Professor Spotlight: Dr. Steven Gray

Steven M Gray | Assistant Professor of Management

Even in an online setting, Dr. Steven Gray has experienced lively debate, insightful questions, and endless curiosity in his classes. As a new MAN 336H professor whose research is rooted in analyzing relationships within new venture teams, Dr. Gray seeks to use the already-founded relationships within Canfield BHP students to enrich the (virtual) learning experience. 

Dr. Gray is in his fourth year as a professor within McCombs, but this is his first year teaching Canfield BHP students. Prior to UT, he earned his B.A. in Psychology from Yale, Master’s in Organizational Psychology from Columbia, and Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Washington University. In between degrees, Dr. Gray worked at IMB as a consultant, advising Fortune 100 pharmaceutical and telecommunications clients. He was drawn to McCombs and Austin because of the unique nature of the city, research opportunities, and students. 

“(In my research) I study startup teams, so being in an ecosystem as vibrant as Austin is a big draw for me and a unique chance to go out and see entrepreneurs and hear their stories and learn about what they’re doing. That was kind of what initially drew me here,” Dr. Gray said. “I study how new venture teams come together. What are the traps that founders fall into as they’re trying to assemble their team and then what can they do to make that better? I try to incorporate teams into my teaching– teams in general, not just the formation process. I do take the perspective of introducing team selection and team formation and to some of the classwork.” Continue reading

Professor Spotlight: Dr. Bukky Akinsanmi (MAN 374H)

A new professor at the Univerity of Texas at Austin, Dr. Bukky Akinsanmi has had a constant stream of new experiences thrown at her since stepping foot on the Forty Acres. Dr. Akinsanmi, who asks that her students call her Bukky, began her time in July of last year and now teaches the Canfield BHP capstone course, MAN 374H. 

Self-proclaimed architect-turned-scholar, Bukky has earned a Ph.D in Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship, a Master of Architecture, a Master of Environmental Design since 2002. With all this experience under her belt, Bukky is an incredible asset to the Canfield BHP faculty. 

“Prior to coming to (UT) I got my Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin Madison and before that, I had substantial experience in the architecture and construction industry,” Bukky said. “Texas has a very special place in my heart because when I finished my graduate degree in architecture, I worked in Dallas first and had a younger sister who worked with Dell in Austin. I used to come to Austin for the weekend and go dancing and it was always really fun– I’m really glad to be back in Texas and I hope it becomes my hometown in the U.S.” Continue reading

Professor Spotlight: Dr. Shefali Patil (MAN 336H)

For both online and in-person classes, Dr. Shefali Patil takes the Canfield Business Honors management curriculum to the next level. Dr. Patil teaches Organizational Behavior (MAN 336H) where she employs her research on decision making and operating in high-risk environments. Her passion for research stemmed from her own honors program at NYU Stern, where she pursued research in her senior year.

After graduating from Stern, Dr. Patil earned her PhD at Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Patil said she wanted to continue her work at a research-driven university. 

“I wanted to start off my junior faculty years at a very strong research-based institution,” she said. “UT was definitely on my list and, luckily for me, they offered me a job.”

Throughout her six years at UT, Dr. Patil has examined various behavioral questions by working with over 15 U.S. law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Army, and emergency medical rescue/healthcare organizations. For the past three years, she has been a professor for Canfield BHP. While introductory management courses are often critiqued for being overly theory-driven, Dr. Patil goes above and beyond in her curriculum development. Continue reading

Professor Spotlight: Jared Murray

As a statistician, Dr. Jared Murray is no stranger to uncertainty. In fact, he teaches STA 371H, which focuses on using probability, statistics, and data science to learn about the world and make decisions in the presence of uncertainty. In today’s climate, in which uncertainty seems to be a major theme, Dr. Murray emphasizes that he and his students must look for solutions, rather than problems, in the classroom and beyond. 

“The biggest thing, given everything that’s going on, is trying to have the attitude that we’re going to look for solutions, not problems, in this new format,” he said. “There are some things that I want to do that are just not going to be possible. There are some sort of modes of instruction that just don’t work anymore.”

For the past three years, Dr. Murray has been an assistant professor in the Department of Information, Risk, and Operations Management. Prior to teaching at UT, he worked in the Department of Statistics at Carnegie Mellon University and earned his Ph.D. and M.S. in Statistical Science at Duke University. Continue reading

Professor Spotlight: Eric Chan (ACC 312H)

Dr. Eric Chan spent the majority of his academic life in the northeast. He earned his undergraduate degrees in Accounting and Finance at the University of Maryland, College Park, his Ph.D. in Accounting from the University of Pittsburgh, and has family roots in Washington, D.C. Soon after graduating Pittsburgh with his Ph. D., however, his journey brought him to the south. Upon being hired, Dr. Chan was offered a position to teach either MBA or honors students– for the past five years he’s taught Managerial Accounting (ACC 312H) to Canfield BHP students.

“I remember when I first came, they asked me to either teach a masters level class or the undergraduate honors students. To me, it was a no brainer. I think I connect better with younger students and an intro class is very important for whether (students) enjoy and end up pursuing accounting,” Dr. Chan said.

Aside from being able to teach honors students, Dr. Chan felt that the University of Texas was the best choice for him because of the research opportunities as well. The faculty and McCombs resources, including the McCombs Behavioral Lab, both played a major part in his decision.  Continue reading