • Ratna Chinnam
  • Kenneth Chelst
     
• 

  Rita D'Angelo, Ph.D. '17

  Rita is currently employed as CEO of D'Angelo Advantage, LLC.
  Connect on LinkedIn

  Research interests

  • Laboratory Development Tests: Designing An Agile Quality Management System
     

  Teaching case study

  • Implementation of Lean Management Across a Multi-Site Laboratory Group
     

  Dissertation

  • An Agile Quality Management System for Laboratory Developed Tests
     
• 

  Rahul Dixit, Ph.D. '21

  Rahul is employed by Raytheon Company as an Engineering Manager in Space and Airborne Systems.

  This program enhances industry practice though rigorous academic research.

  Research interests

  • Portfolio Management
  • Decision Making
     

  Teaching case study topics

  • Portfolio Management in a Tier 2 Defense Contractor
  • Product Pricing: Bid decision process at Tier 2 Defense Contractor
     
• 

  Mark Dolsen, Ph.D. '17

  Mark is employed by TRQSS, Inc. as President.
  Connect on LinkedIn

  Research interests

  • Innovation
  • Organizational Learning 
  • Production Systems
     

  Teaching case studies

  • Failure at Launch
  • Global Effect of a Natural Disaster on a Lean Supply Network
     

  Dissertation

  • Developing Innovation Capability in a Mass Production Environment
     

  Advisor

  • Ratna Chinnam

   

• 

  Kenneth J. Gembel II, Ph.D. '19

  Ken is employed by Cosworth as the U.S. Division General Manager.
  Connect on LinkedIn

  Research interest

  • Lean Manufacturing Implementation and Business Performance Optimization
     

  Teaching case studies

  • Managing Quality in Global Production Facilities: Integrating Dynamic Quality Systems Strategies into a Transplant Facility Work Culture
  • Total Productive Maintenance: Determining Right Strategy for the Plant and Changing its Culture for Successful Execution
     

  Dissertation

  • A structured methodology for tailoring and deploying lean manufacturing systems
     

  Advisor

  • Ratna Chinnam
     
• 

  Alexander Hagenmeyer, Ph.D. '20

  Alexander is employed by THI Investments as Co-Founder.

  Research interests

  • Intersection of Complexity and Flexibility in Manufacturing Systems
     

  Teaching case studies

  • Blueprint Project: Structured Layout Planning Process for an Ideal Factory Layout
  • Production Control at C/M/S Inc.: Structured Planning Process for an Ideal Implementation of a Pull System
     

  Dissertation

  • New Perspectives and Insights on the Intersection of Business Model Design and Open Innovation: A Multi-Method Approach
     
• 

  Gregory Hartman, Ph.D. '17

  Greg is currently employed by U.S. Army - GVSC as an Industrial Engineer
  Connect on LinkedIn

  Research interests

  • Business Process Optimization
  • Product Development 
  • Program Management
     

  Teaching case study

  • Structured Process for Balancing Design Trade-offs: Case of Ground Combat Vehicles
     

  Dissertation

  • Enhancing Set-Based Design to Engineer Resilience for Long-Lived Systems
     
• 

  Rachel Itabashi-Campbell, Ph.D. '13

  Rachel is employed by Aptiv as a Functional Safety Manager.
  Connect on LinkedIn

  Research interests

  • Innovation
  • Organizational Learning
  • Operational Sustainability
     

  Teaching case study

  • The Story of Asahiyama Zoo
     

  Dissertation

  • Engineering Problem Solving & Sustained Learning
     

  Advisor

  • Attila Yaprak

   

• 

  Brandon Johnson, Ph.D. '19

  Brandon is employed by Ford Motor Company as Global Product Development Big Data Analytics Leader.
  Connect on LinkedIn

  Research interests

  • Product Development
  • Systems Engineering 
  • Design
     

  Teaching case studies

  • System Integration Barriers in Implmenting Commonality Based Design Engineering
  • Technology Inc.'s Portfolio Management of New Technologies & Innovations
     

  Dissertation

  • A Framework to Quantify the Risk of Introducing Product Service System Use Cases Through the Phases of Innovation within a Physical Architecture
     
• 

  Ifeoma Okechukwu, Ph.D. '19

  Ifeoma is employed by Focus: HOPE's Center for Advanced Technologies as the Engineering Education Manager.
  Connect on LinkedIn

  The GET program has been a life-transforming training experience with immediate applicability to career and life. It instantly increases one's net value with every class, and I would recommend the program to any one, any day.

  Research interests

  • Design, Development, and Operations of Service Systems
     

  Teaching case studies

  • Designing a Sustainable Nonprofit Funding Model - The Case of Focus: HOPE
  • Developing High Touch Human Services: Lessons from Focus: HOPE's Pre-College Program
     

  Dissertation

  • Sociotechnical Systems Approach for Designing Effective College STEM Programs for Nontraditional Adult Students
     
• 

  Nancy Philippart, Ph.D. '14

  Nancy is employed by Belle Michigan Fund as a General Partner & Co-Founder.
  Connect on LinkedIn

  Research interests

  • E-leadership
  • Cultural Intelligence
  • Innovation and Investment
     

  Teaching case study

  • Vehicle Personalization at Point of Sale: Developing an Integrated Business Strategy for Starting a New Business within a Mature Corporation
     

  Dissertation

  • Global e-Mentoring: Overcoming Virtual Distance for an Effective Partnership
     

  Advisor

  • Ratna Chinnam
• 

  Nabil Raad, Ph.D. '19

  Nabil is employed by GM Financial as the VP of Analytics.
  Connect on LinkedIn

  Research interests

  • Collaborative Innovation Networks
  • Complex Adaptive Systems 
  • Product Development
     

  Teaching case studies

  • NAVF: A Change Management Strategy for Developing a Pricing Capability in Indirect Lending
  • NAVF: Organizational Barriers to Implementing Optimized Transactional Pricing in Indirect Lending
     

  Dissertation

  • Understanding The Impact of Virtual Mirroring Based Learning on Collaboration in a Data and Analytics Function: A Resilience Perspective
     

  Advisor

  • Kenneth Chelst
     
• 

  Stephen H. Rapp, Ph.D. '17

  Steve is currently employed by U.S. Army - GVSC as a Senior Scientist, Decision Analysis Process Leader.
  Connect on LinkedIn

  Research interests

  • Business Process Optimization
  • Product Development
  • Program Management
     

  Teaching case studies

  • The Engineer with the Missing Finger: Risk and Value in Mining
  • When Analysis Fails in Merger Acquisitions
     

  Dissertation

  • Product Development Resilience through Set-Based Design
     

  Advisor

  • Kenneth Chelst

   

• 

  Cristina Recchia, Ph.D. '21

  Cristina is a part-time faculty member at WSU.

  Research interests

  • Agility
  • SaaS
     

  Teaching case study topics

  • Agility vs Inertia: Leveraging SaaS: Strategies and Obstacles for Agility in a Mature Organization
  • Leveraging technology to create new value propositions in publishing: Strategies for Agility in Mature Disrupted Firms
     
• 

  Shannon Dare Wayne, Ph.D. '20

  Shannon is employed by Ford Motor Company as Global Technology Planning & Strategy Leader - Body & Chassis.
  Connect on LinkedIn

  Research interest

  • Product Development System Optimization
     

  Teaching case studies

  • Seeking a Piece of the Luxury Pie in China: Exporting the Lincoln MKC while maintaining quality and cost effectiveness
  • Driving Through Snow and Bitter Cold - Environmental Change and the Automotive Industry: Lessons from the Polar Vortex
     

  Dissertation

  • Design Thinking & Strategic Product Planning For Highly Engineered Products
     

   

• 

  Darrell Williams, Ph.D. '13

  Darrell is employed by Teva Pharmaceuticals as Director of Operational Excellence & Technology Transfers.
  Connect on LinkedIn

  Research interests

  • Product Development
  • Complex Systems
  • Innovation
     

  Teaching case studiess

  • Hybrid Technology Decision
  • Hybrid Electric Vehicle: Mature Companies Launching Innovative Technologies
     

  Dissertation

  • Product Development Framework for Managing Complexity & Flexibility in Defense Industry Projects
     

  Advisor

  • Ratna Chinnam