(L-R) Chi Liao, Wei Wang, Dr. Bruno Silvestre, Manny Atwal, and Mohammad Eslami
Asper School Professors Honoured at the 2025 Associates Awards
Each year, members of the Asper School community, The Associates and the Young Associates come together to celebrate excellence in business research and teaching at the Associates Achievement Awards.
The Associates of the Asper School of Business have generously funded research fellowship awards to recognize and encourage scholarship contributions and business community engagement performed by Asper School faculty members.
Each successful fellowship recipient earns the distinguished title of Associates Fellow, as well as $10,000 per year award, for three years, to support their continued excellence and innovation in research, teaching, and engagement.
“The Asper School of Business thrives as a world-class business school thanks to our connections to the local business community. By investing in Asper-led research, teaching and professional collaboration, the Associates support our mission to lead in knowledge creation and produce scholarship that makes impact on the practice of management. Congratulations to Chi, Sean, Mohammad, and Wei for this well-deserved recognition!”
-Dr. Bruno Silvestre, Dean of the Asper School of Business
The two 2025 renewed Associates Fellows are:
Chi Liao – The Associates Fellow in Finance
As an Associate Professor of Finance, Chi Liao’s research focuses on why people make the financial decisions they do, analyzing both individuals and corporations.
Her research interests include household finance and behavioural finance. Broadly, recent studies have analyzed the role of race and the role of ADHD in various financial situations.
Her research has been published in leading finance and entrepreneurship journals including the Review of Finance and the Journal of Business Venturing. She has been interviewed and cited in the Wall Street Journal and CNBC, as well as locally by the Winnipeg Free Press, Global News, and CTV News.
Sean Buchanan – The Associates Fellow in Business Administration
Associate Professor Sean Buchanan studies how organizations and industries engage with contentious social issues amidst rising political polarization.
Recently, he received national research funding for his work investigating how growing political polarization affects the business side of stand-up comedy, and its impact on creative decisions and the public discourse.
His research has been published in Academy of Management Review, Organization Science, Journal of Management Studies, Organization Studies, Human Relations, Journal of World Business, and Organization.
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In addition to awarding multi-year research fellowships, The Associates also generously recognize excellence in the classroom with the Associates Teaching Awards, valued at $5,000 each.
This award distinguishes innovative educators whose work enriches the student experience and strengthens the Asper School’s role in shaping Manitoba’s future business leaders.
Recipients of the Associates Teaching Awards are:
Mohammad Eslami joined the Asper School of Business in 2024 after serving as an Associate Professor at Jönköping International Business School in Sweden.
At the Asper School he serves as Associate Professor in Supply Chain and Innovation Management. Eslami has taught students to picture the supply chain in fresh perspectives, factoring in critical thought about digitalization, knowledge integration, dynamic capabilities, and uncertainties.
Dr. Eslami’s research pedigree includes publication in journals such as Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, International Journal of Production Economics, Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Business Research, International Journal of Production Research, and Technological Forecasting and Social Change, among others.
Wei Wang grew up in a family of teachers, and is a lifelong educator in his heart. Students feel that fact; they praise his genuine, caring attitude, and are impressed by his ability to transform seemingly dry material into engaging lectures.
As The Associates Fellow in Leadership and Ethics, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, and the Co-Director of the Behavioral Management Institute, Wang’s research and teaching interests include organizational behaviour, business ethics, and leadership.
Other awards include 2022 Anne Tsui Dare to Care Research Award, Wang was recognized for the ways in which his work seeks to make a difference in the lives of employees. In 2024 he was awarded a UM Teaching Merit Award.
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Other current Associates Fellows include Nathan Greidanus, Narendra Malagoda, Rajesh Manchanda, Kiran Pedada, Wei Wang, Wenxi Pu, and Shiu Yik-Au.
The contributions of four award recipients, which exemplify Asper values, made for a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Asper’s 43-year relationship with The Associates of the Asper School of Business. Learn more about the Associates here.