UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Five members of the Penn State Smeal College of Business faculty received promotions on July 1.
Tenure-Track faculty promotion
Daniel Aobdia (accounting) was promoted to the rank of full professor. His research interests span empirical accounting and economics. His primary focus is using auditing as a setting to answer broad economic questions, such as the impact of regulation, the role of information spillovers and the influence of labor and non-labor inputs in organizations, including the role of high-skilled immigration, culture and tools. Aobdia earned a Ph.D. in management (accounting) and an MBA, management, from UCLA. He also holds a master’s in management science and engineering from Stanford and a bachelor’s (diplome d’ingenieur) in maths and physics from Ecole Polytechnique in Palaiseau, France.
Non-tenure-line faculty promotions
Brian Davis has been promoted to clinical professor of finance. He teaches courses in financial markets and institutions, including at the honors level, as well as individual studies and research projects and also global finance. Davis earned a doctorate in public policy and administration (organizational theory and behavior) at State University of New York at Albany, a master’s in economics (public finance, monetary economics) from George Mason University and a bachelor’s in economics (monetary economics, labor economics and international economics) from Colgate University.
Christoph Hinkelmann has been promoted to clinical professor of finance. He teaches classes in security analysis and portfolio management, several classes related to his role as vice president of the Nittany Lion Fund, as well as independent studies and research projects. He is also a Schreyer Honors College thesis adviser. Hinkelmann earned a doctorate in business administration (finance, accounting) from the University of Rochester and a bachelor’s in mathematics and economics from the University of Virginia.
Michelle Darnell has been promoted to clinical professor of management and organization. She teaches courses in business, ethics and society, as well as individual studies and independent studies. Darnell is also the director of the Tarriff Center for Business Ethics and Social Responsibility and director of honor and integrity for the college. She completed a post-doctoral program in management from the University of Florida. She holds a doctorate in philosophy and a master’s in philosophy, both from Purdue University, and a bachelor’s in biology and philosophy from the University of San Diego.
Art Jones has been promoted to teaching professor of supply chain and information systems. He regularly teaches large sections of MIS-250, the "Excel course" that all Smeal students must complete, as well as a business systems analysis course for MIS majors. He has a bachelor’s in management science and information systems from Smeal, and a master’s and doctorate from the College of Information Sciences and Technology. His graduate work was completed while working for Penn State, in the College of Engineering, the Applied Research Lab and PennTAP — a program with Penn State Outreach. He has been teaching full-time since 2011.