School of Business Faculty Profiles

 Gioia Bales, Dean

Education:  MBA – Hofstra University

Discipline:  Finance

Email:  gbales@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  516-323-3090

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gioiabales

Office location:  Casey 103

Biography:

Gioia Bales’ professional background spans over forty years and includes experience as a university administrator, faculty member and financial services professional. Previously, Dean Bales was the Senior Associate Dean of the Frank G. Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University where she also held a faculty appointment in the department of finance teaching both undergraduate and graduate students. Dean Bales began her career in financial services at Salomon Brothers where she published extensive research on domestic and international fixed-income markets to institutional investors worldwide. While a faculty member at Hofstra, Dean Bales was engaged at Merrill Lynch as a senior consultant in their global fixed-income research department authoring major studies on bond market composition and structure. Community service is important to Dean Bales. She currently serves on the Zoning Board of Appeals for the Village of Lattingtown and previously was President, Trustee and Endowment Committee member of the Locust Valley Library. In December 2020, she was recognized as a Power Woman of Long Island.

Research Interests:

• Financial Services
• Investments
• Higher Education

Selected Publications and Presentations

Dawn DiStefano, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Program

Education: 

• Doctor of Professional Studies in Business, with a concentration in Marketing from Pace University

Disciplines:  Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing, Sport and Entertainment Management

Email: ddistefano@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  516-323-3096

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-distefano-02b6aab5

Office location: Casey Building, Room C103

Biography:

Dr. DiStefano became a full-time faculty member in Fall 2015 and now serves as the Associate Dean & Director of Undergraduate Programs.
Prior to joining Molloy, through hard work and commitment, Dr. DiStefano enjoyed a distinguished career at Nassau Community College where she began teaching as a full-time professor in the Marketing Department. She focused on her teaching, committee work, advisement, recruitment, and social responsibility as a faculty member. Her primary area of expertise is in Marketing and Management. In May 2011, Dr. DiStefano received a Service Learning award and later that same year was promoted to Executive Director of the Nassau Community College Foundation. In that role, her primary focus was to grow student scholarships, manage grants, special events, and various college-related fundraising initiatives. Dr. DiStefano successfully partnered with the President of NCC and faculty to pioneer the electronic offering of student scholarships fully online.
Before her transition to academia, Dr. DiStefano’s primary career was in banking and finance where she held a position as Client Service Specialist at Charles Schwab & Co., focusing on daily cashiering, transfer of accounts, and retention dealing with death and divorce. While serving in this role, she acquired her Series 7 and Series 63 licenses and later became an Investment Consultant at Fidelity Investments.
Dr. DiStefano also served as a Senior Gift Officer at the American Red Cross, heading up fundraising initiatives on Long Island reporting to the Chief Development Officer of the Greater New York Region. Well accomplished, she surpassed fundraising goals for their Annual Gala and secured a quarter of a million-dollar donation within her first three months of employment. This donation was renewed later that same year from the same organization equaling a half of a million-dollar donation.
Dawn holds a BBA degree in Business Administration from Hofstra University, where she was awarded the Top Scholar award of her graduating class, an MBA in General Business from Dowling College and a Doctorate of Professional Studies in Business, with a concentration in Marketing from Pace University, Manhattan campus.

Courses Taught:

• Capstone
• Consumer Behavior
• Marketing Analytics
• Digital Media Marketing
• International Marketing
• Organizational Behavior
• Human Resource Management
• International Business, Economics

Research Interests:

• Consumer behavior among various consumer populations

Selected Publications and Presentations

Brian O'Neill, Program Director, Graduate Program, Assistant Professor

Pronouns:  he/him/his

Education:

• MBA, University of Notre Dame 
• BS, Marquette University

Discipline:  Management

Email:  boneill@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  516-323-3109

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmmoneill/

Office location:  Casey 103

Biography:

Brian O’Neill is a seasoned professional with corporate, government, small business, and not-for-profit project experience. During his career, he has focused on streamlining business processes and implementing technology to improve organizational performance.

His professional experience includes working as an independent management consultant and serving as the founding Director of the Office of Business Strategies and Solutions for the New York City Human Resources Administration/Department of Social Services (HRA/DSS), the largest social services agency in the country. Prior to his government position, he worked as a consultant at CGI-AMS and began his career at Unisys in the suburbs of Chicago. As a consultant, he worked with clients in Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. On various projects, he led team members from China, India, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey.

He is currently enrolled in Creighton University's hybrid Doctor of Business Administration program and has achieved the status of DBA Candidate. His research interests include organizational identification, job satisfaction, commitment, personality, and organizational identity. 

Courses Taught:

Undergraduate courses taught:

• BUS 2010 – Principles of Management
• BUS 3040 – Organizational Behavior
• BUS 4900 – Capstone

Graduate courses taught:

• BUS 5400 – Leadership in Organizations
• BUS 5950 – Capstone

Research Interests:

• Organizational identification
• Job satisfaction
• Commitment, personality, and organizational identity

Selected Publications and Presentations

Dan Ball, Associate Professor

Education:

• Ph.D. Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
• M.S. Management, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• M.S. Civil Engineering, Lehigh University
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Western New England University

Discipline:  Management

Email:  dball@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  516-323-3095

Office location: Casey Building Room 103

Biography:

Daniel Ball is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Business at Molloy University.  Prior to joining Molloy University in 2016, he was an Associate Professor of Management and Decision Sciences in the Leon Hess School of Business at Monmouth University (2007-2016).  He earned his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (2007), M.S. degrees in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2001) and Civil Engineering from Lehigh University (1998), and his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Western New England University (1996).  Prior to beginning an academic career, he was a design engineer and project manager in the environmental consulting industry.  Dr. Ball has earned Lean Six Sigma Black Certification through the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers.  He serves on the Board of Directors for the Northeast Business and Economics Association.

Courses Taught:

• Quantitative Analysis Supporting Managerial Decisions
• Project Management
• Capstone

Research Interests:

• Business analytics
• Project management
• Technology and operations management
• Real options
• Risk-based distributed decision-making
• The modeling and simulation of complex systems
• Organizational sustainability
• Technologically-enhanced teaching methods

Selected Publications and Presentations

John Catalano, Assistant Professor

Education: 

• DrPH, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• MPA, New York University
• BA, Adelphi University

Disciplines:  Healthcare Administration

Molloy Email:  jcatalano2@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  516-323-3098

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-catalano-drph-mpa-5395878/

Office location:  Casey 103

Biography:

Dr. Catalano dedicated himself to a 30+ year career in academic medicine and health insurance prior to joining Molloy.  After many years as an academic healthcare leader, he became a health insurance executive at US Healthcare and Aetna.  John was appointed Market Head and Corporate Senior Vice President at Aetna, overseeing the company’s largest US market.  He was also an Adjunct Professor in the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at NYU.  He later returned to academic medicine as Senior Vice President of Managed Care at NYU Langone Health System.  In that role, he oversaw contracting initiatives for all NYU hospitals, the NYU Faculty Practice, and served as CEO of an affiliated MSO.  He was also Vice Dean for the NYU School of Medicine.  After leaving NYU Langone, he established Catalano Consulting, a healthcare and educational consulting firm.
Professor Catalano proudly serves on the Board at NYU Langone Long Island Hospital and NYU Long Island School of Medicine, where he has been a member of multiple committees.  He is also a member of the Advisory Board of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a world-class research institution.  His previous Board appointments include South Nassau Communities Hospital, Make-a-Wish of Metro New York, and The Heart Council of Long Island, among numerous others.
Dr. Catalano holds a DrPH from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  He was recently appointed Adjunct Assistant Professor at UNC and teaches in the doctoral public health program.  He received his MPA from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at NYU with dual concentrations in Healthcare Financial Management and Healthcare Management.  He graduated first in his class at NYU and earned the prestigious Lepesqueur Award for highest academic standing.

Courses Taught:

• Accounting for Healthcare Professionals
• Healthcare Marketing
• Economic Evaluations in Healthcare
• Healthcare Finance
• Healthcare Organization and Delivery
• Healthcare Capstone
• Perspectives on Strategy
• Managerial Accounting
• Understanding Economic Evaluations in Healthcare

Research Interests:

• College student mental health and suicide
• Professional student mental health and suicide
• Population health management
• Social and institutional determinants of health and mental health

Selected Publications and Presentations

Peter D'Antonio, Assistant Professor

Education: 

• PhD, University of Pennsylvania, Macroeconomics and Finance
• MA, University of Pennsylvania, Econometrics and Statistics
• BA, Princeton University, Economics

Disciplines:  Economics

Email:  pdantonio@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  516-323-3087

Office location:  Casey 103

Biography:

Peter D’Antonio worked on Wall Street for nearly 30 years as a Macroeconomist before coming to Molloy in Spring 2017. As Head of US Economic Forecasting at Citigroup. Peter advised Citi’s traders, salespeople, and institutional clients on the economy, policy, and financial markets. He authored more than 1,000 articles in Citigroup publications. At Molloy, Peter developed the Economics major and minor. He teaches most Economic courses and Graduate Capstone. His published research focuses on policy issues concerning inflation, unemployment, and housing. Peter earned his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and his B.A. in Economics from Princeton University. 

Voluneteer Work or Group Affiliations:  Member of the NY forecasters Club and New York Association for Business Economics; Member of the Board of Trustees of the Garden City Public Library.

Courses Taught:

• Macroeconomics
• Microeconomics
• Global Economics and Finance
• Real World Macroeconomics
• Microeconomic Concepts
• Federal Reserve Challenge
• Graduate Capstone

Research Interests:

• Macroeconomics
• Macro Modeling
• Policy Analysis
• Demographics
• Financial Markets

Selected Publications and Presentations

Bruce Haller, Professor

Education:

• JD, Brooklyn Law School
• MBA, Adelphi University
• BA, Adelphi University
• PhD, (candidate) Concordia University Chicago

Disciplines: Sport and Entertainment Management

Email:  bhaller@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  516-323-3097

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-haller-611b1ab7

Office location:  Casey 103

Biography:

Bruce is currently a tenured full professor in the Molloy College School of Business. He has previously served as Department Chair, Graduate Associate Dean and School of Business Dean at various colleges and universities over the past 30 years. He is a practicing attorney specializing in employment law, labor law, and contract law and has worked in both the public and private sector.

Bruce has appeared on television and nationally syndicated radio as an expert in sports law and business law issues. His clients have included Fortune 500 executives, professional athletes, as well as college faculty and administrators. He has taught presentation skills, litigation strategies, and classroom teaching techniques to diverse audiences for over 30 years.

Courses Taught:

• Leadership
• Ethics, Sport and Entertainment Law
• Sport and Entertainment Leadership
• Business Law

Research Interests:

• Sport Leadership
• Employment Law
• Contract Law

Selected Publications and Presentations

Donna Iucolano, Assistant Professor

Pronouns:  She/Her

Education: 

• PhD, Case Western Reserve University
• MBA, Hofstra University
• MS,Hofstra University
• BA,Hofstra University
• AAS, Fashion Institute of Technology

Disciplines:  Marketing and Management

E-Mail:  diucolano@molloy.edu

Office Phone:  516-323-3076

Office location:  Casey Center, Room C-103 (Office B)

LinkedIn Profile:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnaiucolano

Biography:
Donna M. Iucolano, Ph.D. (pronounced U-CO-LA-NO) is a highly accomplished direct and digital marketing, e-commerce, strategy, and digital business transformation executive turned marketing and management professor, researcher, consultant, and business advisor. She is a bilingual (English-Italian), first-generation college graduate with a PhD in Management from Case Western Reserve University; a BA, MS, and MBA from Hofstra University; and, an AAS from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Dr. Iucolano is a member of the American Marketing Association (AMA) and a peer reviewer of papers submitted for AMA Summer and Winter Educator Conferences. 

Teaching Experience
Since 2014, Dr. Iucolano has leveraged her deep corporate experience gained at private and public companies on behalf of undergraduate and graduate level students first as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Marketing at the Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University and now as an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Molloy University. Her approach successfully combines the practical and the academic to better prepare students for entry-to-leadership roles in an increasingly social, political, technical, environmental, and economically complex world where all stakeholders deserve value. Dr. Iucolano’s experience includes in-person, hybrid, and online synchronous and asynchronous teaching and learning formats.

Corporate Experience
Dr. Iucolano’s prior 20-year corporate career was marked by innovation, many firsts, aggressive growth, and award-winning achievements in direct and digital marketing, e-commerce, strategy, and digital business transformation. She worked for New York City area private and public companies operating in three industries: floral/gifting, media/publishing, and women’s apparel and accessories. Dr. Iucolano held corporate roles such as Senior and Executive Vice President, General Manager, Division President, and Regional CEO at select firms including 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLWS), Scholastic Corp. (NASDAQ: SCHL), IMP/International Master’s Publishers, New York & Company, Inc., and Weekly Reader, a division of the Reader’s Digest Association (now part of Scholastic).
While at these firms, Dr. Iucolano started and/or led many pioneering initiatives and divisions growing them from a “good idea” to $400+ million in annual revenues. She managed hundreds of people and countless strategic business partners.  And, was responsible for core operating functions including direct and digital marketing; customer acquisition, retention, and loyalty; e-commerce; revenue creation and profitability; product/content development; merchandising; fulfillment and customer service; website development and management; and, internet technologies and back-end systems integration. Dr. Iucolano’s industry work now includes consulting, guest speaking, meeting facilitation, research, serving as an independent advisor or board member, and work with nonprofits. She also leverages her extensive professional network on behalf of students, helping them secure internships and full-time employment.

• Consumer Behavior
• Marketing Strategy
• Branding Strategies
• Capstone
• Marketing Management
• Capstone 1 (MBA)

Research Interests:

• The concurrent positive/negative consequences of rising hyper connectivity with an emphasis on:
  • (1) tensions between consumers and firms over continuous personal data exchanges and privacy;
  • (2) analyzing, understanding, and explaining consumer versus firm power;
  • (3) the impact of (digital) consumer activism on management decision-making

Selected Publications and Presentations

Steven Kent, Assistant Professor

Education: 

• PhD, Iowa State
• MBA, New York University
• BA, SUNY Stony Brook

Disciplines:  Economics and Finance

Email:  skent@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  516-323-3000

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenerickent/

Office location:  Casey 103

Biography:

Public board director, economist, and consumer strategist, Steve Kent has spent his career helping companies identify and position untapped value by leveraging the interplay between business performance and investor motivation.
Retiring from Wall Street in 2016, Steve most recently served as board director, audit committee financial expert, and ESG leader for Extended Stay America (NYSE:STAY), where he drew on capital markets and consumer expertise to help shepherd the company through a range of strategic maneuvers, and finally, the negotiation of its $6B sale to private equity.
Steve’s board leadership included advancing the company’s analytical approach to corporate change; advising on operating efficiency and stock performance, brand revitalization, and C-suite succession; chairing or serving on the company’s M&A, Opco/Propco, Audit, and Nominating, Corporate Governance & ESG committees; and coaching on Wall Street positioning, activist defense, and long-term investment appeal. He also re-stacked the board composition and helped advance DE&I at the board and operating level.
In addition to board work, Steve today acts as a thought partner to pre-IPO to Fortune-ranked companies, PE and VC firms, hedge funds, and domestic and international governments, helping them navigate growth, risk, and value through Brewster Bay Advisors. In particular, he draws on an expectation-vs-reality framework to help them identify opportunities and make strategic decisions about capital structures and allocation, and real estate.
Engagements include advising a major hotel’s CEO and CFO on expanding the market understanding of the company’s global image, as well as co-development of a market study produced by Spectrum Gaming Group guiding the New York State Gaming Commission (Jan 2021) on the potential impacts of gaming in the State.
Earlier, Steve spent twenty-six years at Goldman Sachs & Co (NYSE:GS), where he founded and built the firm’s global leisure and hospitality research business, and Goldman Sachs Hospitality Conference, and the G2E Investor Forum in partnership with the American Gaming Association. During that time, he maintained first-name relationships with executives of nearly every public and private lodging, gaming, and leisure company.
Steve also advised 60+ IPO issuers on value recognition, Wall Street messaging, and exit strategy, and initiated coverage on 180+ car rental, casino, gaming manufacturer, hotel/timeshare, leisure, restaurant, and travel companies engaged in corporate finance activities across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas.
Steve correctly called the hotel subsector six times. He was also recognized eight times as “best stock picker” by The Wall Street Journal, and as a top-ranked analyst by Greenwich Survey and Institutional Investor.
Additionally, Steve established the firm’s international thought leadership in consumer-facing sectors, publishing industry-shaping views on the sharing economy, online travel booking, and the impact of consumer channel overbuilding, which were cited as must-read publications by thousands of investors and industry executives.
Steve has appeared or been cited more than 100 times in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNBC, NBC, and other mainstream and industry publications, and as speaker and guest lecturer for institutions including Columbia University Masters in Real Estate Development, NYU School of Professional Studies, World Travel & Tourism Council, and Pension Real Estate Association.
He has also served as assistant professor of economics and acting associate dean of undergraduate programs for Molloy College, School of Business in Rockville Centre, New York.
Steve holds a Ph.D. in hospitality management from Iowa State University, an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business, and a Bachelor of Arts in economics, magna cum laude, from SUNY at Stony Brook, as well as the CFA designation. Connect with Steve at linkedin.com/in/stevenerickent.

Courses Taught:

• Macroeconomics
• Microeconomics
• Money and Banking
• Introduction to Finance
• CFA Challenge
• Federal Reserve Challenge

Research Interests:

• Special Purpose Acquisition Corporations
• Alternative Accommodations
• Amusement Parks
• Roll Up Strategy
• Stock market trends
• Economic Forecasts

Selected Publications and Presentations

Roseanne Lavelle, Professor of Practice

Education:

• MBA, Fordham University
• BS, Siena College

Disciplines: Marketing, Management

Email:  rlavelle@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  516-353-3086

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rose-m-lavelle/

Office location:  School of Business, Casey 103 Room Q

Biography:

During her 25-year career in the Capital Markets, Rose served in senior management positions in Credit, Risk Management and Fixed Income Trading at some of Wall Street’s most prestigious financial firms.  After a successful career in finance, she obtained NYS certification to teach Business and Marketing and has taught college level business courses at an academically rigorous high school.  In addition, Rose presently serves as a consultant to a private equity firm, advising business owners, across a breadth of industries, on maximizing valuation in anticipation of future ownership transition.  She serves on the Executive Board of Tuesday’s Children, a non-profit organization which serves families impacted by terrorism, military conflict, or mass violence.  In addition, Rose has served as a board member for numerous charitable and civic organizations.

• Risk Management Professional Certificate
• Microsoft Office Specialist and Microsoft Certified Educator
• Tableau Desktop Specialist Certification
• Digital Marketing Certification – HubSpot
• Bloomberg Market Concepts Certification
• Member – National Association for Business Economists (NABE)
• Member – Risk Management Association (NY Chapter)
• Member – National Association for Business Educators (NABTE) 

Courses Taught: 

• Principles of Management
• Principles of Marketing
• Entrepreneurship
• Marketing Analytics

Research Interests: 

• Leveraging blockchain to enhance digital marketing
• Entrepreneurial seed funding availability during extended economic downturn
• Study of intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors in student engagement and achievement

Selected Publications and Presentations

Maureen Mackenzie-Ruppel, Professor

Pronouns:  She/Her/Hers

Education: 

• Ph.D., C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University
• MBA, Dowling College
• BA, Molloy College

Discipline: Management

Email: MMackenzie-Ruppel5@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number: 516-323-3092

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maureenmackenzieruppel/

Office location: C103

Biography:
Twenty-year corporate management career blends wither her twenty-one years of academic experience as a Full Professor of Business and Leadership, an Academic Dean, and Faculty Leader. Her goal is to inspire her students to be ethical and forward-thinking leaders. Founder of the Capstone Consulting Experience (2012) for the M.B.A. and B.S. programs, which created a tangible shift in how students view themselves within their chosen professions. Led the full transition for the faculty to online education, both technically and culturally. Demonstrated ability to lead process improvement initiatives; particular expertise in developing people and organizations to reach full potential. She is especially successful in elevating her students’ communication skills. Her publications cover areas such as Management, Trust, Ethics, Executive Coaching, Business Education, Not-for-profit leadership, and Entrepreneurship. She serves as the Chair of the Young Global Leadership Foundation’s (YGLF.org) NGO Global Council. Past President of the Northeast Business & Economics Association (NBEA.us). Has served as a Board member for eighteen years; was elevated to an Executive Director of the NBEA Board.

Awards:
2021 Business Faculty of the Year. Recognized by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). Awarded on April 15, 2021
2017 Recognized by Long Island Business News as Top 50 Most Influential Women In Business, Gala Award event, October 19, 2017
2017 Awarded the Class of 2017 Faculty Recognition Award by the MBA Graduating Class. Awarded at Graduate class night. Previously awarded same honor by Class of 2013
2016 Honoree, “Champion for Families”. Honor bestowed by RotaCare, Inc. Award ceremony November 17, 2016, Garden City, New York
2014 Recognized by Long Island Business News as Top 50 Most Influential Women In Business. URL: http://www.liherald.com/rockvillecentre/stories/Molloy-professor-named-to-list-of-Top-50-Most-Influential-Women-in-Business,59463
2014 Recipient of the College-wide Faculty Research Achievement Award. Awarded May 14, 2014.

Professional Certifications and Credentials:
ICF (International Coaching Federation.org) Credential
ACC – Associate Certified Coach Credential awarded: December 2021
PMI (Project Management Institute) Professional Designation
CAPM – Certified Associate in Project Management awarded: July 31, 2020
HRCI (Human Resource Certification Institute) Professional Designation
PHR – Professional Human Resources. Original certification awarded: December 17, 2004 Recertification awarded 2007-2010; 2010-2013; 2013-2016; 2017-2020; 2020-2023

Courses Taught:

• Capstone Consulting Experience
• Leadership in Organizations
• Organizational Behavior
• Business Ethics & Professional Responsibility
• Capstone Consulting and Entrepreneurship
• Gotham: NY Experience
• Human Resource Management
• Global Business & Economic Awareness in Vietnam

Research Interests:

• Business education
• Leadership and Executive Coaching
• Human Resource Management
• Pedagogy
• Online Education
• Trust
• Leadership
• Management
• Ethics

Selected Publications and Presentations

Brian Noll, Assistant Professor

Education:  

• DPS, Pace University
• MBA, Molloy University
• BS, Oneonta State

Discipline:  Accounting

Email:  bnoll@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  516-323-3093

Office location:  Casey

Biography:

Certifications: CPA (Certified Public Accountant).

Industry experience: public and private accounting sectors; not for profit accounting, higher education and healthcare industries. 

Awards:  Distinguished Faculty Award (2022), Faculty Recognition Award (2011, 2012, 2015) 

Courses Taught:

Undergraduate

• Accounting 1
• Accounting 2
• Intermediate Accounting 2
• Auditing
• Cost Accounting
• Government and Not for Profit Accounting
• Accounting Capstone

Graduate

• Managerial Accounting
• Computer Auditing
• Accounting Research

Research Interests

• International Financial Reporting Standards
• Say on Pay Voting

Selected Publications and Presentations

Gayle O'Keefe, Professor of Practice

Education:

• MBA, Baruch College

Discipline:  Analytics

Email:  gokeefe@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  516-323-3084

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/gayle-o-keefe-3700139

Office location:  Casey 103 L

Biography:

Professor O'Keefe is a Professor of Practice in the School of Business.  She earned her BS in Psychology from Brooklyn College, and her Master's in Business Administration, Statistics and Marketing from Baruch Colleges, Zicklin School of Business's Honors Program.

Professor O'Keefe has previously been an Adjunct Professor at Molloy College, teaching introductory levels of Statistics and Quantitative Analysis.  Professionally, Professor O'Keefe has worked as a Senior Analyst at Digital in their Strategy and Analysis Department and a Data Analyst at Endai Worldwide.  Her professional work has given her real-world knowledge to engage our students. She is proficient in SAS, SPSS, Google Analytics and Qualtrics.

• Quantitative Analysis
• Business Statistics
• Microsoft Excel

Research Interests:

• Big data
• Data privacy
• Data analytics

Selected Publications and Presentations

Meryl Rosenblatt, Associate Professor

Education:

• DPS, Pace University
• MBA, Baruch College

Discipline: Marketing, Marketing Research

Email:  mrosenblatt@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  516-323-3096, 516-323-3079

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/merylrosenblatt           

Biography:

Corporate Experience
Dr. Rosenblatt has over twenty years of marketing and marketing research experience working for Fortune 500 companies that include Colgate-Palmolive, Canon and the NPD Group, the 8th largest market research company in the world. With a corporate career spanning a variety of industries, Dr. Rosenblatt's areas of expertise reflect her work in consumer-packaged goods, technology products, ecommerce, retail and the energy services sectors.
At a senior management-level, Dr. Rosenblatt was responsible for marketing programs in support of strategic planning, corporate goal setting and business development initiatives. These often focused on the design and evaluation of marketing and brand strategy; competitive intelligence and environmental tracking; identifying new product opportunities and the design and testing of advertising campaigns and integrated marketing communications.

Academic Experience
Dr. Rosenblatt has been a full-time faculty member in the School of Business at Molloy University since 2007.  She was responsible for the design and introduction of Molloy's undergraduate marketing program and the MBA marketing concentration. Today, as an Associate Professor of Marketing, Dr. Rosenblatt's incorporates her corporate experience, research expertise, and marketing insights into her teaching. She strives to help students connect theory to practice and translate strategy into action. Dr. Rosenblatt instills in both her graduate and undergraduate students an appreciation of the dynamic, innovative, scientific and creative aspects of a marketing, and how these can translate to a versatile and successful marketing career.
Since 2013, Dr. Rosenblatt has mentored and led Molloy students in their participation in the annual Euroweek Conference and Business Competition (ECO 3220). Euroweek is an international student conference and competition whose purpose is to expose students to the international business and research environment. Students collaborate on multi-country teams working on projects that could have a positive societal or economic impact. Students produce an academic research paper and present their results to an international audience and a panel of judges at the Euroweek Conference.
Dr. Rosenblatt has served as an Executive Board Officer of the Prime Networking Association since 2017.  PRIME Networking (Professional Inter-university Management for Educational Networking) is an international non-profit association founded in Belgium in 2001, whose mission is to develop and promote cross-cultural and interdisciplinary academic programs and student research. She is a long-standing member of the American Marketing Association since 1989 and the International Network for Social Network Analysis (INSNA), since 2017.
Dr. Rosenblatt holds an MBA in Marketing from Baruch College and a Doctor of Professional Studies in Business from the Lubin School of Business, Pace University. Meryl Rosenblatt is the founder and owner of Great Soles, an ecommerce company that designs, manufactures and markets fitness apparel and accessories.

 Research Interests:

• Digital transformation in marketing, and brand building strategies that that address marketing opportunities and threats created in the new digital and omnichannel environments
• Social network analysis, and developing a deeper understanding of the types of "capital" that network relationships provide
• Examining the impact of corporate social responsibility programs and sustainability initiatives/ESG reporting on corporate image, brand trust and brand value

Courses Taught:

• Marketing Research (graduate & undergraduate)
  
• Consumer Behavior (graduate)
  
• Marketing Strategy
  
• Integrated Marketing Communications (undergraduate)
  
• Global Economics and Business Research Seminar (undergraduate)

Publications

Kathleen Ruoff, Professor of Practice

Education:

• MBA, Molloy University
• BBA, Pace University

Disciplines:  Accounting, Management

Email:  kruoff@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  516-323-3102

Office location:  Casey 103

Biography:

CPA, CFF

Courses Taught:

• Forensic Accounting
• Financial Accounting
• Managerial Accounting
• Cost Accounting
• Principles of Management

• Forensic Accounting Investigations

Selected Publications and Presentations:

“Recovering the Costs of Environmental Remediator,” Real Estate Review, WG & L, Summer 1996.

Linda Silva Thompson, Professor, Associate Dean of Academic Assessment

Pronouns:  she/her/hers

Education:  

• Ph.D, The New School

Disciplines:  Management, Entrepreneurship

Email:  lsilvathompson@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  516-323-3078

LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/linda-silva-thompson-phd

Office location:  K310

Biography:

Industry Experiences

Elected Board Director & Advisor for publicly traded bank

Real Estate sales, management and construction Entrepreneur

Awards

Awarded Distinguished Service Medal (2021)
Faculty Leadership Award (2019)

Honors & Certifications

Harvard Graduate School of Education, Institute for Management and Leadership in Education– June 2022
Middle States Commission on Higher Education Peer Evaluator – 2018 - Present
Empowerment Skills for Leaders Executive Training - University of Connecticut - 2018
Quality Matters Teaching Online Certifications – 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018
Wealth Inequality Research Fellow - Howard University – 2008

Courses Taught:

• Introduction to Business
• Principles of Management
• Entrepreneurship
• Business Internship
• Personal Financial Management I
• Personal Financial Management II
• Personal Financial Management III

Research Interests:

• Immigrant Asset Building using Workplace Rotating Savings & Credit Associations (ROSCAs)
• History and wealth accumulation of Black Beach Communities
• Middle Class Asset Building & Wealth Inequalities
• Urban & Faith-based Economic Development & Analysis
• Financial Inclusion
• Community Saving Groups
• Long Island, New York Housing Segregation

Selected Publications and Presentations

Diana Bier, Auxiliary Instructor

Education:  

• MBA, New York University
• BA, Queens College
• Certificate in Interior Design, New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)  

Discipline:  Accounting 

Email: dbier@molloy.edu 

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-bier-mba-cpa-33996841/ 

Office location: Casey Building 

Biography:
Corporate Experience:  

• Audit Staff, Ernst & Young;  
• Controller, Commercial Banking Division, Irving Trust Company;  
• Principal, Diana Bier Interiors, LLC 

Certified Public Accountant (CPA), State of New York (License #045295) 

Volunteer Work /Group Affiliations: 

• St. Agnes Cathedral Chorale 
• St. Agnes Cathedral School Executive Board  
• Rockville Centre Jr. League for Mercy Medical Center 
• St. Mark's Cooperative Nursery School  

Courses Taught: 

• Accounting I 
  
• Accounting II 
  
• Technical Writing for Financial Professionals 
  
• Accounting for Non-Business Majors 

Robert Caliendo, Auxiliary Instructor

Education:

• MBA, Adelphi University
• BA, Queens College
• The Art & Science of Teaching Certificate, Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus
• Broker-Dealer Licenses Completed: 3, 7, 63 & 24

Disciplines:  Finance, Economics, Management

Email:  RCaliendo@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  516-323-3099

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-caliendo-4954a959/

Office:  Casey C5A

Biography:

Societe Generale Bank/SG Americas Securities (1980-2015)
Managing Director - Rate Sales Americas
Head of Client Funding & Short Duration Sales
Trustee-SG USA Pension Fund
Executive Committee Member – SGUSA Liquidity Risk Management
Delta Mu Delta Honor Society

Notable Achievements:

*Over 90 Benchmark Public and Private Bond transactions successfully executed as Head of Fixed Income Sales

*SG’s FRB NY Primary Dealer Task Force – business plan development and successful implementation covering client activities to meet FRB guidelines for all US Treasury cash and repurchase agreement activity.

*Responsible for the creation and development of a US based Rates Sales Desk which generated over $50 million in revenues in 3 years.

*Global coordinator for all broker-dealer rates desk client risk exposures and allocation of bank capital related to client financing across multiple fixed income products.

*Daily responsibilities for over $125 billion in outstanding bank liquidity products to a global client base.

*Responsible for the re-organization of the firm’s sales teams into a cross-selling entity generating a 10% increase in sales with the same head count.

*Provided critical leadership skills as a key liaison to the firm’s U.S. institutional client base during the 2008 Sub-Prime Crisis, the Jerome Kerviel Rogue Trader scandal and the European Debt Crisis.

*Establishment of an Emerging Markets repo collateral desk covering multiple billion dollars in transactions including client marketing, documentation and implementation of operational and compliance procedures.

*Executed the first cross-currency repo trade enabling the bank to diversify global funding needs through US based investors.

*Head of Sales & Trading and U.S. client coordinator of a new 4(2)(a) commercial paper program to meet new bank funding requirements resulting from the Dodd Frank legislation.

Courses Taught:

• Money Banking and Finance
• Risk Management
• International Business
• Principles of Finance
• Corporate Treasury Management

Research Interests:

• Capital Markets

Alan Halperin, Auxiliary Instructor

Education: 

• MBA, Emory University
• BA, University of Rochester
• Certified Public Accountant

Discipline:  Accounting

Email:  ahalperin@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  516-323-3077

Biography:

Corporate Experience – Arthur Anderson, JP Morgan, Lehman Brothers, West CB

Courses Taught:

• Taxation 1
• Taxation 2
• Intermediate Accounting 1
• Intermediate Accounting 2
• Advanced Accounting
• Accounting Theory
• Accounting Capstone

Antonia Loschiavo, Auxiliary Instructor

Education: 

• MBA, Dowling College
• BS, Dowling College

Disciplines:  Management & Marketing

Email:  Aloschiavo@Molloly.edu

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/toni-loschiavo-mba-b096077

Location:  The School of Business, Casey Building

Biography: 
Experienced in college-level teaching, former Associate Dean, career coaching and mentoring.  Expertise in online education best practices  and curriculum development. First Vice President of Lake George Women in Need, a non-profit organization helping families in crisis and need. We sponsor activities and fund-raising events to raise funds for these families.

Courses Taught:

• Business Ethics
• Marketing Management
• International Business
• Principles of Marketing
• Consumer Behavior
• Branding Strategies
• Principles of Management
• Leadership

Research Interests:

• Career Strategies
• Marketing Trends
• Skills for Business
• Ethics in Business

David Reiss

Maury Schneider, Auxiliary Instructor

Education: 

• MBA, Molloy College
• BS, Brooklyn College

Discipline:  Accounting

Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Certified Financial Planner (CFP)

Email:  Mschneider2@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  (516) 323-3077

Office location:  Casey Building

Courses Taught:

• Intermediate Accounting 1
• Intermediate Accounting 2
• Financial Planning Process and Insurance
• Financial Planning Capstone
• Introduction to Business

Kevin Fernandez, Adjunct Instructor

Education: 

• PhD, Florida Atlantic University (in progress)
• Executive Juris Doctorate, Concord Law School
• MS, National Intelligence University
• MBA, Dowling College

Disciplines: Finance, Business Analytics

Email: kfernandez@molloy.edu

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfernandez-global-etrading/

Biography:
Kevin Fernandez has over 20 years of technology, portfolio management and trading experience working within financial services. He is currently the global manager for all of Morgan Stanley’s alternative investments valuation and reporting business. He supports over 420k positions in hedge funds, digital assets, private equity, private equity, private real estate, and others valued at over 170b from approx. ~800 funds. Kevin is also a senior Army reserve officer and focuses on the implementation of RPA (robotic processing automation, AI (artificial intelligence), ML (machine learning) and big data for innovation efforts within the Department of Defense.

Courses Taught:

• Investment Management
• Global Financial Markets

Robert W. Kirchhoff, Adjunct Instructor

Education:

• APC Taxation, New York University
• MS, C.W. Post Center, Long Island University, Accounting
• BA, Rutgers The State University, Economics
• 24 graduate level credits in Education, Bucknell University

Disciplines:  Accounting and Tax

Email:  rkirchhoff@molloy.edu

Office Phone Number:  516-323-3000

Office location:  Casey 103

Biography:

Ambac Financial Group

Managing Director                                                                                          1999-2016

Overall responsibility for Ambac’s worldwide tax obligations, including planning, financial statement reporting and compliance.  Served on Ambac’s underwriting team, structuring transactions to provide both tax savings and reduction in overall credit exposure.  These transactions encompass a broad range of topics relating to offshore investment vehicles, derivative products, swaps and other cutting edge instruments.  Most recently served as a key member of Ambac’s bankruptcy team providing corporate liquidity, restructuring complex debt obligations, and resolving shareholder proxy disputes.

 Served as Consultant to Ambac, in the same capacity                                   2016-2017

KPMG LLP

Senior Tax Manager                                                                                       1995-1999

Client service professional specializing in taxation of insurance companies.  Major clients included Aetna, Citigroup, Gen Re, Swiss Re, and Ambac.  Significant experience leading seminars and providing additional counsel to multinational corporations seeking to generate GAAP financial statements and to trade on NYSE.

The Continental Insurance Companies

Assistant Vice President and Tax Manager                                                    1982-1995

Responsible for worldwide tax compliance. Directed a staff of five tax professionals in preparation of consolidated federal income tax return, GAAP tax provision and related SEC filings and federal income tax audits. Significant international experience related to major international acquisitions and corporate restructuring.

Certified Public Accountant NY…1976

Courses Taught: 

• Income Tax Planning
• Accounting Research

Michael J. Taunton, Adjunct Instructor

Education: 

• MBA, Adelphi University
• BS, St. Francis College

Discipline:  Finance

Email:  mtaunton@molloy.edu

Biography:

Michael J. Taunton is a retired senior officer with extensive financial management experience, having previously served as Chief Financial Officer for Posillico Inc, and the Long Island Power Authority. He has also served as Vice President and Treasurer for Arrow Electronics; and Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Risk Officer for KeySpan Corporation.
Mike has a diverse background that includes the CFO, accounting, finance and treasury functions; strategic planning; capital management; transition and business process improvement and risk management. He has also taken a lead role in Investor Relations. 
Mike has an MBA in Finance from Adelphi University and a B.S. in Accounting from St. Francis College. He has also completed the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School and the Executive Management Program at the University of Michigan.​

Courses Taught:

• Essentials of Corporate Finance
• Introduction to Global Treasury Management