Associates Fellows demonstrate excellence in entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainability

The Associates of the Asper School of Business have generously funded research fellowships to reward and encourage scholarship produced by Asper faculty members. Each successful fellowship recipient earns the distinguished title of Associates Fellow as well as $10,000 per year, for three years, to support their continued excellence in research, teaching and professional service.

Nathan Greidanus has been named the Associates Fellow in Entrepreneurship, Wenxi Pu has been named the Associates Fellow in Innovation, and Raj Manchanda has been named the Associates Fellow in Sustainability. The new Associates Fellows were honoured at a celebration in the Drake Centre last week.

Bruno Silvestre, Dean of the Asper School of Business, comments on the significance of the fellowships and the Associates Achievement Awards.

“As a world-class business school, the Asper School of Business is driven by 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 Nathan, Wenxi and Raj for this well-deserved recognition!”

The Associates Fellow in Entrepreneurship: Nathan Greidanus

Nathan Greidanus is an associate professor in the department of business administration and is currently serving as the acting associate dean of professional graduate programs and executive education.

Greidanus’ research interests lie at the intersection of entrepreneurship, international business strategy and sustainable development. His recent work has examined the connections between ADHD and entrepreneurship, co-authored with 2022 Associates Fellow Chi Liao. In the classroom, Greidanus includes a strong experiential component, with his Entrepreneurship and Innovation class in particular offering students opportunities to apply in-class theory to real-world contexts.

The Associates Fellow in Innovation: Wenxi Pu

An assistant professor of management information systems in the department of accounting and finance, Wenxi Pu examines machine learning algorithms, artificial intelligence and stigma.

His research broadly focuses on the transformative impacts of IT innovations on organizations and individuals. In recent work, he explores how mental health stigma can impact hiring assessments, focusing specifically on post-traumatic stress disorder and veterans seeking employment. Pu engages with AI-driven technology in the classroom and in his research, advocating for students, researchers and practitioners alike to learn more about emerging technologies in order to better work alongside them.

The Associates Fellow in Sustainability: Raj Manchanda

Raj Manchanda is a professor in Asper’s marketing department. His research interests include the role of negative affect in marketing, as well as sustainability and social marketing.

In his recent work, co-authored by fellow Asper professor Bruno Dyck, Savanna Vagianos [BComm(Hons)/19, MSc/23] and Michèle Bernardin [BComm(Hons)/21], Manchanda has examined sustain-centric approaches to marketing. His research and teaching challenge current dominant world views, seeking to re-envision many of the fundamental concepts and frameworks of business, and specifically marketing.

Emerging Topics Speaker Series

As Associates Fellows, Greidanus, Pu and Manchanda will pursue their creative, impactful scholarship and soon share their work with the academic and business community through the Emerging Topics Speaker Series.

The 2022 Associates Fellows—Sean Buchanan, Kelsey Taylor and Chi Liao—have been presenting their work throughout this academic year, with Buchanan discussing “the new corporate activism,” and Liao set to present a lecture entitled “ADHD in Finance and Entrepreneurship” on January 24, 2024.

Associates Teaching Achievement Awards

In addition to awarding these multi-year research fellowships, the Associates took the opportunity to recognize excellence in the classroom with the Associates Teaching Awards, valued at $5,000 each. Narendra Malalgoda and Judy Jayasuriya each received an award recognizing their commitment to engaging and transformative teaching.

Dean Silvestre says: “Congratulations to Narendra and Judy! The teaching excellence that you practice every day in our classrooms enhances the learning experience of Asper students. Thank you for you continued commitment to training our business and community leaders of tomorrow.”

Associates Achievement Award recipient Narendra Malalgoda with Denise Zaporzan

Malalgoda, assistant professor of supply chain management, is described by students as an engaging and effective teacher who makes theoretical concepts accessible through a deft ability to demonstrate them through real-world examples.

As a coach, he led a team to first place at the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) London Student Case Competition. His willingness to mentor students and investment in their personal and professional development have left a lasting impression on his students.

Associates Achievement Award recipient Judy Jayasuriya

Jayasuriya, lead of experiential learning at Asper, has already made a name for herself at as an exceptional case coach and mentor, receiving the J. Pierre Brunet Coach Award from the John Molson School of Business earlier this year. Jayasuriya has also built a robust volunteer base for case competition coaching, judging and mentorship, exceeding 100 individuals annually.

In support of her nomination for the Associates Achievement Award in Teaching, her students emphasize her attention to training well-rounded business professionals, emphasizing both hard and soft skills that allow them to flourish.

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Comprised of 365 senior executives, the Associates have been a driving force in advancing business education at the Asper School of Business since 1982. The Associates Achievement Awards and the Associates Fellowship represent their commitment to giving back to the Asper School of Business and the business community broadly.

Asper Staff