Chico State Faculty

The College of Business Online

The same outstanding Chico State faculty who teach our on-campus business classes work to create an interactive, personal dynamic in our Online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) and MBA programs.

Our faculty comprises experienced and dedicated business educators, each of whom is committed to passing on their rich knowledge of contemporary business to a new generation of leaders. They must demonstrate that they understand the best practices in online pedagogy in order to teach in our online programs, and they specifically design their courses to keep students engaged and create optimized learning experiences.

This effort and expertise translate into courses that communicate material effectively using multiple means and that synthesize new knowledge with an exploration of today’s business landscape to produce practical applications you can leverage in your career.

Learn more about the faculty members responsible for creating our programs’ vibrant learning communities.

Damon Aiken, PhD

Dr. K. Damon Aiken, professor of marketing, received his PhD from the University of Oregon. He has won six teaching awards including the Marketing Management Association’s National Teaching Excellence award. His research interests include marketing communications and branding, as well as sport fan values and behaviors. He has published in various journals including the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, the Journal of Business Research, Sport Marketing Quarterly, and the Journal of Product and Brand Management.

Angela Casler

Angela is a full-time lecturer at California State University, Chico’s Department of Management. She teaches Survey of Management, International Management, Human Resource Management, Performance Management, and Managing for Sustainability.

She is the CEO/president of the Sustainability Management Association, a nonprofit that certifies professionals on how to achieve success through efficiently managing environmental management, social responsibility, and governance (ESG). The Sustainability Management Association is the leading international certification body of the Sustainability Management Certified Professional and the Sustainability Management Certified Associate credentials.

Angela also serves as the owner of Sustainability Management Consulting, a strategic planning consulting company. Her professional background as chief credit officer, chief customer service officer, and regional manager in Corporate America’s financial services industries and international banking, plus 15-years of experience in small business ownership in transportation and consulting, has enabled her to design solutions for many diverse industries.

Bathild “June” Covington, PhD, MA

Dr. June Covington is a professional specializing in organizational change with more than 30 years of industry experience and more than 14 years as a college instructor teaching communication and business courses. She has worked on change initiative programs for clients such as Intel, Allied Domecq Wine and Spirits, Inc., Wyndham International, Inc., and Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Inc. June currently teaches community college courses in business communications and undergraduate and graduate courses in business management.June earned her doctoral degree in Organization and Management, with a specialization in Leadership from Capella University, a MA in Business Communications and a BA in Business Management from Prescott College, Arizona. Her current research interests include exploring business topics through the lens of literature. Her personal interests include spending time with family and friends, and hanging out with her two dogs, two cats, and pet emu.

William Dantona III, MA

William Dantona III is an international educator whose mission promotes equity, peace, and prosperity through purposeful engagement across cultures. He has more than 25 years of experience working with international students and professionals developing international education, business communication, and study-abroad programming—always with this mission in mind. His research and leadership interests include system dynamics, study abroad programming, ESL program administration, and strategic international enrollment management. Dantona is committed to experiential and student-centered learning.

At California State University, Chico, Dantona serves as International Studies faculty and lectures in the Department of Management and International Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. At Chico State, he has served as the Director of International Development in the Office of the Vice President for University Advancement, and as International Programs Director in Regional & Continuing Education overseeing the American Language and Culture Institute (ALCI), Faculty-led Study Abroad, and self-support international programs.

Previously, Dantona served as the ALCI Director from 2006 to 2017 and taught Communications in Business in the College of Business at Chico State. In support of international education and the intensive English program field, Dantona has held a seat on the executive board of the American Association of Intensive English Programs (EnglishUSA) where he served as both president and teasurer.

Prior to his Chico State affiliation, Dantona was a full-time language specialist at the University of Pennsylvania's English Language Programs where he coordinated the Summer Institute for International Business Students pre-MBA program. Before UPENN, he was at the School for International Training (SIT) and World Learning in Vermont where he worked as an academic preparation and corporate language instructor as well as a workforce language proficiency consultant. He has conducted language training for graduate-level international students as well as high-potential executives from international corporate and governmental entities, including ABN-AMRO Bank, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, McKinsey Consultants Group, Toyota, and Procter & Gamble. He has also taught at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez and Greenfield Community College, Massachusetts.

After completing coursework and a two-year research program in Nepal, Dantona earned his MA from SIT in 1998. He completed the Wharton School of Business Management Program in 2004. He has completed coursework in the Doctorate in Educational Leadership at Sacramento State University and is conducting dissertation research in system dynamic analysis of international enrollment and study abroad decision making.

He makes his home in far Northern California, with his wife and two children, where he enjoys playing music, Sunday dinner, and participating in alpine sports and activities.

Open a conversation with William Dantona III by email: wdantona@csuchico.edu.

Timothy C. Heinze, PhD, MS

Dr. Timothy Heinze is a professor of marketing at California State University, Chico. He has worked in academia since 2003 and has also held multiple marketing management positions in the automotive (Ford Motor Company), advertising (American Telecast), and international sourcing industries (TFI).

Tim founded the Seufferlein Sales Program at Chico State in 2008 and served as the program’s executive director for a decade. During his tenure, he founded and managed both regional and national university sales competitions. He was also selected as the Northern California Educator of the Year by Innovate North State.

On the research front, Tim has focused on both sales ethics and salesperson authenticity. Current research involves the use of topic modeling to provide constructive training feedback to both sales students and sales professionals. He has published over 20 peer-reviewed journal papers.

In the community, Tim enjoys serving at his local church, supporting his kid’s basketball and volleyball teams, mountain biking, painting, reading, and farming. He also loves traveling, especially cross-country road trips.

April Howell

April Howell earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in business administration from CSU, Chico. She began her teaching career at Butte College in 1998. In 2002, she accepted a tenured position at Shasta College and eventually transitioned to Chico State in 2015. She has been teaching writing for more than two decades, and business communication is her specialty as well as her passion. She and her husband own a physical therapy outpatient clinic and gym along with an Airbnb, and she loves to discuss real-world business examples in class. She enjoys interacting with her students and working with them to find their dream jobs.April is the advisor for the Association for Women in Business club on campus (AWIB). The club focus is to empower women and provide them with opportunities for professional networking, growth, and education. In addition, April is the course coordinator for BCOM 300W.When she is not teaching, April enjoys spending time at her family cabin in Lake Almanor with her husband and children. She also enjoys cross-fit, hiking, kayaking, biking, reading, and being with family and friends.

Emily Huang, PhD

Dr. Emily Huang is an associate professor of finance at the College of Business at California State University, Chico. She holds a PhD in business administration with a concentration in finance from the Carson College of Business at Washington State University, a master’s degree in economics from the University of Idaho, and a bachelor’s degree in international finance from Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.

Dr. Huang has over 15 years of experience in teaching finance. She is passionate about finance because the subject always focuses on the future with a sense of uncertainty and mystery. Dr. Huang teaches corporate finance, financial institutions and markets, and the securities industry in the College of Business.

Dr. Huang’s’s research and publications span topics including institutional investors, behavioral finance, financial education, and financial well-being. Her publications have appeared in the Journal of Behavioral Finance, Review of Financial Economics, Journal of Financial Education, and Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, among others.

In her free time, Dr. Huang enjoys traveling with her husband and son, and pampering their two cats. She is an avid reader, so her favorite hobby is buying books and bookshelves.

Ghadir Ishqaidef, PhD

Dr. Ghadir Ishqaidef is an assistant professor of management in the College of Business at California State University, Chico. She holds a PhD in Business Administration with concentration in Human Resources Management from the University of Kansas and a bachelor’s degree in business and economics from Ursinus College. She has been published in national and international conference proceedings and journals such as Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Health Care Management Review, Health Expectations, Rutgers Business Review, Academy of Management, and Southern Academy of Management. Her research interests include work environment, psychological safety, team dynamics, strategic HR, and new work arrangements such as gig and temp workers.

Dr. Ishqaidef is a long-term member of the Academy of Management and the Society of Human Resource Management. She was recognized by Ursinus College with the Rising Star Alumni award in 2016, she has won best paper awards in several national and international conferences, and she has been inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa national academic honor society and the Omicron Delta Epsilon International Economics Honor Society.

Her teaching philosophy is based on the goal of unlocking a lifelong desire for learning among her students. She aspires to facilitate high-quality learning experiences during which students travel through a journey of self-discovery while learning about the subject matter in hand. To maximize the probability that students will succeed in their future careers, She emphasizes learning outcomes that employ problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and ethical decision-making skills. She teaches introductory and advanced courses in human resources management at Chico State.

When she is not teaching or conducting research, Dr. Ishqaidef likes to hike, swim, kayak, travel, spend quality time with her family, learn new languages, draw, and read books.

Hyunjung Kim, PhD

Dr. Hyunjung Kim received her PhD in public administration from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany, focusing on the development of system dynamics simulation models for policymaking.

Her teaching areas include management, strategic decision making, and system dynamics modeling. At Chico State, she teaches BADM 495 Applied Strategic Decision Making and MGMT 470 Business Dynamics.

Dr. Kim uses a group model building approach to include key stakeholders in the system dynamics modeling process, helping decision makers understand complexity of their systems and assess potential outcomes of their strategic and managerial decisions. She has been involved in various research and consulting projects. Some of the application areas include data-driven service industry, higher education, public health, environmental resource management, and monetary decision making at the Federal Reserve. Her research articles are published in peer-reviewed journals like System Dynamics Review, Systems Research and Behavioral Science, and Public Administration Review.

Kevin Kimbell

Kevin Kimbell brings real-world business experience to the CSU Chico College of Business. His significant business, marketing, and sales knowledge give him a strong strategic perspective and the ability to thoroughly understand business issues. This includes over 30 years business experience with 12 years in marketing and brand management with The J.M. Smucker Company, Del Monte Foods, The Learning Company, and Mattel. In 1999, Kevin joined Vitalink Business Systems as vice president of marketing where he created the marketing and sales support functions for this Crosspoint VC funded startup.In 2001, Kevin founded TKG Consulting which is an independent consulting company specializing in marketing research, new product development, brand strategy, and sales planning. He continues his consulting practice as an adjunct to teaching sales and marketing courses at CSU Chico.Kevin earned a BS in Marketing and an MBA from CSU, Chico. In addition to CSU Chico, Kevin has taught marketing courses at Golden Gate University in San Francisco and for the UC Berkeley Extension program.

Qingzhong Ma, PhD

Dr. Qingzhong Ma earned his PhD in finance and business economics from University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. He also holds an MBA degree in finance from University of Oklahoma Michael F. Price College of Business and a bachelor of electronic engineering from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.

Prior to joining California State University, Chico, Dr. Ma has taught at University of Southern California and Cornell University, where he won numerous teaching awards. At Chico State, Dr. Ma teaches the finance major required course “Investments” (FINA 351) and finance major elective “Financial Management: Applications” (FINA 480). In teaching, Dr. Ma emphasizes rigor of the contents, stimulates students’ interest in the subject matter, and helps students achieve their potential.

Dr. Ma maintains an active research agenda. His current research interests include mergers and acquisitions, insider trading, behavioral finance, stock market anomalies, investor sentiment, limits to arbitrage, etc. He has published academic articles in premier journals such as the Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Corporate Finance, Journal of Banking and Finance, Journal of Behavioral Finance, Journal of Business Research, and Management Science, among others. Dr. Ma has presented his research in leading national and international academic conferences such as the Financial Management Association (FMA) and the American Finance Association (AFA) annual conferences. For his research, Dr. Ma has won a first-place award at the Chicago Quantitative Association (CQA) academic competition. His research gained attention from both the investment profession and academia, including Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance. Dr. Ma’s cutting-edge research activities help enrich his quality teaching.

Dr. Ma enjoys thinking about important issues in research, teaching, and life while cooking for or golfing with his family.

Maria J. Mendez, PhD

Dr. Maria J. Mendez is an assistant professor in the management department of California State University, Chico. Dr. Mendez's research centers on shared leadership, although she has also published in the areas of followership, global leadership, ethics, and management education. Her publications can be found in Business Ethics Quarterly, Journal of World Business, Learning and Organization Development Journal, Organization Management Journal, and the book The Art of Followership. She received a PhD in business administration from New Mexico State University and a six-year degree in industrial engineering from the Universidade de Vigo, Spain.

Kristin Menetti

Kristin Minetti graduated from California State University, Chico with her bachelor of science in business administration. She then went on to work for an advertising agency as an account coordinator and media buyer. She then switched careers and went to work for Target Corporation, where she held multiple roles over six years including in-store and district management positions. She gained valuable real-world experience from these positions that she loves to share in the classroom. Kristin graduated with her MBA from Washington State University in 2015 and was then able to pursue her true passion, teaching at the college level. Kristin has been on the faculty at California State University, Chico since 2015, and has taught for both the Marketing and Management departments. She is passionate about higher education and bringing a positive and effective learning experience to all students. She is the adviser for the American Marketing Association and co-founder of the Women in Business Summit. Kristin believes it is important to engage and gain experience both inside and outside the classroom. She is also passionate about technology and how it is affecting education; she was a guest speaker for the Pearson Academic Summit to discuss online education programs and enjoys studying and learning about how to best integrate technology into education. Kristin and her husband, Derek, have two young children and live in Chico, California. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with friends and family. She also enjoys snowboarding, wakeboarding, kayaking, and cooking. She is a huge sports fan, especially of the NFL and MLB. Kristin and her husband own multiple rental properties and have a passion for real estate investing.

Matthew Meuter, PhD

Dr. Matthew L. Meuter received his PhD in marketing from Arizona State University. He is currently a full professor of marketing at California State University, Chico and is a member of the research faculty through the Arizona State University Center for Service Leadership.Dr. Meuter’s research focuses on the intersection of marketing and technology. His research has specifically focused on customer use and adoption of self-service technologies, satisfaction with technology use, and the strategic implications of integrating technology within a firm. His research interests also include the role of social media in the marketplace and its impact on firms and customers. He has been published in the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Service Research, the Journal of Business Research, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, Psychology & Marketing, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Services Marketing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and many other publications.Professor Meuter teaches courses in service marketing (at both the graduate and undergraduate level), marketing research, marketing strategy, and consumer behavior. He is also regularly engaged with service and technology consulting projects, as well as delivering workshops on service design and blueprinting for corporate clients.

Bonnie Persons, JD, MBA, MSM

Bonnie Persons has leveraged her experience as a business lawyer to serve on a number of boards of directors. She achieved the designation of Leadership Fellow with the National Association of Corporate Directors. She has also held leadership positions in academic professional organizations, including time spent serving as the president of the Western Academy of Legal Studies in Business. She divides her time between Silicon Valley and Chico.In addition to her Juris Doctorate degree from McGeorge School of Law at the University of the Pacific, Bonnie holds a Master of Science in Management degree from Krannert School of Business at Purdue University and a Master of Business Administration from TIAS School of Business, at Tilberg University (The Netherlands). Currently, Bonnie is focusing on support for rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of the devastating Camp Fire.

David Rahn

David earned his BS in computer science with an artificial intelligence sub program at UC Santa Cruz. He earned his master’s in engineering management at Santa Clara University.

Following graduation, David went to work for a tech company which was commercializing “Expert Systems” technology from the Stanford Artificial Intelligence program. An early career highlight was being trained as a consultant to Fortune 500 companies, focused on developing and implementing strategic initiatives. Across several startups and young companies, David worked at positions from software developer to CEO. Along the way, David started several ventures, one of which provided strategy development and technology implementation for major financial services corporations. In one engagement, they developed and implemented a strategic plan calling for sales software for 7,000 agents, dramatically increasing sales agent productivity. Upon exiting this specialized consulting firm, David semi-retired and moved to Chico.

David is a lecturer in the management department in the College of Business. He relates well to the OMBA student experience because he followed a similar path: while working full-time, he completed his master’s in engineering management. Upon learning he was selected to design and deliver the OMBA 693: Seminar in Strategic Management course, he was delighted.

A faculty member since 2000, David’s passion is strategy and entrepreneurship. He has taught 20 different courses and developed eight. He is the director of the e-Incubator student mentoring program and faculty advisor to the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization. He developed the Digital Entrepreneurship course for the Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management (ESBM) program. David works with the computer science department to team up engineers with entrepreneurs. His recent publication in the Journal of Education for Business, “Bridging the Gap – A Model for Collaboration Between Entrepreneurship and Software Engineering Students,” describes the program. His subsequent paper, “Fostering Entrepreneurship in Project-Based Courses,” won a Best Paper award.

David is active in professional organizations and is past-president of the Association for Business Simulation and Experiential Learning (ABSEL). He was a track chair for the United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurs (USASBE) the preeminent entrepreneurship association and conference in the world today, and presents there annually. David’s e-Incubator program was nominated for Best Entrepreneurship Program at the 2022 USASBE conference.

A derivative of David’s course, Digital Entrepreneurship, is being commercialized by the start-up BizLaunch, and has been adopted at major universities across the U.S. Several adopters have major entrepreneurship programs and are ranked nationally, such as the University of Tennessee and Penn State, the latter of which recently earned an elite ranking of Top 50 Entrepreneurship Programs based on the Princeton Ranking for Top Entrepreneurship Programs in the U.S. Recently, over 50 graduating entrepreneurs from these programs signed on in a single day to participate in the beta cohort for a follow-on program. This new program is a collaborative led by David and composed of academic colleagues from major universities and industry experts. It provides a solution for serious, young entrepreneurs wanting a full-service platform for community, training, and tools as they move into their professional lives.

David loves dogs of all kinds, training dogs and watching funny dog videos. Send him a link to a funny dog video and he’ll love you, too. He is passionate about supporting his high-school aged daughter in her competitive athletic pursuits. Due to COVID-19, David and his daughter constructed a home gym so she could continue her pursuits, and she competes in national competitions across the U.S.

Michael Rehg, PhD

Michael Rehg is a Program Director and Professor of Management in California State University, Chico’s Department of Management.He arrived at Chico State in August 2008, after a 20-year career as an officer in the United States Air Force and a three-year stint as an Assistant Professor at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). While at AFIT he served as Director of the Strategic Leadership program from 2006 – 2008. At Chico State he has served as Chair of the Department of Management from 2012-2019, and as Interim Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship in 2019-20. He obtained his PhD in Strategic Management with a minor in Organizational Behavior from Indiana University in 1998. He has co-authored over a dozen peer-reviewed articles in leading journals including Human Relations, Organization Science, Journal of Business Ethics and Systems Research and Behavioral Science. His research interests focus on complex management issues such as whistleblowing, national culture, strategic planning and system dynamics.

Courtney Richter

Courtney Richter is a lecturer of the Seufferlein Sales Program at Chico State. Ms. Richter focuses on communication strategies for proven sales results. In addition, her focus is how to lead a sales team to success by capitalizing on each salesperson’s strengths. Ms. Richter has recently accepted a new position as an account executive for Beacon Hill Staffing Group. Her proven sales experience can be seen through past roles held at Fortune 500 company PepsiCo Frito-Lay.During her time at Frito-Lay, she held many leadership positions. As a district manager, she led a team of 15 sales employees servicing over 150 customers. She also held a leadership role as lead marketer for the Women in Business Network. Ms. Richter remained actively involved with Chico State by guest speaking at the American Marketing Association, leading recruiting events at Chico State, and judging competitions such as the Sweet 16. Her love for people development led to teaching classes in sales management and professional selling.In her free time, Ms. Richter loves being outdoors and enjoying nature. Some of her favorite activities include hiking, biking, golfing, scuba diving, and hot yoga. In addition to the outdoors, she loves to wind down and watch a new TV show or movie. She loves to travel abroad and explore new local restaurants.

Tom Wilder, BSBA

Tom Wilder is executive director of the SAP University Competence Center (UCC) and lecturer in the Business Information Systems Department in the College of Business at California State University, Chico. A faculty member since January 1997, Tom has taught in three departments in the College of Business, has developed 5 courses, and has taught a total of 24 different courses.He is a Stanford Certified Project Manager, an SAP Certified Associate, and a certified SAP TS410 and TERP10 instructor. In addition to his teaching, he also writes curriculum for the SAP University Alliance program and teaches faculty members from other institutions how to use SAP in the classroom. He is globally known for his knowledge within SAP systems which include SD, MM, PP, FICO, QM, and PS. As the executive director of the UCC, he meets regularly with his counterparts from around the world.Tom received his undergraduate degree in industrial technology and a master’s degree in business administration from Chico State. His teaching philosophy is rooted in his background as an industrial designer, which leads him to look for solutions in many different ways in order to reach the best design. He believes in a notion of learning as an engaging, hands-on experience with life-enriching outcomes, and strives to ensure that if a student cannot connect with course material on the first pass, they will on the second or third view.When not teaching or traveling for business, Tom and his wife Donna restore houses and Airstream trailers. They enjoy Airstream travel with their dog Oliver, hiking, exploration, and golf whenever possible. Tom enjoys his book club, woodworking projects, and being a member of the Elks.

Alexander Wong

Alexander Wong is an assistant professor in the psychology department. He obtained his PhD in Experimental Social Psychology from Florida Atlantic University and completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Utah. His research has examined topics of self-esteem, self-concept, well-being, personality, adverse childhood experiences, and goal pursuit. More recently, his research has focused on how people understand themselves in terms of narrative. That research focuses on why the identities, self-understanding and stories people tell about themselves matter, and how identity shapes how people think and feel about themselves, how rich or empty their lives seem, and how goals are pursued. In addition, he is passionate about issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion, which is why he teaches PSYC 391 Psychology of Prejudice, Hate and Violence. He believes it’s important to empower students with the research on this topic because it allows them to have important conversations about how to make society more just and equitable.

Admissions Deadlines

Online BSBA

Jan
2
Application Opens
Fall 2024 term
Apr
15
Priority Deadline
Fall 2024 term
May
31
Application Deadline
Fall 2024 term
Aug
26
Next Start
Fall 2024 term

Online MBA

Jul
5
Priority Application Deadline
Fall 2024 term
Jul
26
Application Deadline
Fall 2024 term
Aug
26
Next Start
Fall 2024 term