On behalf of the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, Dean Oliver Yao is pleased to welcome a distinguished group of new faculty and instructors for the 2025–26 academic year. Their expertise spans entrepreneurship, finance, hospitality, marketing, management, operations, MIS, accounting, sport management and more, strengthening Lerner’s commitment to innovative teaching, impactful research and student success.
“Our new faculty bring fresh perspectives and knowledge that will inspire our students and expand Lerner’s impact in the business world,” said Dean Yao. “As we continue to launch new programs in areas such as artificial intelligence, global business and technology, their contributions will help us prepare the next generation of leaders.”
New Department Chairs
- Markus Schukert, Chair of the Department of Hospitality and Sport Business Management, Professor of Hospitality Business Management
- Michal Herzenstein, Interim Chair of the Department of Business Administration, Professor of Marketing
New Faculty
- Charis Asante-Agyei, Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship
- Nataliya Bredikhina, Assistant Professor of Sport Management
- Anne Dyhrberg, Assistant Professor of Finance
- Amit Kumar, Assistant Professor of Marketing
- Li Lu, Assistant Professor of Management
- Saif Mir, Assistant Professor of Operations Management
- Jared Sharpe, Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems
New Instructors
- Daniel Alia, Visiting Instructor of Business Administration
- Amanda Boone, Instructor of Management
- James Kaden, Visiting Instructor of Sport Management
- Harsha Rao, Instructor of Accounting
- David Shankman, Instructor of Marketing
- Todd Whitlow, Visiting Instructor of Marketing
These appointments come at a moment of record enrollment for the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics: more than 800 undergraduates and 240 graduate students have joined the college this fall. At the same time, Lerner is expanding its academic portfolio with the launch of the M.S. in applied AI for business, the MBA with a concentration in AI, and new undergraduate majors in computer science and business and global business, and an associate in science in business administration.
“Our students are joining Lerner at an extraordinary time,” Yao added. “With new faculty, new programs and our largest incoming class, we are shaping the future of business education together.”