VITA
Ajay Samant, Ph.D.
University of North FloridaProfessor of Finance Dean (July 2010-June 2015)
Coggin College of Business Jacksonville, FL 32224
Administrative Experience
Dean and Distinguished Professor, Coggin College of Business, University of North Florida, July 2010-June 2015
The college has 2,800 undergraduate students, 380 graduate students, and 70 faculty; AACSB accredited in Business and Accounting; Operating Budget $15 million, Endowment $22 million; Undergraduate majors in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Financial Services, International Business, Management, Marketing, Transportation & Logistics; Graduate programs: MBA, Global MBA, MBA in Global Entrepreneurship, and Masters in Accountancy.
Team Accomplishments: Led fundraising efforts and raised $13 million in philanthropic gifts for faculty scholarship, program development and scholarships during 2010-15; Secured $5.6 million in grants and contracts; Hired 18 faculty; Led the maintenance of AACSB Accreditation in 2013 and achieved it unconditionally for business and for accounting; Served as AACSB Maintenance of Accreditation Peer Review Business Team Member for the University of Akron (2012), the University of Houston-Clearlake (2013), Eastern Michigan University (2015); Chaired the AACSB Peer Review Team for Indiana University-South Bend (2015), Founded the Center for Sustainable Business Practices; Established the MBA Board Fellows Program; Established a Living and Learning Business Community in the halls of residence; Formed a Business Student Leadership Advisory Board; Established the BEST (Beginning Economic Success Together) Alliance at UNF; Started an MBA in Global Entrepreneurship; Established the UNF Dual Degree BBA program with KEDGE Business School, Paris; Created a comprehensive Strategic Plan for the College; Served on the Board of Governors of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce.
2007-10
Associate Dean (2007-9), Interim Dean (2009-10) and National City Endowed Chaired Professor, Haworth College of Business, Western Michigan University (WMU)
WMU is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a Research Extensive University. The
business college has about 3,800 undergraduate and 400 graduate students. It has undergraduate majors in all the functional areas of business as well as an MBA and Masters in Accountancy. Accomplishments: Led AACSB Maintenance of Accreditation effort; Established the Global Business Center; Planned a Center for Health Information Technology; Administered the WMU MBA Program in Singapore and undergraduate twinning programs with Sunway College, Malaysia and Christ College, Bangalore, India.
2003-07
Chair, Department of Finance and Commercial Law & State Farm Professor and Director, State Farm Financial Planning Program, Haworth College of Business, WMU
Accomplishments: Started a new major in Personal Financial Planning with financial support from State Farm; Led an academic program review of the Finance Major (required once in ten years); Created an Advisory Council for the Finance Major; Wrote departmental by-laws; Gained experience in enrollment management, faculty hiring, tenure and promotion
Academic Experience
2010 - (Full) Professor of Finance, UNF
2003 - 2010 (Full) Professor of Finance, WMU 1997 - 2003 Associate Professor of Finance, WMU 1992 - 1997 Assistant Professor of Finance, WMU
Education
Ph.D, Indiana University, Bloomington, 1992
Dissertation: Corporate Liability Choice Under Asymmetric Information: A Theoretical and Empirical Study of Interest Rate Swaps.
Major: Economics. Minor: Finance.
M.A., Economics,Indiana University, Bloomington, 1989
Fundraising
Raised $13.6 million in cash and planned gifts for faculty development, program development and scholarships for the business college, including an estate gift of $ 8 million, two cash gifts of $ 1 million each, two in-kind gifts of $600,000 each, scholarship gifts of $600,000 and $500,000 and several gifts of $250,000 and below. Further details are available upon request.
Grants and Contracts
The Small Business Development Center at the Coggin College of Business received $4 million in grants and contracts. In addition, in September 2014, the SBDC was approved for a grant of $1.6 million for entrepreneur training from the US Small Business Administration.
Administrative Service
AACSB Maintenance of Accreditation Peer Review Business Team Member for the University of Akron (2012)
AACSB Maintenance of Accreditation Peer Review Business Team Member for the University of Houston-Clear Lake (2013)
AACSB Continuous Improvement Peer Review Business Team Chair for Indiana University-South Bend (2015)
AACSB Continuous Improvement Peer Review Business Team Member for Eastern Michigan University (2015)
Member, Board of Governors, Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Member, Small Business Development Advisory Board at UNF
Member, Advisory Council, Southeast US Higher Education Consortium for International Business
Administration of select cross-disciplinary academic programs
MBA Concentration in Sports Management (with the College of Education)
MBA Concentration in Construction Management (with the College of Engineering)
Master’s in Public Administration (administered by the College of Arts and Sciences with business electives)
Master’s in Health Administration (administered by the College of Health with business electives)
International experience
Administrative oversight of the International Business Flagship Program at UNF: Activities include managing the Global MBA, MBA in Global Entrepreneurship, undergraduate dual degree program with KEDGE Business School, Paris, as well as study abroad at 6 international sites each year.
Administration and teaching in the Singapore WMU MBA program, 2000-2009
Administration of twinning programs at WMU with Sunway College, Malaysia and Christ College, Bangalore, India, 2003-2010
Visiting Professor, Massey University, New Zealand, Spring 2001 (on sabbatical) Visiting Professor, University of Waikato, New Zealand, Fall 2000 (on sabbatical)
Professional Conference presentations in Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland and Turkey
Served as a member of the Advisory Council, Southeast US Higher Education Consortium for International Business
International Banking experience, Reserve Bank of India, 1984-88, (global joint ventures, international corporate finance, transactions hedging and currency risk management)
Publications in Refereed Academic Journals
Journal of Finance, Accounting and Management, Volume 5(1), January 2014, “Evaluating S&P 500 Sector ETFs using Risk-Adjusted Performance Measures” (with Onur Arugaslan).
Journal of Global Business and Technology, Volume 8, Number 2, Fall 2012, “Performance Evaluation of American Depositary Receipts on stocks from Africa and the Middle East” (with Onur Arugaslan)
Business Review, Cambridge, Volume 15, Number 2, Summer 2010, “Risk-Adjusted Returns on American Depositary Receipts from the U.K. and Ireland” (with Onur Arugaslan)
International Journal of Management Theory and Practice, Volume 10, Number 1, 2009, “Performance Evaluation of Continental and East European ADRs” (with Onur Arugaslan)
International Journal of Banking and Finance, Volume 6, Number 2, March 2009, “Risk-Adjusted Returns of American Depositary Receipts on Chinese and Indian Stocks” (with Onur Arugaslan)
Managerial Finance, Volume 34, Number 1, 2008, “Risk-Adjusted Performance of International Mutual Funds” (with Onur Arugaslan and Ed Edwards) (This article received the Emerald
Literati Network 2008 Highly Commended Award).
Journal of Global Business, Volume 18, Number 36, Fall 2007, "American Depository Receipts: A Study of Issuance from the Australian Region" (with Onur Arugaslan)
International Journal of Commerce and Management , Volume 17 Number 1/2, 2007 “Evaluating Large U.S. Based Equity Mutual Funds using Risk-Adjusted Performance Measures” (with Onur Arugaslan and Ed Edwards)
Mid-American Journal of Business, Volume 18, Number 1, Spring 2003, "Investing with a Conscience: An Evaluation of the Risk-Adjusted Performance of Socially Responsible Mutual Funds", (with Ed Edwards)
Journal of Current Research in Global Business, 2003, Volume 5, Number 7, "Evaluating Emerging Stock Markets using Risk-Adjusted Performance Measures" (with Nai Wen Chang) Managerial Finance, 2002, Volume 28, Number 2, "Depositary Receipts from the East Asian Region”, (with Alireza Tourani-Rad and Chun Yi Wang)
Review of the Academy of Finance, March 2001, Volume 1, Number 1, "Evaluating European Open and Closed-End Funds using Risk-Adjusted Performance Measures" (with Ed Edwards and Jim DeMello)
Journal of Global Business, 2000, Volume 11, Number 21, “Risk-adjusted Performance of International Mutual Funds” (with Ed Edwards)
International Journal of Public Administration, May 2000, Volume 5, "American Depositary Receipts from Latin America: An Opportunity for American Investors", (with Christopher Korth)
International Journal of Commerce and Management, Volume 9, Number 1&2, 1999, "Risk-Adjusted Returns in European Industrial Stocks: A Global Investor's Perspective" (sole author) Journal of Asia-Pacific Business, 1998, Volume 2, Number 3, "American Depositary Receipts: The Performance of Asia-Pacific ADRs", (with Christopher Korth)
Journal of Global Business, Spring 1996, Volume 7, Number 12, "Risk and return in Emerging Market Closed-End Funds" (with Ed Edwards)
Journal of Financial Services Research, 1996, Volume 10, Number 1, "On Interest Rate Swap usage by Non-Financial Corporate Business" (sole author). (This article received a Citation of
Excellence and Highest Quality Rating by the Editorial Advisory Board of ANBAR, U.K).
International Review of Financial Analysis, 1995, Volume 4, Number 2/3, "Signalling effects of Junk Bond Issuance: Has the Interest Rate Swap Age made a difference? " (with David Burnie and James D'Mello).
Journal of Asia-Pacific Business, 1995, Volume 2, Number 1, "Risk and Return in Asia-Pacific Stock Markets" (sole author)
Journal of Global Business, Fall 1994, Volume 5, Number 2, "On the Performance of Industrial Stocks in an integrated North American Economy" (sole author).
Journal Editor
Served as Editor of a Special Issue of Managerial Finance, a leading international academic journal during 2004-06,
Select Peer Reviewed Conference Proceedings
Financial Management Association and Asia-Pacific Finance Association Annual Conference Proceedings 2006, “Nature and Performance of ADRs from Australia and New Zealand” (with Onur Arugaslan)
Association for Global Business: Conference Proceedings 2002, "International diversification via Mutual funds, Depository Receipts and Multinational Corporation Equity Shares: Abstract", (with Ed Edwards and Robert Balik)
Association for Global Business: Conference Proceedings 2000, "Performance Measurement of International Closed-End Funds: 1990-1999: Abstract", (with Ed Edwards and Jim DeMello) Association for Global Business: Conference Proceedings 1997, "Performance Evaluation of Emerging Market Mutual Funds: Abstract" (with Ed Edwards).
Association for Global Business: Conference Proceedings,1996, "Performance Evaluation of International and Global Mutual Funds, 1985-95" (with Ed Edwards)
Facing East-Facing West: Conference Proceedings, 1995, "Risk and Return in Asia-Pacific Closed End Funds: Abstract," (with Ed Edwards).
Facing East-Facing West: Conference Proceedings, 1995, "American Depositary Receipts: The Performance of Asia-Pacific ADRs: Abstract," (with Christopher Korth).
Association for Global Business: Conference Proceedings 1995, "Stock Risk and Return in Industry groups in Europe: Abstract" (single author).
Association for Global Business: Conference Proceedings 1994, "Risk and Return in Developed and Emerging Stock Markets: Abstract" (with James DeMello).
Professional Journal Reviewing
Reviewed manuscripts for the following refereed journals:
Managerial Finance
Review of Financial Services American Journal of Business Journal of Asia-Pacific Business
International Journal of Commerce and Management Global Business and Finance Review
Financial Practice and Education
Journal of International Business Studies Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance
Research Recognition
Emerald Literati Network 2008 Highly Commended Award
Citation of Excellence and Highest Quality Rating by the Editorial Advisory Board of ANBAR, U.K.
Keynote Professional Presentations
Keynote Speaker, International Association of Business Disciplines, Annual Conference, Orlando, January 2013
Keynote Speaker, Global Conference on Business and the Global Economy, Detroit, December 2011
Peer Reviewed Paper Presentations
Management and Business Academy, International Business Conference, London, July 2015 Global Business and Technology Association, Annual International Conference, New York, July 2012
Global Business and Technology Association, Annual International Conference, Istanbul, July 2011
Facing East-Facing West Conference, Kalamazoo, MI, June 2011 International Business Conference, Detroit, December 2010
Global Business and Finance Research Conference, London, July 2010 Business Society International, Lugano, Switzerland, July 2008
International Conference on Banking and Finance, Langkawi, Malaysia, January 2008
Association for Global Business, International Conference, Washington DC, November 2007
International Business Conference, Honolulu, May 2007
Midwest Business Administration Association, Chicago, March 2007
American Competitiveness Society International Conference, Goa, India, January 2007 Association for Global Business International Conference, Los Angeles, November 2006. Financial Management Association International Conference, Auckland, July 2006. Australasian Finance and Banking Conference, Sydney, December 2005.
Australasian Finance and Banking Conference, Sydney, December 2002.
Association for Global Business International Conference, Las Vegas, November 2002 Midwest Business Administration Association, Chicago, March 2002
Association for Global Business International Conference Cancun, November 2001 Midwest Finance Association, Cleveland, April 2001
Midwest Business Administration Association, Chicago, March 2001 Australasian Finance and Banking Conference, Sydney, December 2000
Association for Global Business International Conference, Orlando, November 2000 Southern Finance Association, Savannah, Georgia, November 2000
Midwest Business Administration Association Annual Meetings, March 2000 Facing East-Facing West Conference, 2000
Association for Global Business, International Conference, November 1999, Las Vegas Midwest Business Administration Association Annual Meetings, Chicago, March 1999 Association for Global Business International Conference, November 1997, Washington D.C. Midwest Business Administration Association Annual Meetings, March 1997
Association for Global Business International Conference, November 1996, Dallas Midwest Business Administration Association Annual Meetings, March 1996 Midwest Business Administration Association Annual Meetings, March 1995
Eastern Finance Association Annual Meetings, Richmond, April 1993
Professional Development Conferences
AACSB Deans Conference, San Francisco, February 2014 AACSB Annual International meeting, Chicago, April 2013
ACE (American Council on Education) Annual Meeting, Washington DC, March 2013 AACSB Southern Business Association, New Orleans, November 2012
AACSB Annual Accreditation Conference, Atlanta, September 2012 AACSB Annual Meetings, San Diego, April 2012
AACSB Deans Conference, New Orleans, February 2012
AACSB Southern Business Association, Charlotte, November, 2011
AACSB Midwest and Mid-Continent East Deans Meeting, Chicago, October 2009 AACSB Annual Meetings, Orlando, April 2009
AACSB Associate Deans Conference, Phoenix, November 2008 AACSB Mid-Continent East Deans Meeting, Chicago, October 2008 AACSB Associate Deans Conference, Tampa, December 2007
AACSB Maintenance of Accreditation Seminar, Tampa, November 2007 AACSB Mid-Continent East Deans Meeting, Chicago, October 2007 AACSB Annual Meetings, Tampa, April 2007
AACSB Aspiring Deans Seminar, Tampa, May 2006
AACSB Department Chairs Seminar, University of Maryland, June 2005 AACSB Annual Meetings, San Francisco, April 2005
Faculty Development Seminar, Graduate School of Banking, University of Wisconsin at Madison, August 11-13, 1999.
Faculty Development in International Business Program, University of South Carolina at Columbia, July 23-August 3, 1995.
Faculty Development Seminar, Graduate School of Banking, University of Wisconsin at Madison, August 17-19, 1994.
Teaching Award
Zhang Professor of the Year, 2002, WMU Department of Finance and Commercial Law
University and College Service University Service
Chair, Search Committee for UNF College of Education Dean
Member, Search Committee for VP (Development and Alumni Relations) at UNF Member, UNF Deans’ Council
Member, UNF Institutional Effectiveness Council Member, Provost’s Council, WMU
Member, Provost’s Academic Forum, WMU
Chair, Search Committee for Director of the School of Art, WMU
Coordinator, WMU Annual Academic Leadership Retreat for Chairs and Deans Member, WMU University Instructor and Course Evaluation Steering Committee Member, WMU University Research Activity Committee
Member, WMU President's Committee on Study Abroad
Member, WMU President's Committee on Scholarships for Study Abroad
College Service
UNF Dean’s Executive Committee
UNF Ex-Officio Member of all Coggin College Standing Committees WMU Dean’s Policy Council
WMU Business College Dean Search Committee Chair, WMU Business College Technology Committee
Chair, WMU Business College Search Committee for Marketing Dept. Chair Chair, WMU Business College Search Committee for Accountancy Dept. Chair Chair, WMU Business College Graduate Programs Council
Chair, WMU Business College Assessment Committee
Chair, WMU Dean's Blue-Ribbon Task Force on Graduate Study Chair, WMU Search Committee for Director, Student Advising Office
Business Experience
Served as a Research Officer at the Reserve Bank of India during 1984-88; experience in banking includes global joint ventures, international corporate finance, transactions hedging and currency risk management.
Community Service Jacksonville Rotary Club
Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors Leadership Jacksonville
International Visitor’s Center of Jacksonville
Going Global Program for Public High School Students, Jacksonville Hands-on Jacksonville