Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I grew up on a small farm in Mt. Vernon, Indiana, just 20 minutes west of USI. I spent my summers playing video games and adventuring outside with my brother, working on the farm with my grandfather, and working around the house with my dad. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Master of Business Administration degrees at USI, and my PhD at the University of Mississippi. I met my wife Audra while I worked for Indiana University School of Medicine – Evansville and have been all over the country with her, mostly for education- and job-related reasons. During my PhD, I created a new healthcare management course and the first-ever health innovation conference for the state of Mississippi. My family and I have moved back to southern Indiana for work, and to be closer to family and friends.
Describe your teaching style.
My teaching style varies based on the student learning level that I’m teaching. For freshman and sophomore students, I use a mixture of lectures, active learning, student engagement and facilitated discussion. For junior and senior students, I use an almost entirely active learning/experiential learning approach where I have my students solve case-based and real-world problems and present their solutions.
What are your current research interests.
My research focuses broadly on the psychology of management and entrepreneurship, and in research methods in the broader organizational sciences. The often high-pressure work environments that employees and entrepreneurs operate in have interesting implications on stress, motivation, success, and business performance. My most successful paper examines the gender paradox on success in entrepreneurship and will hopefully be used to inform countries’ entrepreneurship policies. In my work on research methods, I’m hoping to highlight weaknesses in commonly used research methods/techniques, and provide guidance for scholars using them to improve the rigor of organizational science.
What do you bring to the classroom that is uniquely yours?
I’m very transparent in my teaching and really strive to help my students understand what they’re doing and how it contributes to the overall learning experience in my class and in their broader degree. I also focus on the hidden curriculum in higher education – the things that we don’t teach in the classroom but that matter for student success – to make sure that my students are as prepared as possible to succeed in their educational and professional endeavors.
How do you define success in the classroom?
For me, success in the classroom means fostering curiosity, engagement, and critical thinking in my students. I want them to learn the course content, but I’m much more interested in creating learners that are interested in business and work to understand how it links to the natural world and society.
What are you most looking forward to at USI and Romain College of Business?
Some of the best years of my life were as a student at USI and in the Romain College of Business, as I worked hard, learned, and grew into a better version of myself. I want to create that same experience for as many students as I can.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I spend my free time working on projects around my house and in my yard. My wife and I are currently planning several major landscaping projects that we’re hoping to start late this fall. I’ve also started playing video games with my son, Isaac!
What are three things on your bucket list?
Riding a bicycle through the salt flats outside of Salt Lake City, UT.
Eating a bowl of ramen from a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Having a big greenhouse full of fruits and vegetables that I grow to feed my family.
A “fun fact” about you.
I’m still (last I checked) on the website for the USI Master of Business Administration program. This is probably the closest that I’ve ever come to being famous!
Published September 10, 2026