Faculty & Staff
Shelley Davis, Ph.D.
Department Chair and Associate Professor
Primary Teaching Area: Management
Office Phone: (334) 670-3967
(TROY)
Dr. Shelley Davis holds a Ph.D. in Management from Auburn University, an MBA from
Kennesaw State University, and a B.S. in Chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
She worked for several years as a forensic scientist before returning to school and
moving into academia. She primarily teaches in the area of organizational behavior.
Dr. Davis is a member of the Academy of Management and Southern Management Association.
Research Interests - Employee well-being including stress, burnout, and psychological detachment; Emotional
labor; Attachment styles; Leader-member exchange.
Mette Baran, Ed.D.
Lecturer
Primary Teaching Area: Management
Office Phone: (334) 808-6822
(TROY)
Dr. Mette L. Baran completed her Ed.D. in Administrative Leadership and Supervision
from DePaul University. She obtained an MBA. in International Business and a BS degree
in Marketing from DePaul University. She is a former tenured professor in the School
of Leadership-Doctoral Studies Department within the College of Education and Leadership
at Cardinal Stritch University (CSU) and taught leadership, learning, higher education,
and research methodology courses. She served as Department Chair in the Graduate School
of Business at CSU. Her background includes being a faculty member and senior executive
at Robert Morris University in Chicago including the positions as campus director,
director of education, and director of development. She is an international consultant
preparing U.S. professionals for their overseas assignments. Dr. Baran has authored
several books and is a regular presenter of her research at national and international
conferences. She is a former member of the Board of Trustees to Robert Morris University.
Research Interests - Courageous leadership; School leadership; Higher education administration and access;
Looping; Student attitudes and achievement; Mixed methods research methodology.
William (Brian) Benton, J.D.
Lecturer
Primary Teaching Areas: Law, HRM
Office Phone: (860) 800-6163
(TROY Online)
W. Brian Benton joined the ÂÌñÉç family in 2007. He obtained a B.A. in Psychology and a B.M.E. in Choral Music Education from Auburn University and holds a Juris Doctorate from Cumberland School of Law, Samford University. As a licensed attorney, Professor Benton's areas of practice include business and corporate law, entrepreneurial law, civil litigation, probate and estate law, domestic law and some criminal defense work. He teaches various courses focusing on business law, employment law, business ethics, and labor law.
Stan Blankenship, MBA
Director of the Sorrell Center for Corporate and Community Collaboration and Professor
of Practice
Primary Teaching Area: Management
Office Phone: (334) 808-6715
(TROY)
Stan Blankenship is a Professor of Practice and Director of the Sorrell Center for
Corporate & Community Collaboration. He is a graduate of ÂÌñÉç State University with
a B.S. in Management and an MBA. Professor Blankenship spent 37 years in the apparel
industry with Vanity Fair Intimates, Fruit of the Loom, and Russell Athletic. He held
various leadership positions throughout his career, including Operations, Production
Planning, Private Label, Sourcing, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Human Resources
(Talent Development).
Research Interests - Corporate social responsibility and sustainability; Emotional intelligence; Teamwork
and teambuilding.
Charles Chekwa, D.B.A.
Professor
Primary Teaching Area: Management
Office Phone: (407) 599-6993 ext. 28
(TROY Online)
Dr. Charles Chekwa holds a B.S. in Accounting from Mississippi State University. His
advanced degrees include an MBA from Jackson State and DBA from Nova Southeastern
University.
Research Interests - Global business with bias to developing Economies; Management; Accounting; Finance.
Janice Chretien, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Primary Teaching Areas: Management, HRM
Office Phone: (334) 808-6817
(TROY)
Dr. Janice Chretien earned her Ph.D. in Human Resource Development (HRD) from the
Soules College of Business at the University of Texas at Tyler with a specialization
in organization development and change management (ODC). She also holds an MBA and
a master's in Real Estate Sales, Marketing, and Management, along with a B.S. in Technical
Management. Before transitioning to higher education, Dr. Chretien had a successful
17-year career in the real estate industry, serving as Vice President of Career Development
and Vice President of Sales. Her diverse educational background and extensive industry
experience make her a distinguished professional in her field.
Research Interests - Neurodiversity; Learning transfer; Quantitative research methods.
Charles (Charlie) Coco, D.B.A.
Assistant Professor
Primary Teaching Area: Management
Office Phone: (334) 808-6648
(TROY)
Dr. Charles Coco has a D.B.A. in Management from Anderson University as well as an
MBA in Management and BSBA in Management from Auburn University Montgomery. He also
has industry experience in production and purchasing management.
Research Interests - Management; Leadership; Organizational behavior; Emotional intelligence.
Eva Dodd-Walker, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Primary Teaching Areas: Management, General Business
Office Phone: (334) 670-3976
(TROY)
Dr. Eva Dodd-Walker has a Ph.D. in Management and an M.B.A. in Finance from The University
of Texas at Arlington as well as a B.B.A in the Electrical Engineering Route to Business
from The University of Texas at Austin. She held various positions during her career
in the private sector, including restaurant manager, construction manager, financial
manager, corporate manager, non-profit manager, and chief financial officer.
Research Interests - Strategy; Small business management; Entrepreneurship; Business education.
Laura Dove, J.D.
Assistant Dean; Director of the Sorrell 360 Center for Professional Life and Associate
Professor
Primary Teaching Area: Law
Office Phone: (334) 808-6607
(TROY)
Dr. Laura Dove holds a J.D. and a B.A. in Philosophy from West Virginia University.
She worked as a Judicial Law Clerk in Bibb County Superior Court in Macon, Georgia
prior to joining the faculty at ÂÌñÉç. Her primary teaching areas are business law
and professional development.
Research interests - Statutory interpretation theory and methodology; Jurisprudence; Law and Economics.
Ying Gao, DBA
Assistant Professor
Primary Teaching Area: Management
Office Phone: (334) 670-3149
(TROY)
Ying Gao earned her DBA at Cleveland State University. She earned an MSc with distinction
and a B.A. (Hons) in Accounting and Finance from De Montfort University in the UK.
In addition, she achieved the ACCA Affiliate in 2012. Before transitioning to academia,
Professor Gao gained several years of industry experience in roles such as project
manager and assistant to the general manager. She has experience in teaching courses
in various areas, including Strategic Management, Financial and Management Accounting,
Corporate Finance, Risk Management, and HRIS.
Research Interests - Strategic management; International business; Emerging markets; Institutional complexity.
Toni Gaskin, Ph.D.
Lecturer
Primary Teaching Area: HRM
(TROY Online)
Dr. Toni Gaskin has a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Research
and Statistics from Auburn University. She also has two Master's Degrees- one in Human
Resources from ÂÌñÉç and one in Psychology from Auburn University at Montgomery.
She has 20 plus years of industry experience in Human Resource Management with a specialization
in compensation and staffing.
Research Interests - Organizational behavior; Legal compliance and regulation interpretation.
Brandon Griffin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Primary Teaching Area: Management
Office Phone: (334) 670-3150
(TROY)
Dr. Brandon A. Griffin is an Assistant Professor of Management and the Director of the Master of Science in Management (MSM) program at ÂÌñÉç. He earned his Ph.D. in Management from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and both his MBA and Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Utah Valley University. Before joining ÂÌñÉç, he worked in logistics and property management. He currently teaches undergraduate and graduate-level management courses.
Research Interests – Leadership, workplace perception, group dynamics, politics at work