Master of Business Administration

Tara Kane, Ph.D.

Dr. Tara Kane is the Dean of the School of Business at Madonna University and serves as the Program Director of the Masters in Criminal Justice Leadership and Intelligence. Prior to this appointment, she served as the Interim Dean of the College of Natural and Social Sciences after chairing the Criminal Justice Program from 2013-2019. She joined the full-time faculty at Madonna University in 2013 coming from the West Bloomfield Police Department where she retired as a Detective/Sergeant of Investigations.

She completed her Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Administration from Eastern Michigan University and is an alumnus of Madonna University, earning her M.S.B.A. in 2008 and her B.S. in 2002.

She teaches in the area of organizational leadership, criminology and special topics, with subject matter concentration on vulnerable populations and sexual assault. Her scholarship interests include the suspected abuse and neglect of children, domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.

She is a trainer for the State of Michigan and is actively involved in providing professional development for law enforcement professionals on the signs of interpersonal violence and best practices for victim centered investigations. She is engaged in Title IX initiatives related to sexual assault on college campuses and serves as a faculty leader for Madonna’s chapter of Pi Gamma Mu-an international honor society for the Social Sciences.

Nermine Atteya, Ph.D.

Dr. Atteya has more than 30 years of expertise in Business & Management teaching, research, Consulting and Professional Training. She taught & made research at several universities including HEC- Montreal, the University of Montreal Graduate School of Business in Quebec, Canada, the State University of New York, the University of Toledo, OH and as well as overseas.

Her research publication list involves more than 45 peer reviewed articles, conference presentations and proceedings where she got the Best Paper Award. She is a board member in the Business and Entrepreneurship Research Society, NY & an editorial member and a reviewer in several peer reviewed journals & conferences including ASAC, Canada & Academy of Management, USA. She has supervised many theses & been a member in the examination board of others. She has consulted for a significant number of organizations (Hospitals, Airlines, Banks, Global, Multinational, Government & Privately-owned, small, medium-size and large).

She received many awards for her community development efforts particularly in the field of Adult education & women & youth empowerment. Her research interests include Quality Management, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, E-Business, Customer Relationship Management & High Performing Hospitals.

Clara Chen, Ph.D. 

Dr. Clara Chen is an Assistant Professor of Finance in the School of Business. She joined the faculty of Madonna University in 2018. She has previously taught as a full-time faculty at Providence University (Taiwan) and Stockton University (New Jersey) and online part-time faculty at Northcentral University and Argosy University. She earned a master's degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Later, she graduated in 2011 with a Ph.D. degree in Financial Economics from University of New Orleans.

Clara teaches courses at both the ungraduated and graduate levels, including Business Finance, Global Finance, and Life Cycle Financial Planning. Her research interests include corporate social responsibility, corporate governance, and cash holdings. She has refereed papers published in Journal of Empirical Finance, Emerging Markets Review, Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, and Academy of Accounting and Financial Studies.  Moreover, several of her papers have been presented at the conferences of Financial Management Association, Southwestern Finance Association, Eastern Finance Association, and Pacific Basin Finance, Economics, Accounting, and Management. 

Jessica Cummings, J.D.

Dr. Jessica Cummings is an Assistant Professor in the Management and Marketing Department. She began teaching in 2004 as an Adjunct Assistant Professor.

She completed her BA at Kalamazoo College in Human Development and Social Relations. While at Kalamazoo, she had the opportunity to study abroad in Madrid, Spain, work in London, England, and complete an internship with Women Against Abuse Legal Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jessica completed her JD at Michigan State University College of Law and has years of experience practicing law.

Jessica is a member of the Farmington Public Schools Board of Education where she has served as secretary and president. As a trustee, she serves the interests of the district and the entire school community.  

She has over 20 years of leadership, professional, and teaching experience. Jessica is passionate about supporting students, increasing student achievement for all students, and helping students have fulfilling and rewarding educational experiences.

Jacob Frimenko, Ph.D.

Dr. Frimenko is the Madonna University Phillips Professor of Management and Leadership and teaches a suite of undergraduate and graduate-level classes aimed at helping students fulfill their professional competencies.  His specialty is quantitative and research methods. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Maryland in 1983 in Industrial and Technical Education with a heavy cognate in Measurement, Statistics, and Evaluation.  His MA is in Industrial Synthetics from Ball State University, and his BS is from Millersville University in Pennsylvania, where he completed a dual concentration in  Industrial Materials and Engineering Graphics.  He studied Psychology and Counseling at Lehigh University while serving as a Middle School teacher (1975 – 1978).  He is a native of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and learned much about “big industry” while shoveling tons of sand and rolling miles of “I” beams during summer university breaks.

Professor Frimenko has over 45 years teaching experience gained in public schools, industrial classrooms, and multiple universities.  He served as Visiting Professor of Design of Experiment, Lean Manufacturing, and Leadership at the  Instituto Technologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Mexico from 2010 to 2015.  He was recently awarded status as Emeritus Distinguished Technical Fellow from Visteon Corporation (formerly a division of Ford Motor Company) where he worked from 1992 to 2018 . 

He was responsible for the overall direction, planning, and implementation of statistical procedures for insuring best-in-class measurement systems and experiment design, analysis, and interpretation.  In this role, Jacob was responsible for the global deployment of Visteon’s Six Sigma program.  He has been recognized as a “Model Manager”  and co-taught peer managers Effective Coaching & Performance Management with Human Resource/Organizational Development specialists (2007 – 2010). 

He is the owner of US Patent No. 6260998 – A Method to Specify Accelerated Thermal Cycle Tests for Electronics Solder Joint Durability (2001).  He has presented over 50 speeches at educational programs, clinics, and professional association conferences and has published over 36 technical paper, articles, training manuals, and editorials.  Additionally, Dr. Frimenko is the Principal of J. Frimenko & Associates, a consulting, research, and editorial services company that supports the automotive, medical device, and aeronautical manufacturing industries (1986 to 2021).

Dr. Frimenko’s current research interests focus on: (1) constructing and standardizing a self-administered inventory  for measuring professional development along multiple “success” dimensions, and (2) using infographics as a mechanism for increasing statistical literacy and communicating findings and conclusions from quantitative analyses.

Although Dr. Frimenko has a full array of academic and industrial credentials, his proudest achievement is having served as guest lecturer in several public schools teaching Design of Experiments to third graders (1992, 1994, 2006).

Matilda Isaac-Mustapha, Ph.D. 

Dr. Mustapha is an Assistant Professor of Quantitative Systems, Management, and Marketing in the School of Business at Madonna University. She also brings 9 years of corporate experience in Quality management to the academic setting. She received her bachelor’s degree in science, a Master’s of Science in Business Administration (Quality Management) and a Ph.D. in Technology Management.

Dr. Mustapha focuses on developing research and analytical skills for both graduate and undergraduate students. She has taught a variety of courses ranging from business statistics, strategic management, leadership and ethics, research methodology, computer science, management information systems and operations management. She has also taught business management courses for Madonna University programs in Mainland China.

Dr. Mustapha is involved in several research projects including “The Symbolic Interactionist View on Transnational Education, Managing Virtual Teams, Ethical Organizational Climate, Transformational Leadership and Emotional Intelligence and Examining the Paradoxical Relation between Socio-Technology Optimization and Marxist Theory of Alienation. She has co-authored in highly referenced scientific and business journals and has presented in both domestic and international conferences.

Dr. Mustapha is a professional chair member of International Economics Development and Research Center (IERDC), a member of Decision Sciences Institute (DSI), and a member of the Society for Collegiate Leadership and Achievement-Honor Society (SCLA-HS). She is also a honorary faculty member of Delta Mu Delta.

Michael Johnson, Ph.D. 

Professor Michael Johnson has been a full-time faculty member at Madonna University since 2004. He obtained his B.S. degree at the University of California, San Diego where he majored in Computer Engineering and minored in Mathematics. He then moved to Phoenix, Arizona where he worked for two years as a software engineer for GTE.

After working in the Chicago area for AT&T Bell Labs for the next two years, he moved to Michigan to attend Michigan State University where he graduated with a Master's degree in Computer Science. He then completed his college studies at Wayne State University in 2003 when he earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science.

His main area of concentration is foundational Computer Science and he has taught a wide variety of computer science courses ranging from the introductory Computer Science course all majors take to the upper level Computer Architecture and Artificial Intelligence courses. His favorite subject to teach is any class that covers software or web development.

John McCulloch, J.D., C.P.A.

John McCulloch is an Assistant Professor of Accounting in the School of Business. He joined the faculty of Madonna University in 2020 to teach accounting courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

He has previously taught as a full-time faculty member at Siena Heights University and was a part time faculty member at Eastern Michigan University as well as University of Detroit Law School. He earned his Juris Doctor from Detroit College of Law and his Bachelor of Accountancy from Walsh College.

John has extensive experience in both the private and public sectors. He was managing partner of his own public accounting firm and has served as an elected official in county government. Because of his passion for higher education, John is a member of the Oakland Community College board of trustees where he served as Chairman of the Board. He is also President of Michigan Protection and Advocacy, whose mission is to advocate and protect the legal rights of people with disabilities.

John’s hobbies include traveling and restoring classic automobiles.

Frank Notturno, M.B.A.

Mr. Frank Notturno is an Associate Professor of Marketing and Management in the School of Business. He joined the faculty of Madonna University in 2003, having previously taught as a full-time professor at the following schools: Louisiana State University, Misericordia University (Dallas, Pennsylvania), St. Mary's College (Notre Dame, Indiana), Owens Community College (Perrysburg, Ohio), St. Mary's (Orchard Lake, Michigan). He has also spent more than seven years as a Department Chair at Owens Community College and St. Mary's College (Orchard Lake, Michigan).

His professional experience has been in the area of sales and sales management, and he has been an entrepreneur in the Southeastern Michigan music industry for over eleven years.

Mr. Frank Notturno is an Associate Professor of Marketing and Management in the School of Business. He joined the faculty of Madonna University in 2003, having previously taught as a full-time professor at the following schools: Louisiana State University, Misericordia University (Dallas, Pennsylvania), St. Mary's College (Notre Dame, Indiana), Owens Community College (Perrysburg, Ohio), St. Mary's (Orchard Lake, Michigan). He has also spent more than seven years as a Department Chair at Owens Community College and St. Mary's College (Orchard Lake, Michigan).

His professional experience has been in the area of sales and sales management, and he has been an entrepreneur in the Southeastern Michigan music industry for over eleven years.

He completed his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, specializing in Marketing and Accounting in 1982 at The Pennsylvania State University, and his Master's degree in Business Administration, specializing in Marketing in 1986, at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He was also a candidate in the doctoral program in the Marketing Department at Louisiana State University for a brief time prior to commencing teaching. He teaches in the areas of marketing and management.

His interests include sales, marketing and management of musicians and music venues. His research has been in the area of sales and sales management and he is the co-author of the textbook, Effective Selling, 8th Edition, Hair, Notturno, Russ

Kathleen Richard, M.A.

Kathleen Richard is Program Director for both the Hospitality and Tourism Management program and also the Merchandising and Retail Management concentration in the School of Business. She joined Madonna University full time faculty in the 1980's from Oakland Community College Business Department. Her degrees include a Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University and an M.A. from Central Michigan University.

Prior to her academic teaching career, Kathleen was a buyer for Hudson's Department Store, based in Detroit Michigan, now known as the Macy's Department Store Group. While employed at Hudson's, Kathleen also held positions as Corporate Training Director and College Management Training and Recruitment Coordinator.

Her research areas of interest include Consumer Behavior and retail buying trends and hospitality industry trends and research. Her work with students includes supervising internships for students in both Hospitality and Merchandising. Her business network associations is an essential ingredient to assist students in finding a compatible internship placement for their personal career goals.

Kathleen has consulted with corporations in both the areas of Hospitality and Merchandising such as Macy's Corp. Polo Ralph Lauren, Somerset and Twelve Oaks malls, Marriott Corp. Andiamo's, Detroit Convention Bureau and various private clubs in the area. Her favorite courses taught include Consumer Behavior, Principles of Retailing, Retail and Merchandising Management and Property Architecture and Interiors.

She oversees programs at both the Madonna University main campus and the Macomb University Center. She is always open to working with existing students and alumni on career counseling, job search and academic planning. Keeping in touch and a part of the business community is crucial to her success as an instructor.

Hussein Tarraf, D.B.A., C.P.A.

Dr. Hussein Tarraf is an Associate Professor of Accounting in the School of Business. Prior to joining Madonna University, Hussein taught elementary, intermediate, and advance accounting courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels at Notre Dame University, Oakland University and the American University of Beirut. His primary research foci are corporate governance, risk management and bank performance.  Tarraf’s research has been published in refereed journals, such as Global Journal of Business Research and the International Research Journal of Applied Finance.  Hussein also has reviewed several articles for Corporate Governance: An International Review.

Hussein earned a Doctorate of Business Administration degree from Lawrence Technological University in 2012, an MBA from Wayne State University in 2001, and a B.A. in Accounting from The Lebanese University in 1998.

In addition to teaching and researching within the discipline, Dr. Tarraf has been in public accounting for over 20 years providing tax advisory and assurance services primarily to small-medium size businesses and high net-worth individuals. Hussein has worked in the areas of accounting, fraud investigation, audit, consultation, business planning and taxation within several firms.

Dr. Tarraf, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA) and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).

Nick Zoroya, Ed.D. 

Dr. Zoroya joins Madonna University from the Greenhills School in nearby Ann Arbor where he was a teacher for the past two years. Prior to Greenhills he was the head lacrosse coach and an adjunct instructor in the Department of Health and Human Performance at Concordia University Ann Arbor.

He earned his B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Michigan in 2011, before completing his Master's degree in Education with a focus on Sport Leadership and Coaching from Michigan State University in 2015.

In 2020 he completed his Ed.D in Sport Administration from Concordia University Chicago with his dissertation titled "Examining Coach Retention Methods in College Athletic Departments".

Over the past thirteen years he has served as a teacher, college coach, high school athletic director, fitness center manager, and the general manager of a sport digital media property. In that time he has worked within five college athletic departments.

His focus at Madonna will be to lead the Sport Management program as director while teaching undergraduate courses within the program.

In his free time he travels with wife (Emily) and daughter (Kennedy), attends sporting events, golfs, and volunteers within the Detroit United Lacrosse program. 

Sandra Oswalt

Allie Prough

In 2016, Allie earned her Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Miami University, where she majored in Spanish Education, Spanish, and Latin American Studies. After graduation, Allie worked as a Spanish teacher in Cincinnati, Ohio for three years.

In 2019, Allie begin working at Madonna University in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and started her role as an Advisor/Success Coach in January 2020.

Allie is currently pursuing her Master of Arts degree in Higher Education Administration from Madonna University. Allie is involved with the National Society of Leadership and Success as an advisor here at MU. Allie is passionate about supporting students and helping each individual achieve their personal and career goals.

Lindsay Rucinski, M.B.A.

Lindsay has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and an MBA with a certificate in Non-Profit Leadership from Madonna University. She been employed in the higher education field for over 15 years now and has held positions in the admissions office and the School of Business at Madonna University as an academic advisor and currently as the Director of Curriculum, Program Assessment and Accreditation. Away from work, Lindsay enjoys spending time with her husband and her two little boys, Aiden and Jacob.

Abdullah Alshboul, Ph.D.

Dr. Alshboul has more than 13 years of experience in higher education. He taught undergraduate, master, and doctoral courses for Colorado Technical University, Concordia University, National Louis University, Madonna University, Argosy University, Concordia University, DeVry, and Keller Institute.

Dr. Alshboul was the co-founder and acting VP of a startup company (USS). This company specialized in liquidations business and trading between U.S. and other foreign countries. His extensive work history includes companies such as SBC Communications, where he managed the relationships between the company and its clients, UPS as a Network Engineer, and AIMS Wireless Solutions as a team leader. 

He published numerous peer-reviewed articles in prestigious journals on the topics of social media, information systems security, knowledge management, business intelligence and customer behavior, strategic management, and supply chain management.

Terry Harvill, Ph.D.

Dr. Terry Harvill brings over 29 years of experience across the electric energy industry. He is the is the president and founder of Laclede Economic Consulting LLC.  Laclede Economics is an energy and environmental economic consultancy based in Northville, Michigan.

Dr. Harvill was awarded the Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 Award in 1998, and in 2000, he was selected as one of twenty U.S. participants in the European Union Visitors Program, The International Leader Program of the European Union.

Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Detroit Zoological Society, the Board of Advisors of the Department of Economics at Illinois State University, the Harvard Electricity Policy Group, and the Renewable Energy Advisory Board at Illinois State University.

Jay Johnson, M.A.

Jay Johnson holds a Master of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wayne State University.

He is an internationally renowned speaker, trainer, and organizational consultant specializing in behavior science and human performance.

Jay works with people and organizations to empower teams, grow profits, and transform leaders through the emerging field of behavioral intelligence. He is a TEDx speaker, Forbes Business Council Member, and has delivered keynotes and workshops in more than 20 countries across 4 continents.

Jay is proud to teach the Contemporary Leadership and Entrepreneurship course in the Madonna University School of Business. 

Mark S. Lee, M.B.A.

Mark S. Lee holds a M.B.A. in marketing from Northwestern University, and a B.B.A. from Eastern Michigan University.

Mr. Lee is President & CEO, The LEE Group (TLG), MI LLC, an independent integrated marketing consulting firm focused on providing marketing, branding and communication solutions to clients.

His column turned blog, “Small Talk with Mark S. Lee”, appeared in the Michigan Chronicle for three years and now appears via blog for Crain’s Detroit Business. It provides tips to businesses who are interested in growing their business and to individuals who aspire to become entrepreneurs. He is also a periodic Guest Columnist for the Detroit Free Press. Lee also hosted a weekly radio show, "Small Talk with Mark S. Lee", on Detroit's WXYT 1270, which was streamed via radio.com. He currently hosts "In the Conference Room with Mark S. Lee" on 910AM Superstation, in Detroit, and the weekly "Small Talk with Mark S. Lee" via FB Live and Zoom.

In addition to being a noted public speaker, he's also an adjunct professor, at Eastern Michigan University, Madonna University and Northwood University, and has been invited to speak as guest lecturer at Boston University and the University of North Florida (UNF). Additionally, Lee was an adjunct professor of Marketing & Management, at Walsh College, in Troy, Michigan. Lee is also the past Detroit instructor for Interise's Emerging Leader's Program (formerly, e200)--an initiative focused on assisting entrepreneurs focused on growth.

Tom Murphy, M.B.A. 

Professor Murphy has over 40 years of extensive experience in the recreation field. He has managed several operrations, some of them include ice arenas and community centers.

Professor Murphy has managed budgets of up to $6 million and staffs of over 300 employees in the nonprofit and government sector.

Additionally, he is a Certified Parks Recreation Professional through the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).

Dave Piasecki, M.B.A.

I am proud to be entering my 15th year teaching for the School of Business and have been online-certified since March 2008.

As an 18-year Madonna employee, I first worked as an Applications Programmer in our Information Systems department and am now the Institutional Research Specialist.

I earned my MBA degree, Information Technology Graduate Certificate and CIS degree at Madonna and a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

My lovely wife, Andrea and I have been married for 10 wonderful years.  I am a practicing Catholic, lifelong Michigan resident, avid Detroit sports fan and enjoy an occasional night of karaoke.

Matthew Rheinecker, Ph.D.

Dr. Rheinecker received his Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Toledo and wrote his dissertation on strategic planning implementation.

He currently teaches Madonna University’s Fund Raising for Nonprofit Organizations course. He has previously taught courses in Higher Education Leadership, Higher Education Finance and Enrollment and Retention in Higher Education.

Currently, Dr. Rheinecker works in the Office of Advancement at Madonna University and has nearly 15 years of higher education experience in advancement and enrollment management having previously served as an Assistant Vice President of Enrollment and Director of Financial Aid at Adrian College in Adrian, MI and as the Director of Development at the College of William and Mary in the Raymond A. Mason School of Business in Williamsburg, VA.   

He was born in Saginaw, MI and grew up in Toledo, OH. He currently lives in West Bloomfield with his wife, Kimberly and children, Pierson and Kennedy.

Aneisha Thurman, M.B.A.

Aneisha Thurman is a proud Detroit native and continues to reside in the city.  A graduate of the Detroit Public School system, she received her diploma from Martin Luther King Jr. Sr. High School. Committed to make her mark and become the first in the family to attend college, she went on to obtain to a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Ferris State University. After gaining a few years of work experience, Aneisha earned an MBA in Human Resource Management from the University of Phoenix. Currently, pursuing her PhD in Organizational Leadership, Aneisha has become a lifelong learner looking forward to being called doctor in the very near future.

Aneisha is an experienced HR Professional. Driven by the fear of being average, she takes pride in providing exceptional service to her assigned client groups.  For over 15 years, Aneisha has been a noteworthy leader in the HR space, working in Human Resources in various functions. In her current role, she works as an Area People Manager in the Environmental Waste industry for a Fortune 200 company. Responsible for HR management in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio, she supports multiple c-suite leaderships and over 1500 frontline employees. Serving as a trusted, strategic advisor, when Aneisha isn’t “Saving the Day’” in the HR world, she is dedicated to being a great mom to her son Christian and two pups Roman and Rocky.