College of Business Faculty Highlights
Click below to view the College of Business faculty publication listing by academic year.
Academic Year 2025-26 Faculty Highlights
2026 Responsible Business Innovation Lab Seed Grant Winners
We are incredibly proud to announce our 2026 RBIL Innovative Research Seed Grant awardees! This year, we are celebrating Christina Zhang, who is evaluating the financial impacts of corporate anti-ESG backlash; Jenny Lin, who is investigating frontline worker well-being and the "empathy imbalance" in high-stress skilled service fields; and Shwadhin Sharma, who is designing more inclusive mobile health systems for aging immigrant populations. Congratulations to these outstanding faculty members for their innovative research that champions people, the planet, equity, and ethics alongside profit!
Dr. Babita Gupta - CSUMB Featured in AACSB Global Engagement Panel
Professor Babita Gupta, Director of AACSB Accreditation and Professor of Information Systems in the College of Business, served as a panelist at the AACSB International Conference and Annual Meeting (ICAM) in Seattle as part of the AACSB Community and Connectedness Affinity Group session, “Global Practices to Building Community in Business Education.” The interactive session brought together business school leaders and educators from the international business education community to share approaches for strengthening student engagement and connection in higher education.
Dr. Sorour Fatemi - Pushing the Boundaries of AI and Decision-Making
Dr. Sorour Fatemi’s research paper, “Generalization or Memorization? Multi-Agent vs. Baseline LLMs and AutoML Models for Tabular Classification,” was accepted as a Findings paper at ACL 2026 (Association for Computational Linguistics), a leading conference in artificial intelligence and natural language processing. The study examines how multi-agent LLM systems compare with baseline LLMs and AutoML approaches on tabular classification tasks.
Dr. Fatemi also presented the research poster, “Do Large Language Models Gamble Like Humans?” at the AI and the Future of Work Conference hosted by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. The work explores how LLMs make risky decisions and whether their behavior reflects human-like patterns and stereotypes.
These projects contribute to ongoing research on large language models, multi-agent AI systems, and AI decision-making applications.
Dr. Cate Xiaotong Liu Publishes Research on Quality and CSR in the Apparel Industry
The College of Business proudly celebrates the publication of research by Dr. Xiaotong Liu in the Quality Management Journal! Her study explores how consumer perceptions of quality and corporate social responsibility (CSR) drive purchasing decisions, offering valuable insights for apparel brands aiming to balance operational excellence with ethical, sustainable management practices.Jason Lambert Receives Mini-Grant to Fund Peer Mentoring Program
The College of Business at California State University, Monterey Bay concluded its inaugural OTTERS (Onward Together Through Education, Retention and Support) peer mentoring program with an alumni panel lunch on May 8, 2026. The program connected transfer students with peer mentors throughout the spring semester, providing bi-weekly virtual check-ins, academic guidance, and community-building support. The culminating event featured four College of Business alumni who shared insights about their transfer experiences, career paths, and lessons learned at CSUMB.Shockley and O’Brien Publish New Paper on Purpose‑Driven Organizations
Marylou Shockley, former COB Dean, and Kelly O'Brien, Executive Champion of the Responsible Business Innovation Lab, co-authored a paper titled, "Aligning Purpose-Driven Organizations for Impact.” They have been invited to present at the 8th United Nations Program for Responsible Management Education (PRME), North America Chapter Biennial Meeting, hosted by the College of Business Administration at Loyola Marymount University, July 16–18, 2026, in Los Angeles, California.
Jason Lambert presented at the Africa Academy of Management Conference in Morocco
Dr. Jason Lambert’s latest study, recently accepted by the Journal of Education for Business, demonstrates that synchronous collaborative software significantly boosts student communication efficacy and group cohesion. In addition to this publication, Dr. Lambert recently presented two papers at the Africa Academy of Management Conference in Morocco, focusing on the critical issues of tokenism and immigrant job acculturation. We congratulate Dr. Lambert on these impactful contributions to the fields of business education and management.
Dr. Shwadhin Sharma served as Chair of the 2025 Pre-ICIS SIGDSA Symposium
Dr. Shwadhin Sharma served as Chair of the 2025 Pre-ICIS SIGDSA Symposium, held December 13–14 in conjunction with the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS 2025) in Nashville, Tennessee, where he led program development and facilitated high-level discussions among international scholars and industry leaders.
Dr. Shwadhin Sharma was selected to serve as Guest Editor for Sustainability journal's 2027 special issue
Dr. Sharma was selected to serve as Guest Editor for Sustainability journal's 2027 special issue, “Responsible AI for Sustainable Education: Bridging Innovation and the SDGs,” to be published next year.
In his role as guest editor, Dr. Sharma will review article submissions to be published in the special issue's section titled “Sustainable Education and Approaches“. Topcis to be explored include responsible AI in sustainability education, including adaptive learning, analytics, ethics, bias, governance, AI literacy, policy, equity, smart campuses, and interdisciplinary innovations advancing theory and practice.
Welcome Lawrence Henrard, Agribusiness Supply Chain Management Director
The college is pleased to welcome Lawrence Henrard as its new Agribusiness Supply Chain Management Director, effective March 23. Bringing more than two decades of senior leadership experience, Henrard joins the institution with a strong background in agribusiness and global supply chain operations.
Dr. Babita Gupta receives the Best Teaching/Prototype Paper Award
Dr. Babita Gupta recently received the Best Teaching/Prototype Paper Award at the Pre-ICIS SIGDSA 2025 Symposium for her research, "Encouraging Creativity in Data Analytics Using Generative AI." Her study demonstrates that the intentional integration of generative AI in education enhances student creativity and innovative insight while maintaining essential analytical rigor. This award-winning work directly supports the College of Business mission by advancing workforce readiness and responsible AI innovation in the modern business environment.
Dr. Sumadhur Shakya - Faculty-Led Initiative Wins $190K to Transform ASCM Learning Spaces
The College of Business has secured $190,000 in Strategic Investment funding to transform two BIT classrooms into flexible, analytics-enabled learning spaces, an initiative led by Dr. Sumadhur Shakya to support the growing Agribusiness Supply Chain Management (ASCM) program and enhance applied learning across the BSBA curriculum. The upgrades will equip BIT 108 and 235 with mobile, software-ready workstations capable of supporting instruction in supply chain analytics, logistics, GIS, ERP, and advanced decision‑making tools—addressing a critical bottleneck in student access to computing resources. Developed in collaboration with campus partners and supported by Dean Suzanne Zivnuska, the project will expand experiential, data-driven instruction for a student population that includes high proportions of transfer, first‑generation, and underrepresented minority students. Implementation is planned for the summer, marking a major milestone in faculty-led innovation and the College’s commitment to equitable, industry‑relevant learning environments.
Dr. Jenny Lin represented CSUMB at the 2026 American Marketing Association Winter Conference in Madrid
Dr. Jenny Lin recently represented the college at the 2026 American Marketing Association Winter Conference in Madrid, where she chaired a session and presented two innovative studies. Her research spanned from using EEG technology to explore consumer neural processing in retail environments to a collaborative project with an MBA alumna on realigning service roles within veterinary-client relationships. These contributions underscore Dr. Lin’s commitment to interdisciplinary excellence and the integration of professional student insights into high-level academic discourse.
Dr. Jenny Lin Appointed 2026 President of NATEA Silicon Valley
Dr. Jenny Lin, marketing professor at CSUMB, has been appointed the 2026 President of the Silicon Valley chapter of the North America Taiwanese Engineering & Science Association (NATEA). In this leadership role, Dr. Lin prioritizes human connection and Taiwan's leadership in AI through flagship programs like the recent Women's Summit, which focused on entrepreneurial reinvention. Dr. Lin's tenure also highlights Taiwan's innovation ecosystem via initiatives like the upcoming "Startup Reality 201" workshop on May 9, which provides mid-career professionals with practical frameworks for navigating startup equity and transitions.
Dr. Cate (Xiaotong) Liu gives a presentation at the Project Management Institute
Dr. Chi-Chun Chou is the co-author of "Python for Excel Users: A Beginner's Guide," an introductory guide tailored for business students and professionals who are proficient in Microsoft Excel but are ready to embark on their Python journey. The 200-page book, published by Chapman and Hall/CRC, is scheduled to be available in August 2025.
Dr. Mohamed Abouzahra met with Monterey Bay Chamber of Commerce
Dr. Mohamed Abouzahra, associate professor of Business Analytics and Information Systems, recently represented the College of Business at a Monterey Bay Chamber of Commerce meeting focused on innovation and technology in local business. During the discussion, Dr. Abouzahra shared insights on how artificial intelligence (AI) can help small and medium-sized enterprises streamline operations, improve decision-making, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving marketplace. The event also served to strengthen ties between CSUMB and the local business community—advancing the College’s mission to promote responsible, data-driven innovation and regional economic growth.
Dr. Mohamed Abouzahra and Dr. Sorouralsadat Fatemi Represent CSUMB at INFORMS 2025
Dr. Mohamed Abouzahra and Dr. Sorouralsadat Fatemi, faculty in Business Analytics and Information Systems, recently represented the College of Business at INFORMS, one of the world’s leading conferences in AI, analytics, and operations research.
Dr. Abouzahra presented a research paper highlighting innovative applications of data analytics, while Dr. Fatemi served as a session chair, guiding discussions among global experts in the field. Their participation underscores CSUMB’s growing presence in the analytics community and the College’s commitment to advancing cutting-edge, data-driven research.
College of Business faculty honored at annual breakfast
- Mohamed Abouzahra, Associate Professor of Information Systems
Outstanding Research and Creative Activity - Leslie Boni, Professor of Finance and Business Department Chair
Outstanding Student Success and Curricular Innovation
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Abouzahra and Dr. Boni on these well-deserved honors, and in thanking them for their outstanding contributions to our students, our programs, and the College of Business community. Read more.
Faculty promotions
- Dr. Sumadhur Shakya - Promoted to Full Professor
- Dr. Jenny Lin - Promoted to Full Professor
- Dr. Karlee Posteher - Promoted to Associate Professor
New Faculty
Dr. Jason R. Lambert joins the College of Business at Cal State Monterey Bay as Associate Professor of Management. He brings nearly two decades of academic and professional experience, most recently serving at Texas Woman’s University. Dr. Lambert earned his Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington and is a respected scholar in the fields of diversity, leadership, and organizational behavior. His work has earned national recognition and multiple teaching awards. A dynamic educator, speaker, and mentor, Dr. Lambert is passionate about fostering inclusive workplaces and equipping students to lead with purpose, equity, and integrity.
Dr. Sorour Fatemi joins the College of Business at Cal State Monterey Bay as Visiting Professor of Information Systems. She recently completed her Ph.D. in Management Information Systems at the University of Illinois Chicago, where her research focused on the emergent abilities of large language models (LLMs) in finance. Her scholarly work explores applications of AI, machine learning, and multi-agent systems in FinTech and decision-making. Dr. Fatemi has published in peer-reviewed journals and conferences and brings expertise in AI-driven diagnostics and business analytics. She is passionate about preparing students to lead in data-informed, technology-driven environments.