Mark C. Dawkins, University of North Florida, Coggin College of Business
Mark C. Dawkins is a Professor of Accounting in the Coggin College of Business at the University of North Florida. He holds a Ph.D. in Accounting from Florida State University (1994), MBA (1987) and Masters of Accounting (1988) degrees from the University of Florida, and a B.S. in Management (1985) from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He joined UNF and the Coggin College of Business in June 2015 after serving 21 years on the faculty in the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia (UGA). From 2008-2014 he served as the Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the Terry College and from 2004-2008 he served as the Director of Diversity Relations. He teaches undergraduate and graduate financial accounting classes, and has taught Intermediate Accounting, MBA Financial Accounting, and Intermediate Accounting for Non-Majors. He also has taught undergraduate and graduate accounting and college-level internship classes. He has published in The Journal of Finance, the Journal of Financial & Quantitative Analysis, the Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance, the Journal of Business, Finance & Accounting, the Journal of Banking and Finance, the Journal of Managerial Issues, Sociological Inquiry, the Academy of Accounting and Financial Studies Journal, Management Accounting Quarterly, and other journals or newsletters. He was a co-recipient of the 2006 and 2003 Beta Alpha Psi Outstanding Teacher of the Year award at UGA and received the 2006 and 2003 Alpha Kappa Psi Accounting Teacher of the Year Award. He is a member of the American Accounting Association, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the National Association of Accountants, the Florida Society of CPAs, the PhD Project (www.phdproject.org), and the Accounting Doctoral Student Association. In August 2009, he was one of five recipients of the inaugural Ernst & Young Inclusive Excellence Award for Accounting and Business School Faculty. In January of 2014, he received the 2014 UGA President’s Fulfilling the Dream Award at the MLK Freedom Breakfast at UGA.
Bernard J. Milano, KPMG Foundation
The KPMG Foundation is a founder of The PhD Project and Mr. Bernard J. Milano (Bernie) serves as president of both organizations. The Project has helped triple the number of minority business professors in just 16years. It involves identifying potential doctoral students and provides resources to allow persons to decide if doctoral education and a career in academe is for them. Once in a doctoral program, The Project has networks for all minority doctoral students and faculty in each of the five major business disciplines. Bernie serves on numerous boards of directors and advisory boards in education, religion, and community service, and is a former board member of AACSB. He holds honorary doctorates in Humane Letters from North Carolina A&T State University and Kent State University.
Andrew J. Policano, University of California, Irvine, The Paul Merage School of Business
Andrew J. Policano is former Dean and Professor Emeritus of Economics and Public Policy at The Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine. During his nine-year tenure as Dean, the Merage School received over $60 million in pledges, created five new degree programs, broke ground on a new building, and consistently ranked among the top 5-10% of accredited business schools globally. Policano was also the founding Director of the Center for Investment and Wealth Management, whose flagship LIFEvest program has now helped over three hundred high school students from underserved families achieve financial literacy. Prior to UC Irvine, Policano was Dean of the Wisconsin School of Business, where he led a campaign resulting in an increase in the School’s endowment from $6 million to over $90 million. He also developed a financially self-reliant strategy for the School, part of which included the development and construction of a conference center with no state funding. Policano is co-author with Gary Fethke of Public No More: A New Path to Excellence for America’s Public Universities. His second book Climbing the Ivory Tower: Strategies for Academic Leaders in Turbulent Times focuses on the challenging financial environment for higher education and describes potential strategies for university leaders. From Ivory Tower now forms the basis for leadership workshops at several universities including UC Irvine, UC San Diego and UCLA. He is a widely sought after public speaker who has addressed hundreds of groups on topics including the current macroeconomic environment, the challenges facing higher education, financial literacy, strategy and leadership. His commentary on these subjects has appeared in numerous outlets including Business Week, the Financial Times, the Huffington Post, the Washington Post, the LA Times and the Sacramento Bee. Policano serves on the Board of Directors of Rockwell Collins and is a Trustee for the Payden&Rygel Mutual Funds. He has served as Chair of the Board of Directors of AACSB International, where he was honored with a Lifetime Service Award. He has also played a key role in the PhD Project, one of the most successful diversity initiatives in higher education and has been inducted into the PhD Project Hall of Fame. He and his wife Pam have four children and three grandchildren.