Elections 2023 Slate of Candidates
President - Elect:
Vishal Gupta
Vision for EAM: The last few years have been nothing short of transformational. We have all gotten used to new things, like virtual teaching and attending academic and popular talks online, even as we have become painfully aware of the limitations and constraints of internet interactions. What will scholarship and collegiality look like in the new world order we find ourselves in? As life slowly returns back to normal, I believe EAM, like other academic associations, will be trying to figure out how best to serve the needs of professors, researchers, and scholars who thrive on debate and discussion. As Program Chair for 2023, I worked with my EAM colleagues to develop a conference that resonates with current and new members, expands membership, and encourages submissions from a wider variety of disciplines (e.g., those that look at the managerial implications of new technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality). Broadening the intellectual appeal of EAM, strengthening communication with faculty members at different career stages, and providing developmental experiences for the membership, are some of the things that we can do to help EAM become stronger. I look forward to the opportunity to serve EAM as President, supporting others in leadership roles to the best of my abilities.
PROGRAM CHAIR-ELECT
Robin Frkal
Vision for EAM: My vision for EAM is to continue to grow and strengthen our learning community and advance the scholarship and teaching of management. My primary goal as a board member will be to provide opportunities for members to excel and make a positive impact through their research and teaching. I am committed to ensuring that EAM continues to provide a collegial, welcoming, and supportive atmosphere that encourages involvement for all members. I am eager to continue recruiting new community members and encourage active participation in conferences, events, and committee work. I look forward to supporting existing programming and collaborating on new endeavors.
Statement of Qualifications/Purpose
Gabby Swab
Vision for EAM: From my first EAM conference, I knew this was a special organization filled with kind, intelligent, and charismatic humans. I felt welcomed and like a part of something unique. This was particularly helpful in regards to more senior academics and the leadership team treating doctoral students and Assistant professors as equals, which can be rare in our field. In my vision for EAM, I see this supportive and friendly environment enduring, and I wish to continue the collegiality with how I will treat others while in a leadership role.
An additional special aspect of EAM I love, and wish to continue, is the balance between research and teaching found at the conference. The program is filled with scholarly presentations and great academics, yet, the focus on experiential learning is unique and quite powerful. Much like the 60th anniversary game I’m assisting with for the Philadelphia conference, I wish to continue ways in which to keep people engaged with one another and focusing on learning in interesting ways.
Therefore, if I am considered for Program Chair Elect, along with the additional roles in entails in the following years, I will seek to continue with the supportive and innovative environment I have felt since being a member of EAM.
Director Membership
Jestine Philip
Vision for EAM:In the Director of Membership role, I will promote EAM’s values of providing a collaborative and supportive diverse community by attracting future members from international conferences like AOM and regional conferences like SWAM as well as by following up with EAM-International attendees. This also aligns with EAM’s value of building cooperative relationships with institutions committed to advancing management scholarship and teaching. I will ensure that members’ voices are heard by trying my best to address their questions regarding membership renewals and bringing member concerns to EAM’s leadership team during our annual meetings. Overall, I will strive to devote my skills and knowledge towards building EAM’s community of college educators and academic scholars.
Statement of Qualification/Purpose
Awoyinka, Oluwatoyin Comfort
Vision for EAM: When I attended my first in-person EAM conference post Covid in May of 2022, right from the welcome reception, I had to pinch myself and ask if this is happening. Actual…… a welcoming group of educators with diverse skills and experience that made me feel like I belonged here; this does align well with the Motto “Where Scholarship and Collegiality Meet.” There and then, I resolved to nature this relationship and possibly be a contributing member through service (academic and leadership).
The world is currently faced with increased demand with obviously limited resources. The sure solution lies in the synergy of academic and industry expertise to drive outcomes that can point in the right direction and offer significant solutions to the rising global tensions that cut across various sectors. Through member activities that ensure standards are met, kept, and innovative developments encouraged, I will provide members with continue to feel seen and supported to grow while also leveraging possible social networks that will promote the timely and progressive contribution of academics to emerging issues in management research, theory development, and inter-disciplinary fields of study for the benefit of scholars and industry professionals alike.
Other visions will be to grow membership across Eastern North America for young faculty and doctoral students to connect with senior-level faculty and industry experts through campus connections and increase social media marketing using the EAM’s official accounts and school accounts). I will do my best to encourage and solicit program sponsorships and scholarships for young faculty and doctoral students to encourage productive participation and collaborations that cut through disciplines and increase capacity building among the learner’s community. Additionally, Increased support for researchers by creating platforms that connect them with other researchers for insights on sources of data gathering, data sources, and software training and development, to mention a few.
I am committed to bringing the best support to doctoral students, young scholars, and entire members of EAM in alignment with the organization’s Mission, Vision, and Goals for the most efficient and sustainable association.
Director-Secretary
Julie Stanton
Vision for EAM: I bring to the position of Director-Secretary both the experience in the position for the past 3 years but, more importantly, a natural tendency to help organize and strengthen the organization I serve. I have been particularly impressed by the passion and dedication of the Board of Directors both individually and collectively, and that leads me to seek a second term. It is genuinely a positive and rewarding experience to serve on the Board. I have learned immensely from my colleagues and hope that my own expertise in sustainability and supply chain management are adding to the conversation in a meaningful way.
The Board is a highly collaborative and congenial group, reflecting the broader culture of the EAM organization. Its focus on developing scholars, supporting progression of research ideas from ideas to successful journal submissions, and sharing knowledge through Learn & Share workshops is unparalleled in my experience. I can see it also taking the lead in supporting management pedagogy in the face of Chat GPT and similar tools, recognizing where such tools can support learning instead of only threaten academic integrity. This forward-looking thinking is coupled with a true community spirit, and that’s why I’d like to continue serving the organization.