I earned a degree in English in the Ukraine and the Ph.D. degree in Finance at Florida Atlantic University. As a native of Ukraine, I taught English at the elementary, middle, and high school levels as well as adults. After the fall of the Iron Curtain there was a huge demand by the banking industry to expand internationally so I was hired at a bank because of my command of the English language. I soon became fascinated by my new job and made a decision to seek a degree in finance.
My current responsibilities at UNG include teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels as well as participating in service opportunities and pursuing my research interests.
Now that I am in academia, I want to transfer my interest in finance to students. This includes giving them a sound foundational knowledge and work place ethic so that they will be successful in their own professional lives. As leadership derives from expertise, the skills and knowledge our students acquire will help them achieve leadership positions in their chosen fields.
I view service at two levels. One is working with students outside the classroom. I direct the Cottrell Scholars program, an honor society for business and CIS majors at UNG, which gives me opportunities to interact with students and learn about their interests and other talents. I think that reflects back on my teaching and inspires it in a different way. The other type of service is participating in university governance committees such as the UNG Faculty Senate and the MCCB Graduate and Faculty committees. This allows me to get to know my colleagues better and I feel more a part of our University community.
I have many research interests and I just completed an article with a colleague about the importance of businesses to recognize risk characteristics of regions during international acquisition processes. Another ongoing research project is the study of the financing of small businesses.
Research is my passion – it keeps me current and credible and it makes me more confident in the classroom.
It is so hard to pinpoint just one event. I truly enjoy teaching the MBA course at UNG and participating in the study abroad experience to the UK with Dr. Teasley. Once again, it is delightful to get to know students in informal settings outside of the classroom.
First and foremost, I want them to deeply understand the world of finance. It is actually their ethical responsibility to know as much as possible because they owe it to their future employers and to society. This will prepare them for leadership roles, too.
