2024-25 Ph.D. in Business Administration Students

Pierre is a Ph.D. Candidate in Business Administration (Management) and Graduate Teaching Assistant at the Louisiana Tech University (LA Tech) College of Business. Pierre’s research focuses on three areas: (1) theories of motivation and stress, (2) interpersonal workplace dynamics (e.g., status- and power-based workplace relationships), and (3) generative artificial intelligence (GAI) applications in human resource management (HRM). He has authored articles published in respected peer-reviewed journals, including Management Decision and Organizational Dynamics. Recently, Pierre joined forces with a team of business school administrators, located at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) and Wichita State University (WSU), in writing a practical article focused on executive education. In this article, the authors discuss how to improve executive education in a changing educational landscape, disrupted by newer credentialing options (e.g., microcredentials). This article was accepted in AACSB Insights. As part of his dissertation, Pierre is investigating how employees navigate their different roles and responsibilities across the domains of work and home in a context where employees experience multiple interruptions emerging from work and home. Pierre teaches several Management courses for the LA Tech College of Business, including (1) Human Resource Management (undergraduate, junior-level course), (2) Workplace Training, Development, & Coaching (undergraduate, senior-level course), and (3) International Business Management (undergraduate, senior-level course).

Hanh Le is a Doctoral candidate in Computer Information Systems with a minor in Accounting at Louisiana Tech University. Prior to joining the DBA program, she was an instructor in Mathematics Department, School of Sciences, College of Arts, Education, and Sciences at University of Louisiana at Monroe. She also worked for Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam for fifteen years in different positions. She earned her MBA and Master of Science in Applied Statistics from New Mexico State University. Her research interests include Artificial Intelligence in Accounting and Auditing, Privacy, and Data Analytics.

I earned my LL.B degree from Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh. I moved to the USA in 2021 with my husband who is also an Engineering Doctoral student at Louisiana Tech University. My interest in business law and economic analysis encouraged me to choose Ph.D. with Finance concentration for higher studies. My current research interest lies in Corporate Governance, and crypto-currency and I believe this program will guide me to pursue my career in academia in the future. Besides studying, I love traveling, exploring new things, and cooking Bangladeshi food.

I am a Computer Information Systems major pursuing my Ph.D. in Business Administration at the College of Business. Before starting my journey at Louisiana Tech, I was a university lecturer of Accounting back in my home country, Bangladesh. I completed my Bachelor and Masters in Accounting and Information Systems from one of the top three universities of Bangladesh. I decided to merge my knowledge of Accounting with Computer Information Systems as the world is moving towards tech based accounting system. Other than accounting numbers and computer, I’m interested in music, books, movies, food and walking. My research interests include financial information analysis, earnings management, financial reporting and control, technology adoption etc.

Benson Kinney is currently pursuing the Ph.D. concentrating broadly on Management with specific focus on Strategy and Entrepreneurship. His research foci are generally centered around motivation, with special attention given to Social Entrepreneurship firms and sustainability of operations. Benson is a North Louisiana native and earned his currently held degrees from institutions in Monroe. Beginning with an AAS in Business and Technology from LDCC, he moved onward to earn a BBA in Management and then an MBA, both from ULM. Through the course of undergraduate studies, Benson also participated in several extracurricular activities. He was the SGA President for 2 years, additionally serving on the Council of Student Body Presidents, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System Board of Supervisors, Board of Regents Board of Supervisors, Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance Board of Supervisors, Louisiana Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators Board of Supervisors, and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. Additionally, he served as an intern for Senator Bill Cassidy in Washington, D.C., working broadly on healthcare-related matters, including assistance in legislation pertaining to elderly healthcare and mental health. As these activities were winding down, Benson started a nonprofit that aims to aid in the multiple-facet focus rehabilitation of a portion of the reduced ability and homeless population of North Louisiana. Additionally, he has done consulting work for firms in the service-based industry, working to facilitate turnarounds and strategic reposturing. Aside from academic and work related matters, Benson enjoys traveling with his wife, spending time with his two German Shepherds, hanging out with friends, and listening to music.

In Fall 2022, Daria started her journey toward earning her Ph.D. degree in the Marketing and Analysis Department of Louisiana Tech University College of Business. Daria got her bachelor’s degree in Engineering Management from Bauman Moscow State Technical University in Russia, and completed her MBA at Mississippi State University. She started her professional career at Sukhoi Civil Aircraft company where she first worked in the Warranty Department and later moved to the After-Sales Support Department. While working in Sukhoi, Daria oversaw supply and repair contract negotiations and coordinated repair projects. Before joining the Louisiana Tech family, Daria worked as the Lead Graduate Coordinator for the MBA Program and assisted with the AACSB accreditation in the College of Business at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. While working at LSUS, she developed a deep interest in teaching and research, and decided to pursue a doctoral degree in Marketing. Daria’s current research interests revolve around consumer behavior. She is specifically interested in the role of self-determination in consumer behavior, consumer minimalism and impulse buying, and consumer information search.

Originally from East Texas, Grace earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Marketing as well as a Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Louisiana Tech University. Her current research interests center around the psychological and behavioral practices of marketers and consumers, the role of self-determination in consumer behavior, consumer minimalism and impulse buying, and consumer information search.

Jonathan Barnes is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in Marketing at Louisiana Tech University. His academic journey began at Louisiana Tech University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Management in 2017, followed by a Master of Business Administration in 2018. As a student-athlete, he was a four-year letterman and all-conference player for the Louisiana Tech football team, setting multiple Conference USA and school records. He also ranks among the top ten in scoring in NCAA history.

Jonathan’s research centers on the complexities of sales dynamics and management. His primary academic focus is on understanding the factors that drive and motivate business-to-business salespeople, with a special interest in how organizational purpose and a sense of personal purpose influence salespeople and an organizational culture.

Jonathan’s scholarly work explores both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators and their impact on job meaningfulness, resiliency, and performance. He currently has papers under review that aim to deepen the understanding of these concepts for salespeople and improve sales practices, contributing meaningful insights to the field of marketing.

Professionally, Jonathan brings a diverse background spanning both the sales and finance industries. He has experience working in the finance sector with Merrill and has spent the past five years as a Realtor in Ruston with Better Homes and Gardens – Rhodes Realty. His unique blend of academic expertise, athletic achievement, and real-world business experience positions him as a promising scholar and practitioner in the marketing discipline.