Get to Know Babson’s 14 New Faculty Members

A high-profile scientific author who studies women and early-stage entrepreneurship, an acclaimed management consultant and career coach, and an award-winning entrepreneurship professor who researches the connections between wealth and entrepreneurial opportunities.

These are just three of the 14 fresh faces that joined Babson College’s faculty this academic year. The new faculty members, who teach subjects varying from philosophy and law to finance and management, shared why they’re eager to be on Babson’s bustling Wellesley campus.

Diana M. Hechavarria, a professor of entrepreneurship who has been published in leading journals such as the Journal of Business Ethics and the Journal of Business Venturing, was among the top 2 percent of authors cited on the subject of women in entrepreneurship from 2020 to 2022.

“I look forward to advancing thought leadership on women’s entrepreneurship with the Diana International Research Institute (DIRI),” Hechavarria wrote, adding that she also will join the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor’s U.S. team. “DIRI’s goal is to impact policy on women’s entrepreneurship through our research.”

Daniel Auguste, an assistant professor of entrepreneurship, studies the consequences of wealth and labor market inequality for new venture creation and growth. He has advised small and medium businesses on scaling strategies and assisted nonprofit organizations in achieving poverty reduction and inclusive prosperity goals through entrepreneurship in Haiti.

“I look forward to building synergies between my research and teaching and the work of the faculty in the Entrepreneurship Division, as well as the broader Babson community,” Auguste wrote.

As a visiting professor of practice in management and an alumnus, Ed Brzychcy MBA’16 is a seasoned consultant and executive coach. He focuses on organizational design, leadership development, and implementing scalable solutions for middle-market enterprises. Brzychcy, a former U.S. Army Infantry Staff Sergeant, is looking forward to soaking up Babson’s innovation-focused culture.

“It is incredible to be a part of such a vibrant, supportive community of learners, and I am beyond honored to continue my involvement as a full-time faculty member,” Brzychcy wrote. 

Babson’s additional faculty hires bring expertise in marketing, data science, biotechnology, ecology, and operations and information management. Here’s some insight into these new teaching talents on campus.

Elevating Thought Leadership

NANCY AIKEN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE IN ACCOUNTING AND LAW

Aiken is an attorney and has taught legal studies courses since 2012, focusing on business law and intellectual property law. Prior to joining Babson, she was a member of the Corporate Compliance team at State Street Global Advisors.

SAMANTHA N. N. CROSS, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF MARKETING AND THE F.W. OLIN DISTINGUISHED CHAIR OF GLOBAL BUSINESS AT BABSON

Cross is an award-winning market researcher who studies cultural and societal influences on consumption. A recently published piece Cross co-authored found that, according to peer-reviewed research, people from underrepresented ethnic and racial groups tend to rate poor customer service less negatively than white people do. The results indicated that underrepresented people may become desensitized to poor service over time.

JULIE DE ZUTTER, ASSISTANT TEACHING PROFESSOR

De Zutter, who has held an adjunct faculty position at Babson for six years, will be teaching classes in human biotechnology, drug development, and the science of sports.

GREGORY E. DOUKAS, VISITING ASSISTANT TEACHING PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY AND SOCIETY

Doukas, who also is a fellow at the Academy of Advanced African Studies in Bayreuth, Germany, researches the question of political responsibility in unjust societies. He is teaching Introduction to Philosophy and Society this semester.

FIONA JEVON, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF SCIENCE

Jevon studies how humans impact and alter forests, and she loves to take students outside to share her enthusiasm for all things nature. A forest ecosystem ecologist, Jevon also has actively managed timberland across New England.

“It is incredible to be a part of such a vibrant, supportive community of learners, and I am beyond honored to continue my involvement as a full-time faculty member.”
Ed Brzychcy MBA’16

BEN LEVY, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN MATHEMATICS

Levy is a mathematician who seeks to demonstrate in the classroom that mathematics and statistics are crucial for understanding data, making predictions, and informing decisions. Levy, who joins Babson after working at Fitchburg State University, is a senior member of the Masamu Advanced Study Institute, and he holds a research appointment with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

Real-World Impact

HEATHER MARKEY, VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE IN LAW AND ACCOUNTING

Markey originally studied law and worked at the wealth management firm G.W. & Wade in Wellesley. There, she learned to help clients build wealth by navigating estate and tax laws, and earned her Master of Laws (LLM) in Taxation to further hone those skills. She is eager to mentor Babson students and pass on her skills to the next generation of business leaders.

TONY OKOROMADU, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN FINANCE

Okoromadu spent nearly 30 years leading and managing multiethnic and multinational interdisciplinary teams while living and working across three continents. He earned a reputation for galvanizing his team members’ different individual talents, personalities, and perspectives. Multicultural and multilingual, Okoromadu speaks five languages and holds degrees in engineering, economics, and business administration.

BILL PACHECO, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE IN OPERATIONS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Pacheco began his career in manufacturing and design engineering at Cybex, where he rose to leadership by using time-honored skills to double output without increasing staff. He plans to use the kind of leadership in innovation that he excelled at while at Cybex and his executive education coaching skills to encourage students and prepare them for real-world challenges.

WANYI WANG, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF FINANCE

Wang earned the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award for three years in a row at the Master of Finance program at the University of California at Irvine (2020–2022). She fosters an inspiring and inclusive learning environment that empowers students to achieve their full potential. Her research focuses on empirical asset pricing, behavioral finance, and FinTech.

JINGSHU ZHANG, VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE IN FINANCE

Zhang believes he should devote part of his career to carrying out the late Charlie Munger’s admonishment that “the best thing a human being can do is to help another human being know more” through dedicated and sincere teaching. He specialized in leveraging data analytics and econometrics to understand the commodities structural market while earning his PhD at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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