Student Profiles (OSC)
Fall 2012 Entering Class, PhD in Business Administration
Organizations and Social Change (OSC)
The PhD in Business Administration Program attracts individuals from a variety of work and educational backgrounds with a shared interest in understanding organization and social change in its complexity, specifically in its application to real world issues. Our program focuses intensively on how research and analytical skills can be deployed in the private, public, and non-profit sectors for advancing the economic and social health of regions both locally and globally.
- Laura Dean-Shapiro
Prior to joining the program, Laura served as the Chief of Staff and Policy for the City Attorney for the City of New Orleans, Louisiana. She received her BA in Sociology from St. Mary’s University of San Antonio, Texas, and her MA in Sociology from The University of New Orleans (Master’s Thesis: “Gender at Work: The Role of Habitus and Gender-Performance in Service Industry Occupations”
- Lisa DeAngelis
Lisa is currently the Director of the Center for Collaborative Leadership, including its Emerging Leaders Program, at the College of Management at UMass Boston. She received her BS in Business Administration from Bryant University and her MBA from Regis University in Denver, Colorado.
- Christopher Dion
Christopher Dion currently works in Aviation Operations and Security for the Massachusetts Port Authority and resides in Quincy, MA with his wife and daughter. Christopher is a 1999 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and holds his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Boston College. Christopher is an Iraq War veteran and active community volunteer with research interests in sexual equality, governance and critical management studies.
- Chacko Kannothra
Prior to joing the program, Chacko served as Team Lead / Business Analyst, in the Chief Information Officer’s Organization, with Accenture, Ltd, in Gurgaon, India. He received his Bachelor of Technology from the University of Kerala in India and his MBA in International Business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in New Delhi, India.
- Elena Kennedy
Elena recently served with Teach for America as Middle School Math Teacher and Corps Member Adviser in Cleveland, Mississippi. She also has experience in non-profit development, marketing and was a Childcare Site Director. She received her BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Leadership, Change and Social Responsibility from the College of Charleston, South Carolina and her MEd from Delta State University, Mississippi.
- Michelle Kweder
Michelle is currently a not-for-profit consultant working in the field of social justice and has worked on projects for affordable housing, high-quality urban public education, reproductive justice, and racial equality. She has served as development director for two community health centers, as executive director at a domestic violence agency, and in the Boston Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Relations. A 2002 German Marshall Fund Fellow, Michelle’s focus has become increasingly global. She holds a BA from Hamilton College and an MBA from the Simmons College, where she conducted research on issues faced by Iraqi LGBT people both at home and in exile.
- Reese Williams
Reese brings his financial experience to the program, having completed his Masters of Science in Finance in 2008. He has recently served as a private financial consultant, Financial Crimes Investigator for the MA Attorney General, and Treasurer for OneWorld Classrooms.
