New Faculty: Minyoung Kim

Minyoung Kim, from the University of Illinois, joins the school’s international business faculty as an assistant professor.

Kim received his doctorate degree in Business Administration from U of I in 2012. Before moving to the United States, Kim also received his bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and his master’s in Business Administration from Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea.

In addition to his degrees, Kim is also a two-time black belt graduate.

“I enjoyed martial arts because it teaches discipline. I learned a lot about myself, but more importantly, it taught me the art of strategy,” Kim said.

Although he no longer participates in martial arts, Kim is still fascinated with strategy. His research focus lies at the intersection of international business and strategic management. His interest is primarily how the unique attributes of the international market allow firms to create and sustain competitive advantages in the context of technological innovation.

Currently, his research explores firm internationalization, knowledge transfer, barriers to imitation, value appropriation, innovation strategies and social network analysis. 

His in-depth analysis of international business research is a huge benefit to the students in his class, Intro to Business (IBUS 410).

“I hope my class expands the students’ horizons and helps them develop an interest for business opportunities in other countries,” Kim said.

New faculty: Scott Whisenant

A “Boomer Sooner” at heart, Scott Whisenant, joins the accounting area as an associate professor at the University of Kansas School of Business. 

For the last 11 years, Whisenant taught at the University of Houston.  He began his teaching career in 1997 at Georgetown (McDonough School) and also was a visiting faculty at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan School).  Whisenant attended Texas A&M for his bachelor degree, and completed his master of accounting and doctorate degrees at the University of Oklahoma.  

Although he is warming up to becoming a Jayhawk sports fan, he is excited to be surrounded by extremely talented faculty members who are also dedicated to research similar to his areas of expertise. 

“From a research perspective, this was one of the best places I could be.  KU has a great reputation around the world for its audit market focus in accounting research,” Whisenant said.   

He teaches Advanced Auditing to graduate students, and tries to bring to the classroom skill sets learned from his past experience as an auditor.  His class focuses on exposing students to the challenges in auditing and financial reporting of accounting for complex business transactions and events.  

“My goal in my class is to enhance each student’s critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities,” Whisenant said. 

New faculty: Lori Whisenant

It’s all fun and games with Lori Whisenant, a new lecturer at the University of Kansas School of Business, from the University of Houston.

Whisenant taught at UH for 12 years and served as the director of business law and ethics studies for the past seven years. She worked in public accounting in the Big Four in the tax area prior to that position.

Whisenant is happy to join a university and town with so much school spirit. 

“My husband, Scott, also joined KU. It was the perfect fit for both our professional and family goals,” Whisenant said. “We have two young boys, and really liked the opportunity to raise them in such a wonderful environment like Lawrence.”

While at UH, Whisenant and a former faculty member at UH developed an online business ethics game for undergraduate students.  

“The game is a simulation that allows a student to make decisions in ten ethical dilemmas, all of which take place while the student is in college,” Whisenant explained.  “The goal is to end with relative balance in the student’s life, which is measured by scores related to money, academics, health and reputation.”

The game covers obstacles a student will encounter during college such as cheating, lying on a resume and responding to multiple offers for employment. At the end of the game the student’s scores related to money, academics, health and reputation determine whether the student receives a great job offer, stays in the same job the student had during college, or is without a job at the end of the game.

In 2011, the game was recognized by the National Association of College and Employers (NACE). Whisenant and her partner were finalists in the NACE’s Innovation Excellence Award.

Currently, Whisenant is developing an additional level of the game. In this level the students are new employees of an organization and are asked to navigate various ethical dilemmas that one may find in business. The student’s decisions made in Level I will affect the outcomes in Level II.

“We wanted to emphasize that bad decisions in life sometimes come back to haunt you,” Whisenant said.

This semester Whisenant is teaching Business Writing for Accountants and Tax Research. Next semester Whisenant will teach Accounting Ethics and plans to implement components of the game within the context of the course.

“I love teaching subjects that I'm passionate about, and writing and ethics are at the top of the list,” Whisenant said.

Whisenant attended University of Texas at Tyler where she received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. At the University of Oklahoma she received Master of Accountancy and Juris Doctorate. At Georgetown University she received a Master of Laws in taxation.

New faculty: Lei Li

“The University of Kansas is one of the strongest academic institutions in the Midwest and in the upper tier of public universities in the U.S.,” said Lei Li, a new assistant professor at the School of Business for finance. 

Li previously taught calculus for a year at Brown University while he earned his Master of Science  in mathematics and master’s in economics. He also worked as a teaching assistant for several years at Boston College while pursuing his doctorate in finance. Li was eager to join the business school staff as a passionate finance scholar with deep curiosity about financial intermediation and financial intermediaries. 

“I’m looking forward to enjoying the gorgeous campus life here: the beautiful hilltop campus, classic stone buildings, and of course basketball games at the best arena in the country, Allen Fieldhouse,” Li said. 

This fall Li teaches Financial Markets (FIN 430) and Intermediaries and Analysis of Financial Intermediaries (FIN 710).

“I hope my classes are interesting and fun, and that students leave the classroom with a better understanding of the function and management of financial institutions and a new perspective on how to analyze what is happening in the financial markets,” Li said. 

Li is currently working on research projects studying financial institutions, financial crisis and risk management.

New faculty: Brad Goldie

Get lost in numbers with Brad Goldie, a new assistant professor in the finance area at the University of Kansas School of Business , from Pennsylvania State University.

“I embrace my true inner math nerd,” Goldie said, “but that’s why my wife says she married me.”

Goldie previously worked as a teaching assistant at Bringham Young University while working on his bachelor’s degree. He received his doctorate degree from Pennsylvania State University where he also taught classes.

When he did the math, Goldie knew KU was the best fit for him. 

“I really considered options at other universities, but the more I thought about my experiences visiting the various campuses, I realized the faculty here were people I wanted to work with,” Goldie said. 

He is currently working on a study for hedge fund investments in merger deals. He studies how the relationships between financial institutions affect their investment behavior. 

For his first semester as a professor, Goldie teaches Investments (FIN 410) to undergraduate students. 

What he’s most excited about as a Jayhawk: “Allen Fieldhouse. I’ve heard so much about the atmosphere that I want to see it for myself.”