Master of Business Administration-Aviation Management

Prof. Bert Zarb with students in classroom

MBA Program Faculty

Blaise P. Waguespack Jr., Program coordinator for the MBA degree program and Professor of Marketing, earned a Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of North Texas. His research interests are in the areas of service quality and marketing strategy in the aviation and aerospace industries. Dr. Waguespack is a past president of the Atlantic Marketing Association. Aviation industry firms he has worked with include AlliedSignal, Bombardier Aerospace, Continental Airlines, TWA, and UAL.

Ahmed Abdelghany, Assistant Professor of Operations Management, earned a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in Civil Engineering (2001) and a master's degree in Transportation Engineering from Cairo University, Egypt (1996). Formerly, Dr. Abdelghany was an assistant professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alaska -Fairbanks. Also, he worked for four years as a senior analyst within the information services division of United Airlines, Chicago. Dr. Abdelghany has several publications in the area of transportation planning, simulation, operations research, and airline management in several journals including Transportation Research Record, Annals of Operations Research, Air Transportation Management, Air Traffic Control Quarterly, Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, International Journal of Revenue Management, Journal of Public Transportation, and European Journal of Operational Research.

Anke Arnaud, Assistant Professor of Management, earned a Ph.D. in Management from the University of Central Florida, Orlando. Her work has been published in journals such as Organizational Dynamics and the Journal of Business Ethics. In addition, Dr. Arnaud has published several book chapters on leadership, justice, and ethics. Her research focuses on the ethical environment of organizations and how these environments influence human decision-making and behaviour as well as organizational performance. The Academy of Management has recognized Dr. Arnaud for her work on ethical work climates with the William H. Newman Award for Outstanding Paper Based on a Dissertation.

Massoud Bazargan, Professor of Business, earned a Ph.D. in Manufacturing Engineering from University of New South Wales, Australia. Dr. Bazargan is chairman of the Department of Management, Marketing and Operations. He teaches production operations management, operations research, simulation, and optimization. His research interests include safety, operations management, optimization, simulation, and scheduling. Dr. Bazargan has been involved in consulting and research projects with the Federal Aviation Administration, The Link Foundation, and aviation firms such as Lockheed Martin and AirTran Airlines. Among the journals Dr. Bazargan has published in are European Journal of Operational Research, Journal of Air Transport Management, and International Journal of Production Research. His book, "Airline Operations & Scheduling," from Ashgate Publishing, was recently translated into Chinese.

Vitaly S. Guzhva, Assistant Professor of Finance, holds a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Central Florida. As a consultant in the corporate aviation field, Dr. Guzhva has focused on aircraft selection, aircraft financing, pricing negotiations with manufacturers, and the establishment of corporate aviation departments. He has developed business plans for start-up airlines and corporate aviation departments and has set up financing programs for major upgrades of general aviation aircraft. Dr. Guzhva's research interests are in the areas of airline and airport finance, convertible securities, hedging, and investment analysis. His works appear in major finance and transportation academic journals, including the Journal of Air Transport Management . His research on the financial losses of U.S. airlines following the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001, was widely discussed in business and aerospace publications.

John Ledgerwood, Assistant Professor of Accounting, received a Higher National Diploma in Business Administration and the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants Professional Level I & II exams (with distinction) from the University of Northumbria at Newcastle, England. Mr. Ledgerwood earned a Master of Science in Accounting from the University of Central Florida, is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed to practice in the State of Florida and is a Certified Management Accountant.

Vedapuri Raghavan, Associate Professor of Finance, has a Ph.D. in International Finance from Washington State University. His works have appeared in many aviation and economics publications and conference proceedings. Dr. Raghavan's research interests are in the areas of profitability and safety, application of core theory to the airline industry, fuel price hedging, exchange rate modeling, financial distress, bankruptcy, and functioning of electronic markets.

Rosemarie Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Management, earned a Ph.D. in Industrial Psychology from the University of South Florida, Tampa. Dr. Reynolds worked as a research psychologist at the at the Naval Air Warfare Center in Orlando, Fla. Her works have appeared in aviation, HRM and educational publications on topics ranging from the history of cockpit resource management to the effect of line maintenance activity on airline safety quality. She is writing a book on industrial psychology in aviation. Dr. Reynolds' recent research activities have focused on teamwork and computer-supported cooperative work and on teamwork and personality.

Dawna L. Rhoades, Professor of Management, earned a Ph.D. in Management from the University of Houston. Dr. Rhoades is the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies. She teaches international business, strategic management, and international aviation management. Among her research interests are strategic alliances, regional carrier strategy, service and safety quality at airlines and airports, and intermodal transportation. She is the author of a recently published book titled Evolution of International Aviation: Phoenix Rising and is the editor-in-chief of the World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research.

Janet K. Tinoco, Assistant Professor of Management and Marketing, received her Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida, Orlando. Dr. Tinoco worked as a systems engineer and technical manager in the defense and aviation industries before completing her doctorate. Her areas of research concentrate on strategy, corporate entrepreneurship, and innovation in high technology industries.

Bijan Vasigh, Professor of Economics and Finance, holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the State University of New York. Dr. Vasigh was a consultant with the International Civil Aviation Organization and helped develop the aeronautical-charge structure for the Brazilian Institute of Civil Aviation. He is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Air Transport Management and the Journal of Air Transportation World Wide. Dr. Vasigh is a member of the international faculty at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Learning Center and teaches the Airline Finance and Accounting Management course at IATA training centers around the world. He is also a member of the Global Airport Benchmarking Task Force of the Air Transport Research Society.

Michael J. Williams, Professor of Information Systems, has a Ph.D. in Computer Technology from Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Dr. Williams is the chair of the Finance, Economics, and Information Systems Department and teaches courses in information systems, e-commerce, and maintenance management. He is an FAA-certificated Airframe and Powerplant technician with more than 25 years of aircraft maintenance experience. His research interests are in the areas of information systems, technology in education, and aviation maintenance management.

Seth Young, Associate Professor, earned a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering/Transportation from the University of California, Berkeley. He is president of International Aviation Management Group Inc., and is an internationally recognized expert in airport and aviation system planning, operations, and management. He has more than 10 years of experience in academia and industry, focusing on issues of site selection, infrastructure planning, capacity and delay estimation, airside and landside operations, security policies, engineering, and financing of civil-use airports. He has performed extensive research and consulting projects with partners such as the Federal Aviation Administration, the General Accounting Office, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the American Association of Airport Executives, Los Angeles World Airports, the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Bert J. Zarb, Assistant Professor of Accounting, earned a Doctor of Business Administration in Accounting from Argosy University in Sarasota, Fla. Dr. Zarb also holds the International Air Transport Association 's diploma in Airline Finance and Accounting. He teaches financial, managerial, and international accounting. His areas of interest are international accounting and international taxation. Dr. Zarb has practical experience as a CPA, working in auditing, tax, and management consulting in Europe and the United States. He has audited both profit and not-for-profit organizations and has assisted foreign firms in setting up businesses in the United States.