Management & Entrepreneurship
PHD Students
Janelle Bremer
Office: 440 Stokely Management Center
Email: [email protected]
Fourth Year
Janelle Bremer is a strategy, entrepreneurship and organizations Ph.D. student in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business. Her research examines entrepreneurial careers, with a focus on how individuals navigate transitions into, through and out of entrepreneurship. She is particularly interested in how founders make sense of career change, how they reconstruct identity across major shifts and how these processes shape long-term career paths. Bremer’s research interests are informed by her experience founding and leading multiple ventures.
Jessica Caudill
Office: 440 Stokely Management Center
Email: [email protected]
First Year
Jessica Caudill is a strategy, entrepreneurship and organizations Ph.D. student in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business. Her research interests center on entrepreneurial identity, decision-making and venture outcomes. Caudill’s research interests draw on her experience founding multiple ventures.
Eduardo Cuervo
Office: 440 Stokely Management Center
Email: [email protected]
Fifth Year
Eduardo Cuervo is a Ph.D. candidate in Haslam’s Department of Management and Entrepreneurship. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from UPAEP University in Puebla, Mexico, as well as a master’s degree in quantitative finance from Oklahoma State University. Before pursuing his doctorate, he worked in Mexico as an investment analyst and financial advisor.
Cuervo’s professional experience shaped his research path. Despite offering evidence-based advice, he often saw clients gravitate toward online personalities and self-proclaimed experts — figures who, despite lacking formal expertise, provided simple, persuasive narratives that resonated more than well-grounded guidance. “I was watching clients ignore careful analysis in favor of viral advice,” he says. “That’s when I realized persuasion often outweighs expertise.”
This disconnect sparked his interest in how and why people trust certain forms of advice, especially in uncertain environments like entrepreneurship. His research focuses on how entrepreneurs rely on testimony, particularly stories and advice shared through podcasts, social media, mentorships, and conferences, to make decisions. In such narrative-driven settings, compelling stories often influence judgment more than facts, making it easier for flawed or misleading advice to gain traction.
Cuervo’s work examines how entrepreneurial knowledge is produced, shared and trusted, shedding light on the cognitive and social dynamics that shape decision-making. By exploring the testimonial foundations of advice in entrepreneurship, he highlights the need for more reflective, transparent and truth-seeking norms in environments where storytelling is central to learning and action.
Rehab Elkhiyat
Office: 440 Stokely Management Center
Email: [email protected]
Fourth Year
Research interest: organization theory, entrepreneurship, social evaluation
Rehab Elkhiyat is a strategy, entrepreneurship and organizations Ph.D. student in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business. Her research interests span organization theory and entrepreneurship. Currently, her work explores the social construction of social evaluation processes. She is particularly interested in how entrepreneurial ecosystem stakeholders, such as venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and governments, shape the field legitimacy and status hierarchies under changing market conditions.
Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., Elkhiyat worked directly with founders, venture capitalists and PEs through her job as a finance manager and later as a financial advisor with companies across M.E.A., the U.S. and Europe. She is also a Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
Annabelle Gallup
Email: [email protected]
Third Year
Annabelle Gallup is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at the University, Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business. She is primarily interested in researching organizational behavior, focusing on identity, cognition, teams and meaningful work. She is also interested in qualitative research methods. Before joining the doctoral program, Gallup worked as a martial arts instructor, taught a business class and worked as a graduate assistant.
Ava Haddox
Office: 440 Stokely Management Center
Email: [email protected]
Fourth Year
Ava Haddox is a strategy, entrepreneurship and organizations Ph.D. student in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business. Her research examines the non-financial motives and outcomes of entrepreneurship. Specifically, she explores how underrepresented entrepreneurs use their ventures to protect and sustain culture, community and identity, and how they navigate these objectives under structural adversity. She also focuses on qualitative methodology.
Alex Lambert
Second Year
Alex Lambert is a strategy, entrepreneurship and organizations Ph.D. student in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business. His research interests span organizational behavior and strategic human capital management, with a particular focus on how individuals develop, accumulate and apply skills across their careers and how career experiences shape outcomes such as advancement, retention, and organizational capability. He currently serves in the U.S. Air Force as a physicist and is attending UT under a three-year Air Force Ph.D. Fellowship. After completing his Ph.D., Lambert will return to the U.S. Air Force, where his research and training will be applied in strategic planning and leadership roles.
Junghan Lee
Second Year
Junghan Lee is a strategy, entrepreneurship and organizations Ph.D. student in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business. His research interests span organizational theory and strategic management within entrepreneurial contexts. He won the Best Paper Award in Social Entrepreneurship from the Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference for his first-year paper.
Catherine Porth
Office: 440 Stokely Management Center
Email: [email protected]
First Year
Catherine Porth is a strategy, entrepreneurship and organizations Ph.D. student in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business. Her research interests lie at the intersection of entrepreneurship, identity and equity, with a focus on entrepreneurship as emancipation and resource legitimacy within entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Prior to pursuing her doctorate, Catherine spent over 15 years in industry, spanning startup ecosystems, data analytics, account management and financial services. In 2017, she founded Let Her Speak, a non-profit organization dedicated to elevating women’s wealth, power and influence through community-based research, storytelling and actionable programming.
Nataliia Yakushko
Office: 440 Stokely Management Center
Email: [email protected]
Fifth year
Nataliia Yakushko received her MBA from Valdosta State University and her Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from Ivan Franko National University in Lviv, Ukraine. Prior to joining the Ph.D. program, Nataliia was managing a family entertainment center in Valdosta, GA. Her research interests center on entrepreneurial well-being, resilience to adversity, resourcefulness and community-embedded venture emergence.
Yi Zhang
Email: [email protected]
Third Year
Yi Zhang is a strategy, entrepreneurship and organizations Ph.D. student in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business. Her research interests center on the micro-level of entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on entrepreneurial well-being, identity dynamics and emotions among entrepreneurs. Zhang examines how various motivations and individual experiences shape entrepreneurs’ journeys, and her work is grounded in a broader commitment to contributing to sustainable entrepreneurial practices. Before pursuing her Ph.D., Zhang worked as an investment product assistant at an asset management firm. She also completed an exchange semester at Reutlingen University, where she deepened her understanding of international business.
Management PHD
Student Placement
Gavin Williamson (2025)
Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, Rowan University
Tan Kim (2025)
Assistant Professor of Management, Texas A&M University
Becca Arwine (2024)
Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati
“Being a part of the PhD program at UTK was an incredibly rewarding experience. The supportive faculty, research opportunities, and collaborative environment truly exceeded all my expectations of a PhD program. I feel confident the SEO program has prepared me for a vibrant and impactful academic career. Specifically, my favorite memories involve doctoral student runs and get togethers, department hikes, and UTK football games. I’m grateful to have been a part of this program and to have met the many wonderful people involved with it!”
Ace Beorchia (2023)
Assistant Professor, Kennesaw State University
“On top of the rigorous academic and professional training that I am receiving, I am also developing authentic friendships that will last a lifetime. Ten years from now, I guarantee I will be sitting at a restaurant chatting and laughing with my fellow students and faculty members from the program. That is the great thing about our culture. We hold one another to a high professional standard, yet at the same time, we are one another’s number one advocates.”
Ashley Roccapriore (2023)
Assistant Professor, Auburn University
“The SEO Ph.D. program is a unique blend of research rigor meets genuine camaraderie. The single thing that sold me on joining the program was the people. There is not a single faculty member that wouldn’t be happy to meet with you to discuss ideas or obstacles you’re facing, both in coursework and research. This ability to interact with renowned scholars has made a world of difference in both my personal and professional growth.
One distinguishing feature of the program are weekly sessions called Pathways, where students can present current research to receive feedback, hear from faculty (both from within UTK and outside universities) on their own ongoing projects, or receive direction in “Help Me, I’m Stuck” sessions. My peers in other doctoral programs have said that sessions like this would have changed their research and career paths had they been offered an opportunity like this to interact with faculty regularly. The environment created by the department diffuses into the Ph.D. student relationships as well; all are extremely willing to help each other and the friendships I’ve made so far are ones that I can see continuing throughout my career.”
Jaewoo Jung (2022)
Assistant Professor, University of Dayton
“People compare getting a Ph.D. to running a marathon because of the enormous time and effort required to complete it. If you agree, I guarantee that the strategy, entrepreneurship and organizations program at the Haslam College of Business is the best marathon course to run. Faculty and staff are excellent coaches and running partners who are always ready to guide students in the right direction for a successful career and provide unending support. Also, Ph.D. students are always running together and have developed a wonderful culture and friendship. I’m sure there will be some hilly and challenging areas of the course, but the members in the department will keep students moving until they reach the finish line.”
Trey Lewis (2021)
Assistant Professor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
“The SEO Ph.D. program has been nothing short of an amazing experience for me. The department fosters a culture of research freedom to pursue and develop meaningful ideas. I received nothing but support and was empowered by the faculty at every stage of the program, from coursework to comprehensive exams and all the way through the dissertation. In my view, the training and preparation received from the management and entrepreneurship program at UT were nothing short of world-class. As a result, I felt prepared to develop my own independent research program. After demonstrating that potential on the academic job market, I successfully transitioned to an assistant professor role at an excellent institution of my choosing (even during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic).”
Jiaju (Justin) Yan (2020)
Assistant Professor, Baylor University
“The strategy, entrepreneurship and organizations program of Haslam College of Business is one of the most rigorous and challenging academic programs in the nation. The student body is comprised of most talented graduate students across the globe. Doctoral students will receive intensive intellectual and practical training in organizational research from nationwide distinguished scholars and accomplished faculties. The program is designed to cultivate the future organization and strategy researchers and outstanding college educators.”
Nick Mmbaga (2019)
Assistant Professor, Butler University (initial placement)
Now at Indiana University
“The strategy, entrepreneurship and organizations program at Haslam should be described as a family of scholars. Students are provided with a progressive yet developmental environment conducive for learning and academic growth. The program is ripe with distinguished and approachable scholars, ambitious and talented students and effective administrators who are creating new knowledge for the next wave of entrepreneurs and organizational leaders.”
Mike Lerman (2019)
Assistant Professor, Iowa State University
“Earning a Ph.D. in the strategy, entrepreneurship and organizations program at the University of Tennessee has been a tremendous opportunity. I am consistently guided towards a successful career in academia by a strong faculty team that invests time and energy into my development as a scholar. No school can guarantee my success, for I have to be willing to work hard; however, in the strategy, entrepreneurship and organizations program, I have always been given the utmost opportunity to simply focus on working hard and learning. In addition, the students in the strategy, entrepreneurship and organizations program are close-knit, and always willing to help each other. In my opinion, the qualities I have described are absolutely vital to picking a Ph.D. program that can help you achieve your potential. If I were to choose a program again, I would, without hesitation, still choose the University of Tennessee.”
Erika Williams (2018)
Assistant Professor, University of Southern Indiana
“The camaraderie is genuine. The students here are not competing with each other; we support and encourage our peers so that we can all be successful.”
T. Daniel White (2017)
Returned to United States Air Force
Now the Head of the Department of Management, U.S. Air Force Academy
“This has been perhaps the most challenging experience of my life, but I love going to work every morning! This is a truly developmental atmosphere. It feels like a family.”
Xinran (Joyce) Wang (2017)
Assistant Professor, University of Missouri (initial placement)
Now at Baruch College, CUNY
Laura D’Oria (2017)
Assistant Professor, Iowa State University
Jason Strickling (2016)
Lecturer, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Nastaran Simarasl (2016)
Associate Professor, California Polytechnic University-Pomona
David Jiang (2016)
Assistant Professor, Georgia Southern University (initial placement)
Now an Associate Professor at Elon University
Kyle Turner (2015)
Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina-Upstate (initial placement)
Now at Tennessee Tech University
Blake Mathias (2014)
Assistant Professor, Louisiana State University (initial placement)
Now an Associate Professor at Indiana University
Kincy Madison (2014)
Assistant Professor, Mississippi State University (initial placement)
Now an Associate Professor at Oklahoma State University