Fall 2021 Whitman Magazine

Whitman Magazine | Fall 2021

ON THE COVER

Whether it’s educating its students and faculty on issues surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion; fostering new ventures through research, innovation and entrepreneurship; or tapping into the experience,generosity and leadership of its vast alumni network, the Whitman School of Management at SyracuseUniversity is working to break barriers every day with a campus culture that continues to evolve, advance and promote its students with the support and skills they need to not only succeed in the business world but become leaders that are truly making a difference. To that end, we introduce you to six alumni who have used the foundation of their Whitman education to smash the glass ceiling, foster a new level of acceptance and bravely open doors leading not only to their own success but to the success of others, as well.

WHITMAN BRIEFINGS

Kenneth “Kenny” Goodman ’70 knows what it takes to be successful in the business world and he has committed himself to ensuring that Syracuse University graduates are a step ahead and better prepared to compete in a fast-changing world. That’s why the retired director, president and chief operating officer of the international pharmaceutical giant Forest Laboratories has committed an additional $1.25 million to the Forever Orange Campaign and the Whitman School of Management to significantly expand its Goodman IMPRESS program, a professional and personal development program he helped launch in 2014.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS

Daniella French ’23 (WHIT/NEW) found her second home over 1,500 miles away from her native Miami. “Syracuse University was far from home, but I fell in love with how I felt here during my campus visit. I felt comfortable. I felt at home,” she says.

JT Garwood ’22 MBA believes nothing is more important than finding advisors and mentors you trust. “There are always people who have gone through the same triumphs and failures. Getting advice from those individuals will be so beneficial to your success,” he says. 

Nneka Akukwe ’20 (MAX), ’22 MBA didn’t know that she would be attending graduate school so soon, but when COVID-19 descended on the country in the midst of her last semester of college, her plans changed. 

When Devin Stein moved to Logan, Utah in 2011, he was taken aback by the haze that hung in eerily orange skies during the summer, nearly hiding the sun from view for days on end. The native of Long Island, New York, had ventured west to attend Utah State University, and he soon learned that the wildfires behind the phenomenon were a regular occurrence. 

ALUMNI & FRIENDS

headshot of Saphyir Moody

Five Under Five: Saphyir Moody ’17

Five Under Five: Saphyir Moody ’17 Our Five Under Five column features a Q&A with a Whitman School graduate of the last five years. In this issue, meet Saphyir Moody ’17, a native and current resident of Brooklyn, New York,…
classroom photos from the Coming Back Together panel discussion

Whitman Hosts Coming Back Together Panel

Whitman Hosts Coming Back Together Panel The Whitman School hosted a networking luncheon and real-talk panel discussion, “Being Black and Latino/a in Academic and Corporate Culture,” on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, as part of Syracuse University’s Coming Back Together 2021…
photo of Stephanie Johnson standing outside the new Legoland in New York

Stephanie Johnson: Building Success One Brick at a Time

Stephanie Johnson: Building Success One Brick at a Time You might say Stephanie Johnson ’05 built her most recent career opportunity brick-by-brick-Lego® bricks, that is. After working for Liz Claiborne, Ralph Lauren and the Simon Property Group, Johnson was recently…
headshot of Mark Begor

Foundations Built at Whitman Helped Equifax CEO Mark Begor Achieve Success

Foundations Built at Whitman Helped Equifax CEO Mark Begor Achieve Success When Mark Begor ’80 came to Syracuse University, he had no idea that he would one day be leading 12,000 employees as the CEO of Equifax, a data analytics…
family photo of the Zaretzky family

Three Generations of the Zaretzky Family Take Pride in Their Orange Legacy

Three Generations of the Zaretzky Family Take Pride in Their Orange Legacy In August 2021, when Lee Zaretzky ’89 and his wife, Lauren, dropped off their oldest child Matt Zaretzky ’25 to study real estate at the Whitman School, Lee…
headshots of Willie Reddic, Sharon Simmons, Fabian Diaz and Frank Mullins

Whitman’s Diverse Academic Pipeline to Top B-Schools

Whitman’s Diverse Academic Pipeline to Top B-Schools When Willie Reddic G’12 (MAX), ’13 Ph.D. decided to join the doctoral program in accounting at the Whitman School, he was attracted not only by the School’s academic qualities but also by seeing…

CLASS NOTES

FOCUS ON FACULTY

photo of Burak Kazaz

Burak Kazaz Elected President-Elect of MSOM and Continues Sharing his Research on COVID-19 Vaccines and Wine Analytics

Burak Kazaz Elected President-Elect of MSOM and Continues Sharing his Research on COVID-19 Vaccines and Wine Analytics Burak Kazaz has been an exceptional member of the Whitman School faculty since 2007. Much of his research includes mitigating risk in global…
headshot of Patrick Penfield

The Global Supply Chain is in Crisis: When Will it Return to Normal?

The Global Supply Chain is in Crisis: When Will it Return to Normal? “In the News and Trending” includes the perspectives of accomplished Whitman professors on timely issues impacting business. Stated wording and opinions are those of the author.    Today’s…
photo of campus in the fall

University’s Cluster Hire Initiative Draws Top Researchers to Whitman

University’s Cluster Hire Initiative Draws Top Researchers to Whitman The Whitman School continues to make strides as part of Syracuse University’s research cluster-hire initiative, which aims to strengthen research activity, enhance faculty diversity and develop new opportunities for student research…
News

Whitman Welcomes New Faculty

Whitman Welcomes New Faculty RACHAEL D. GOODWIN Assistant Professor of Management Goodwin joins the management department at the Whitman School as a tenure-track assistant professor and is a research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Women and Public Policy Program.…
headshot of Devin Stein

Loss Reduction During Wildfires and Other Disasters: Implications of Individuals and Organizations, Public and Private

Loss Reduction During Wildfires and Other Disasters: Implications of Individuals and Organizations This year’s wildfires in the western United States have been raging so severely that even East Coast residents felt the effects on air quality-compelling evidence for the timeliness…
Finance

Faculty Research on Economic Risks and Uncertainty

Faculty Research on Economic Risks and Uncertainty Are Banks Managing Risk Better as They Grow or Is Risk Growing, Too? Associate Professor of Finance Anna Chernobai, Ali Ozdagli (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas) and Jianlin Wang (University of California at Berkeley)…
Kimmy Kimball