Moving Beyond “Check-the-Box” Corporate Responsibility

Both Ledecky and McCarthy have witnessed the role of corporate responsibility change dramatically in recent years. What was once often treated as philanthropy—or worse, a public relations exercise—has become a test of an organization’s values and leadership. McCarthy cautioned against companies that simply “check the box,” recalling one organization that touted a $1 million charitable initiative to plant saplings in the Amazon rainforest, then spent a whopping $25 million promoting the effort. The imbalance, he suggested, illustrates the difference between meaningful action and marketing.

Ledecky sees an even greater responsibility for sports organizations, whose growing visibility gives them a powerful platform. A team can strengthen its community while also building a profitable organization. As McCarthy put it, “Doing well and doing good are not mutually exclusive.”

The distinction, both men argued, lies in whether social responsibility sits on the sidelines or becomes part of how an organization operates every day. For the Islanders, that commitment is built into the rhythm of the season. Take “” as an example. At each home game, a nonprofit organization is given the opportunity to raise funds and share its mission.

Sustaining this commitment is essential. Ledecky rejected a “one-and-done” approach to community engagement, sharing the story of Colin Moon, the son of a fallen firefighter. The Islanders have taken Moon under their wing, welcoming him back each year to the owners’ box for his birthday. Relationships like these, Ledecky suggested, are what make ownership meaningful. “It’s satisfying to have the resources, venue and platform to do good in the community,” he said.

Why Ethical Leadership Matters

Embedding the values of corporate social responsibility into an organization requires leaders willing to protect them—particularly when short-term pressures pull in another direction. McCarthy framed leadership in simple terms: “When you’re a CEO or you’re a leader, you have the power to serve.” Ledecky described that responsibility as stewardship, noting that team owners are temporary caretakers of institutions that belong, in a larger sense, to their communities. He recalled how former Islanders owner Charles Wang carefully considered who would be the right steward of the franchise when selecting its next ownership group—a responsibility Ledecky hopes to carry forward one day.

The Future of Corporate Social Responsibility

Looking ahead, both speakers pointed toward a model of corporate responsibility that is more authentic and more deeply integrated into organizational strategy. One-time gestures and well-publicized donations will carry less weight than measurable impact and long-term relationships. For organizations with significant visibility, that also means using their platforms more intentionally, creating opportunities to turn awareness into action.

Ledecky also sees service becoming increasingly valuable at the individual level. His advice to students was straightforward: Find an organization “near and dear to your heart” and get involved. In a stack of 50 résumés, he said, the candidate who has stepped outside of themselves to serve others stands apart.

Adelphi University’s Legacy of Social Responsibility

Adelphi University has long turned out graduates with the skills needed to thrive professionally. Notably, these students place high value on being active, engaged citizens—making their mark within their organizations, their communities and the world at large. This is the result of a deliberate commitment to social responsibility and ethical leadership that is organically woven into the very fabric of how the University teaches, leads and serves.

At the Adelphi University Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, the conversation around ethics is hardly new. Since the school’s founding in 1964, ethical practices have been a cornerstone of its approach to business education. In recent years, expectations of corporations have shifted, and so, too, has the conversation—expanding into a broader, more intentional focus on corporate social responsibility and the role organizations play in strengthening communities.

In 2003, a gift from the late Amy Hagedorn ’05 (Hon.) and the late Horace Hagedorn ’01 (Hon.), founder of Miracle-Gro, was used to establish the annual Hagedorn Lecture Series on Corporate Social Responsibility. Since then, the series has brought prominent leaders to Adelphi University to examine how businesses can balance the push and pull of profit and purpose.

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Key Takeaways

• Adelphi’s Willumstad School of Business placed 120 students in internships in the 2025-2026 academic year.
• ����ֱ�� 85% of internship positions are paid—ranging from minimum wage up to $30/hour for accounting students.
• Willumstad students have interned at major employers including KPMG, PwC, Morgan Stanley, NBC, and Universal.
• Beyond technical skills, internships build critical thinking and interpersonal skills—and teach students how to use AI responsibly in professional settings.

Why Internships Matter More Than Ever

“Gaining that hands-on experience separates a student from everyone else, and really sets them up for success,” said John Marimuthu, internship director for the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business. “You become more marketable when you have the ability to showcase what you’ve done somewhere else.” In his position, Marimuthu serves as a matchmaker between employers and students, curating a database of companies with a positive track record of employing Adelphi students, and coaching students through every step of the application process.

By the Numbers: Internship Outcomes at Willumstad

Marimuthu helped to place 120 students in internships in just the most recent academic year. Accounting students have worked for the likes of KPMG and PwC; finance students have interned at Morgan Stanley; and management majors have worked at Leviton and JP Morgan Chase—to name just a few of the dozens of companies employing Willumstad undergrads. In a unique partnership, some students have even gone to Croatia to work with marketing firm Atlantic Grupa, conducting market research for major hotel and restaurant brands across Europe. Closer to home, interns have worked with Long Island hair salon chain Willows Cove, helping design and execute a social media strategy.

Some 85 percent of the positions are paid, Marimuthu says, many for minimum wage, but some for significantly higher—starting at $17/hour for management students and up to $30/hour for accounting students. In their positions, students are often getting their hands dirty, working on projects directly related to company priorities. “Working on projects in the classroom is totally different than applying those skills in the real world,” says Raghida Abdallah Yassine, PhD, assistant professor of management at Willumstad. “We give them basics, but it’s not customized specifically to a company’s needs.” In addition to practical techniques, they are also learning critical thinking and how to interact personally with colleagues, Dr. Yassine said. “When you do an internship, it’s not just technical skills, but also softer skills that get enhanced.”

Importantly, she said, they also learn how to use—and not use—AI in the workplace. “We keep telling them, don’t over-rely on AI, you still have to use your thinking skills,” said Dr. Yassine. “In an internship, you realize the effect of that, when you are in a meeting and you can’t say, ‘Wait a minute, let me see what AI can tell me.’ You have to interact and come up with a solution in real time.”

Real Student Success Stories

Those interpersonal dynamics have been the biggest takeaway for senior finance major Matias Hoyos, who interned at an infrastructure company in Colombia after his first year and at Quantum Strategy Partners, a small private credit firm on Wall Street, for the last two summers. “Working directly with clients has taught me how to communicate clearly, ask the right questions and adjust my approach depending on a person or situation,” said Hoyos, who has already secured an internship this fall with Flynn Zito Capital Management.

Recent graduate Kyle Stephenson ’26 worked last spring as a marketing intern for The Garden City Hotel in Garden City, New York, helping create and schedule social media content for hotel and on-site restaurants. “The value of an internship cannot be overstated,” he said. “It provides real-world experience that prepares students for the workplace in the way the classroom cannot.” He should know—after graduation, the hotel offered him a full-time job.

Expert Tips for Landing an Internship

For students interested in internships during their time at Adelphi, Marimuthu offers the following advice:

Start Early

The time to prepare your résumé and cover letter is well in advance of applying for your first internship. Marimuthu’s office introduces students to the Willumstad Winning Edge program as early as their first year to create a standardized résumé and cover letter that can be adapted to different positions.

Take Assistance From AI

Marimuthu encourages students to run their résumés and cover letter through ChatGPT or Gemini to help polish them. He also helps them tailor their approaches to positions based on what AI applicant screening software is looking for. “If the job description has the word ‘professionalism’ three times, then the résumé needs to say that as well,” he said. “Through little tips and tricks like this, we’ve been able to show students how to leverage AI to their advantage.”

Interview Prep Is Key

Oftentimes, said Marimuthu, it’s the intangible qualities that come out in an interview that tip the balance in an applicant’s favor. The internship office offers students mock interviews to practice how to present themselves both professionally and personably. “So many times I’ve heard from hiring managers that the reason they went with someone is because of their personality,” Marimuthu said. “They want to know that the student is going to fit in.”

In addition to that practical advice, Marimuthu and his colleagues—alongside Adelphi’s Center for Career and Professional Development—offer students career guidance and coaching, helping them discover the kind of jobs they can get with their degree. “Those are some of the best conversations we have, because it goes beyond just ‘I need to get my résumé done,’ to looking at ‘This is what I’m interested in, share with me what I’m not seeing yet.’”

Through this variety of approaches, the internship office has developed a solid track record of placing students with companies during their time at Adelphi, which in turn has helped them after graduation get one step closer to their dream job.

If you are interested in offering an internship to Adelphi students, please send an email to John Marimuthu at jmarimuthu@adelphi.edu to set up a conversation.

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Kumar was one of the 41 students in Adelphi’s Flex MBA Program who attended the most recent Problem-Solving Day on December 6, 2025. Occurring twice per semester, these intensive sessions are required for all MBA students, and were created in response to feedback from the business community. “Businesses are looking for students who can come in not just knowing theory but knowing how to problem-solve,” says Raghida Abdallah Yassine, PhD, assistant professor of management and academic director of MBA programs in the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, who co-led the most recent Problem-Solving Day alongside Michael O’Donnell, clinical assistant professor.

Creating a Program That Solves Real-World Business Challenges

When Problem-Solving Days began in early 2025, students worked with generic case studies and were asked to brainstorm solutions. But Dr. Yassine recently began collaborating with companies that were willing to share real-world challenges. The problem she chose for December 6 came from a local business struggling to stay afloat after tariffs on imports from China made their products too expensive to sell.

That morning, Dr. Yassine and O’Donnell divided the students into teams of five before presenting the issue they needed to solve. “Everybody sitting at the table is coming from a different specialization or has taken different types of courses, but they come together to solve a problem based on the knowledge they’ve acquired so far,” Dr. Yassine says. For Kumar, a business analytics major, this meant collaborating with classmates specializing in finance, marketing and other areas.

During the first half of the day, teams came up with a solution to the problem. For Kumar, the morning’s work revealed how interconnected his MBA courses were—he had to apply finance, supply chain management and marketing knowledge simultaneously, not in isolated courses. Kumar’s team divided the work by major and began researching which countries offered the best options for relocating the company’s supply chain. They had disagreements along the way—such as debating the merits of potential countries—but they didn’t outright refuse any idea. Instead, they asked teammates to justify their positions. “We negotiated everything when trying to find a solution,” Kumar says. This helped the team find weaknesses in their solutions they’d initially missed.

Dr. Yassine and O’Donnell were on hand to provide feedback throughout the morning. “That’s why we have two instructors per Problem-Solving Day, because we want the students to hear feedback from two different perspectives,” Dr. Yassine notes.

Teams had developed their recommendations by early afternoon. Then came the negotiation phase: Teams had to convince a consulting firm (a role played by other teams) to adopt their solution, which helped students practice the soft skills required in the workplace. “One of my teammates was very experienced and had been working in a firm for 20 to 25 years,” Kumar says. Watching him negotiate and maintain composure during cross-questioning, even when the team didn’t have an immediate answer, taught Kumar how to answer questions without becoming reactive.

He also learned that successful negotiation requires giving the other party room to speak. “If they’re interested in your idea, that’s why they’re asking questions,” Kumar explains. He also discovered the importance of having a backup plan. “If the consulting firm disagrees with your idea and you don’t have a backup plan, you’ll be blank,” he says.

What Students Gain from Immersion in Problem-Solving

Overall, the Problem-Solving Day gave Kumar a better understanding of the skills employers are looking for, such as negotiation and team building. It also gave him insights into his own strengths and weaknesses—while strong in finance, his presentation skills needed improvement. This discovery led him to register for classes to build his presentation abilities. “It’s not just about getting your degree, it’s about getting the skills you need,” Kumar says.

For students attending future Problem-Solving Days, Kumar recommends participating fully. “Don’t be the person standing to the side,” he says.

Dr. Yassine agrees: “Come with an open mind and be prepared to use previous knowledge,” she says. “You’re going to be learning a lot. That’s what Problem-Solving Days are there for, to make sure you’re workplace ready.”

Starting in Fall 2026, Adelphi’s Flex MBA will be offered in our new Manhattan Center, located near Grand Central Station, in addition to our Garden City campus.

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For Stafford, the 56th was an opportunity to expand her network and develop her professional skills. As vice president of chapter operations and a voting delegate, Stafford got an inside look at the legislative process. “I was really excited to learn about the process of voting and to be in a parliamentary procedure-style election,” she says. “To be able to think about the operations of the organization and how changes could affect certain things was really valuable.”

Sam Dotterman, an Adelphi Deltasig who attended the conference as an alternate delegate, also enjoyed learning about how organizations function. “That was the best part of the whole conference—hearing what the other chapters across the country are like and how they operate,” he says.

Connecting, Problem-Solving and Plenty of Networking

Talking with other Deltasigs helped Adelphi members brainstorm solutions for issues their chapter faced. “Being able to connect with chapters that are the same size who had the same problem and hearing how they approached it was really valuable,” Stafford says. Those conversations inspired them to build local partnerships for fundraising events and service hours.

Outside of legislative meetings, conference attendees could participate in education sessions led by alumni working in different companies. Sessions covered various business- and career-related topics, such as AI in the workplace, leadership development, how to land competitive internships and networking. Dotterman, who’s interested in a career in financial services, received practical career advice, from how to format his résumé to the importance of applying for internships early.

He also appreciated the opportunity to build networking skills. “I hadn’t had the experience where I’d fly across the country and have to talk to a bunch of new people,” Dotterman says. “That’s a really good skill to develop.”

His networking paid off: He met an alumna on the flight to California who’s helping him apply for an internship.

Founding Deltasig Alumna Sings the Fraternity’s Praises

Networking and professional development opportunities like this are exactly why Deborah Viola ’84, PhD, a founding member of Adelphi’s Delta Sigma Pi chapter and current Robert B. Willumstad School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board member, supports events like the Grand Chapter Congress. “Learning how to network when you’re younger is so beneficial—it’s much harder to acquire these skills once you get older,” she says. Many of the relationships she built as a Deltasig continue showing up today. “You may not keep in touch with the folks you aligned with when you were younger every day, but chances are they’re in your field,” she notes.

Social events at the conference facilitated these connections. Stafford’s casual basketball conversation at arcade night with a group of entrepreneurs made it easy to connect with them the next day to learn about their startup. “It made people more approachable,” she says.

Beyond individual connections, the conference format itself helps students develop as business professionals. “Personal and professional growth really comes from attending these conferences and meetings,” Dr. Viola says. “If you’re in business, you really need to understand others’ perspectives, and as a student, you challenge yourself more and appreciate what you’re learning in class.”

To maximize these benefits, Stafford recommends full participation. By attending as many sessions and social events as possible, she met professionals in fields she’s exploring, like forensic accounting. “I’ve been interested in forensic accounting for a while, but it can be hard to find people who are in the field, as it’s a bit more up-and-coming,” Stafford explains. Showing up to events gave her the opportunity to ask a forensic accountant about his experience working in the field. “The things he didn’t like about it were things that really interested me about it, so that was kind of funny,” she says.

Both Stafford and Dotterman returned to campus with strong connections and opportunities to pursue during their time at Adelphi. “The experience has really continued to open the door,” Stafford says.

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Throughout the 21st century, the business world and the environment have experienced positive change and often-unintended negative consequences as technology becomes more sophisticated. Industrial processes and energy consumption have led to climate change. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has led to widespread fear of mass unemployment. Globalization has led to increased competition and market pressures.

Since most of these issues cannot be solved individually, there has been a growing demand for businesses, as trustees of the community, to rise up and solve these challenges—to ensure Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and contribute to a more sustainable future. In order to educate and equip the business leaders of tomorrow with knowledge that can lead this movement forward, colleges and universities are increasingly incorporating CSR into their curriculum and operations.

Willumstad Implements CSR Into Its Curriculum

For years, CSR has been a major focus of the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business. MaryAnne Hyland, PhD, dean of the Willumstad School, has made CSR a priority for the school, her faculty and the students. “Developing socially responsible leaders is part of our business school’s mission, so it is central to all that we do,” she said. And it shows.

Willumstad has largely integrated CSR into its curriculum, offering various courses in ethics, teaching case studies, fostering class discussions and assigning projects on ethics and CSR. Ethical leadership, one of Willumstad’s prioritized learning competencies, addresses various CSR issues. Global business challenges, which are covered in many business courses, often contain elements related to CSR.

Gita Surie, PhD, professor in the Department of Management at Willumstad, has been on the faculty at Adelphi for 21 years and has taught CSR for much of that time. Dr. Surie touches on the subject in her , as well as in her Graduate Strategic Management capstone course in Adelphi’s MBA program. “Students need to learn about corporate social responsibility so that they can apply these concepts when in the workplace,” she said. “They must be trained from the beginning to think beyond the individual to thinking about the social consequences of their work and encouraged to build community.”

Dean Hyland couldn’t agree more. “College is where future business leaders begin to shape their values and decision-making frameworks, including an understanding of the ethical, social and environmental implications of business,” she said. “Learning about corporate responsibility also equips students with a strategic perspective for managing risk and fostering innovation that can lead to competitive advantage.”

CSR Beyond the Classroom: Renowned Lecturers and Faculty Researchers

Adelphi also promotes CSR beyond the classroom. Since 2003, Willumstad has held the annual Hagedorn Lecture Series on Corporate Social Responsibility, which was established by the late Amy Hagedorn ’05 (Hon.) and the late Horace Hagedorn ’01 (Hon.), founder of , which is itself . The Fall 2024 lecture focused on making a business case for health equity, while the Fall 2025 lecture will focus on CSR in the professional athletics industry.

Additionally, Adelphi and Willumstad foster faculty-led research on CSR-related topics. Many of these studies explore socially responsible practices that can be applied directly within organizations to improve outcomes and promote ethical innovation.

Zhimin Huang, PhD, professor of decision sciences and marketing, guest edited a special issue of the journal : and published research including “,” which calculates the cost of green manufacturing, and “,” which developed an analytical model that encompasses key factors influencing the transition of automakers from gasoline-powered vehicles to eclectic-powered vehicles.

Dr. Surie researched renewable energy and sustainability from 2009–2020 in India. Her research, published in “,” showed that small-scale solar, biogas and wind energy were helpful for low-income populations, who did not have access to energy. In addition to providing low-cost energy, these renewable energy solutions facilitated entrepreneurship in rural and semi-urban areas and led to financial inclusion and the creation of new markets.

“There’s a widespread lack of trust in business,” said Dr. Surie. “It can only be addressed by acting in a manner that builds trust in customers and other stakeholders.”

Each year, Willumstad honors faculty whose research advances the field of CSR with one of the Annual Bender Research Awards, named for James Bender, PhD, founding dean of Willumstad. The 2024 award went to Susan Li, PhD, professor in the Department of Decision Sciences and Marketing, who was recognized for her study, “,” which was published in the Journal of Modelling in Management. Her work focuses on enhancing environmental efficiency in urban logistics, contributing to more sustainable and responsible supply chain practices.

The 2025 award will be presented to Zahra Sedighi-Maman, PhD, associate professor of decision sciences and marketing, for her study, “.” Published in Scientific Reports, her research demonstrates how machine learning can be used to predict harmful drug reactions, potentially improving public health outcomes while reducing the cost and risk of traditional testing methods.

These faculty contributions reflect Adelphi’s commitment to integrating CSR into both scholarship and practice, reinforcing the University’s mission to prepare students to lead with purpose and impact. By integrating corporate social responsibility into its educational practices and operations, the Willumstad School of Business is preparing the leaders of tomorrow to address global challenges and build a more sustainable and equitable future.

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Funding provided by the Bhisé Center for Global Understanding helped the students gain a deeper understanding of India’s role in today’s global economy by supporting the class excursions.

As course faculty Pamela Buckle, PhD, MA ’13, professor of management, and Joseph Sheldrick, adjunct professor of decision sciences and marketing, detailed in a comprehensive report on the course, four Adelphi graduate students who hail from India served as cultural liaisons, whose mentoring further enhanced the students’ exposure to both Indian culture as well as corporate culture.

Bridging the Gap

Before graduating from WSB in May with an MS in Supply Chain Management, Disha Thaker, MS ’25, elected to be a cultural liaison in the course, earning a certificate of recognition at for her service. “I wanted to help bridge the cultural and business understanding between international students and the local business community, particularly in the context of Indian business practices,” she said.

While she especially enjoyed “facilitating open conversations between students and professionals,” she believed the “students’ biggest takeaway was a deeper appreciation for how business is conducted in different cultural contexts and the importance of adaptability and respect in international business.”

Undergraduate student Maduni Witharana Thanthirige noted that while the course is required for her management major, taking it during Intersession allowed her to take advantage of trips to the city. “I learned the importance of situational awareness and the act of knowing what to do in unfamiliar places,” she said. “For example, being quiet and observant at the Ganesh Temple and during discussions about global peace at the UN taught me to respect every culture.”

Gaining Fresh Insights

Reflecting on the experience, Thanthirige adds, “I found that Indian businesses are extremely cultural and rooted in spiritual values. When we went to the Indian restaurant in the city for lunch, I experienced firsthand how hospitality and culture are woven into their business model. The staff greeted us warmly as guests, not just as customers. With Western businesses, the goal seems to be to serve and move on, while Indian businesses are focused on cultural connections.”

Her insight aligns with what cultural liaison Sujal Pereira—who is pursuing a master’s degree in supply chain management—considered the most significant benefit of the course: an appreciation for how cultural context shapes business decisions.

As Pereira explained, “Seeing business practices through an Indian lens helped students understand that success in global markets requires flexibility and open-mindedness. In today’s global economy, students will inevitably work across borders. Understanding cultural differences is essential not only for respectful collaboration, but also for creating effective, inclusive strategies in international business settings.”

Gaining Global Understanding

Honors College senior and business management major Vira Bangaru took the course seeking a global understanding of the business world.

Class excursions, which fostered an understanding of the importance of adaptability, empathy and situational awareness in cross-cultural and professional environments, were especially meaningful to Bangaru. “These lessons will stay with me in any future setting, whether personal or professional.”

For Bangaru, the visit to the State Bank of India highlighted differences between Indian and Western business environments. “Indian business culture blends professionalism with hospitality. There’s also a strong respect for hierarchy and tradition, with senior staff exuding confidence and junior staff showing attentiveness and deference,” she said. “These elements contrast with many Western norms, which often prioritize directness, individualism and flatter hierarchies.”

The “eye-opening” visit to the United Nations, in particular, demonstrated to Bangaru how much respect, structure and clarity matter when people from different parts of the world come together to make decisions. “It was a powerful reminder of the kind of professional I aspire to be.”

Planning for Intersession 2026

WSB will again offer this enhanced International Business course during Intersession 2026. Students who participate will gain the following:

• Fully covered local experiences: All transportation to New York City and activity fees are covered by WSB, typically including five visits.
• Cultural immersion: Work with and learn from Adelphi graduate students from India, serving as cultural liaisons.
• Course flexibility: Reduced Spring 2026 course load; Intersession tuition can be included in your Spring 2026 tuition amount.
• Convenient format: Online synchronous lectures
• Executive connections: Meet senior Indian business leaders operating in New York City.
• Global perspective: Gain insight into a nation of 1.4 billion people, whose major trading partner is the United States ($131 billion), with a land mass one-third the size of the United States yet four times its population.

“The International Business course is a unique way to learn the course material while participating in a rich, cultural, experiential learning experience,” said Lori Cary, MBA ’20, director for student success at WSB. “Year after year, our students comment on how much they enjoyed the course. The participation of our cultural liaisons is the crowning achievement on why this course is so successful—our students learn so much from them and friendships are born!”

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Hanieh Sardashti, PhD, assistant professor of marketing, noted that such instruction has to start with defining the terms clearly.

“AI refers to the broad goal of enabling machines to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as reasoning, problem-solving and decision-making,” she said. “Machine learning, a subset of AI, focuses on algorithms and statistical models that allow systems to improve their performance on tasks through experience and data analysis.”

Although AI has been used to enhance specific tasks for years in fields such as security and pricing optimization, today’s generative AI is different because it produces content.

“In my undergraduate marketing classes, I primarily focus on generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT or Gemini,” Dr. Sardashti said. “These tools have gained significant traction in marketing due to their ability to handle creative, repetitive and relatively low-risk tasks like generating email templates, ad copy for A/B testing or social media content.”

Dr. Sardasti said she has two primary goals: “First, to teach students essential concepts, theories and technical skills, and, second, to demonstrate how these concepts apply in real-world business scenarios.”

In her marketing class final project, creating ad campaigns for website promotion, she encourages students to explore AI tools for video, image and audio generation. “I even developed a custom AI-powered marketing assistant using ChatGPT, which was integrated with the course content,” she said. “Students used it for brainstorming, idea generation and crafting ad copy, fostering what I call a ‘substantive use of AI,’ which is using it not merely as a productivity tool but as a creative collaborator.”

Collaborating With Generative AI

In his course in Advanced Business Analytics, Yifan Xie, PhD, assistant professor of decision sciences and marketing, focuses on fundamental concepts and key algorithms to give students strong AI foundations. In addition, he familiarizes students with such tools and concepts as, in one example, principal component analysis, which is used to identify key patterns in data. He also teaches students how to apply what they are learning to professional demands, particularly as businesses rely more heavily on AI for decision-making, organization and prediction modeling.

“Students with these skills can meet the evolving job market and contribute more,” Dr. Xie said. But, he added, “Understanding the fundamentals of AI and machine learning is just a starting point. I also emphasize to students the importance of lifelong learning.”

Timo M. Partanen, PhD, assistant professor of management, said he works with AI on a couple of levels. “In some of my classes, we are just users of AI,” he explained. “We utilize generative AI tools to develop ideas, communication material, etc. However, in some other classes, for example, in my Technology Management class, we look inside of the AI, what it is, what it can do and how companies are utilizing AI solutions in their business processes.”

The Business of Ethics

A key consideration in education in AI for business is ethics, and it’s vital to the Adelphi approach to the technology.

Dr. Xie noted that students must have an understanding of ethics and the implications of using AI in business so they can address the kind of dilemmas they will confront professionally, such as those involving data privacy and transparency, topics that, he said, “are integral to my classroom.”

Dr. Sardashti said that AI ethics can be a sensitive topic, “especially in fields like marketing, where algorithms influence content creation, advertising strategies and consumer interactions. I emphasize to students that ethical considerations are not just social responsibilities but also foundational to building trustworthy and effective AI systems.”

“Generally speaking, I consider teaching ethics very important,” Dr. Partanen said. However, he explained that every technological advancement throughout history has been questioned regarding its use and impact on society, and he’d prefer to see ethical concerns taught in a general business course in which the principles could be applied to such areas as data algorithms, marketing and finance.

AI as a Partner

AI can enhance productivity and creativity, but students must come to grips with how the tools operate and their limitations. In application, AI tools must get clear instructions that are focused specifically on the task at hand, which means learning effective practices in creating prompts and how to weed out their own human predispositions.

“The combination of human and machine intelligence will do better than either of those alone,” Dr. Partanen said. “An accountant who uses AI tools for auditing will be more effective than an accountant who does not. A marketing manager who uses AI to generate data-driven insights will spend the marketing budget more wisely than a marketing manager who does not use AI. An HR professional who utilizes AI in recruiting can screen more applicants and will be less biased than a colleague who does not.”

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• Areeba Khalid ’20, MS ’21, director of graduate programs
• Tristan Baharally ’17, adjunct professor of management
• Nate Wright, adjunct professor of economics

Faculty Scholarly Activity

Charles Richard Baker, PhD, professor of accounting, authored ,” published in the Accounting Historians Journal.

Murat Erogul, PhD, associate dean of the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, co-authored “,” which was published in Organizacija.

James K. Hazy, EdD, professor of management, was the invited keynote speaker at the Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology & Life Science (SCTPLS) annual meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, on August 1, 2024. His talk, “Are you an Appreciator? How Reinforcing Twelve Interactions That Create Social Capital Grows Financial Value in Organizations,” described research conducted during his recent sabbatical.

Zhimin Huang, PhD, professor of decision sciences, served as a guest editor for a special issue of the International Journal of Production Research titled and co-authored the .

Yifan Xie, PhD, assistant professor of decision sciences, is the first author on an article titled “” in Annals of Operations Research.

In the News

Robert Goldberg, James F. Bender Clinical Professor of Finance, had an op-ed, “,” published in The Hill and a guest essay, “,” published in Newsday.

Mariano Torras, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Finance and Economics, was featured on GOBankingRates in two essays: “” and “” Dr. Torras was also featured on the UN Chronicle website in an article entitled “”

Robert Doud, JD, adjunct professor of accounting and law, was quoted in the Newsday article “.”

Ganesh Pandit, DBA, professor and chair of the Department of Accounting and Law, is a , offering guidance on debt consolidation. Dr. Pandit was also quoted in an article in Fortune titled “” and in the U.S. News & World Report article “.”

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On November 20, 2024, the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business focused on this topic for its annual Hagedorn Lecture on Corporate Social Responsibility, this year titled “Making the Business Case for Health Equity.”

Dean MaryAnne Hyland, PhD, opened the event, stating, “In the Willumstad School of Business, one of the ways that we strive to make a difference in our society is by focusing on how we can reduce inequality. A 2023 Healthcare Association of New York analysis found that New York hospitals and health systems have major impacts on our local economy, generating an estimated 859,000 jobs, over $56 billion in salaries and benefits, over $30 billion in tax dollars, and at least $16 billion in community investment. So there’s a lot of opportunity in this field in regard to making improvements and having an impact with regard to social responsibility.”

Alan Cooper, PhD ’95, clinical associate professor in the School and moderator, introduced the panel of distinguished experts from organizations that serve Long Island and New York City:

• Andres Jimenez, MD, chief medical information officer,
• Joe Moscola, MBA ’06, executive vice president, system operations,
• Leonard Achan ’99, secretary of the Adelphi University Board of Trustees and president and CEO,
• Larry Eisenstein, MD, vice president and chief public and community health officer,

Dr. Cooper said health equity requires the cooperation of multiple organizations and businesses operating in the community. Whether a school, a bank or a hospital, all need money to make money if they are going to accomplish what they are trying to do. Yet, to succeed, they need to take a broad view about the relationship between business and health. “How do we align finance, population health and health equity?” he asked.

Insights From Experts

Dr. Eisenstein, who previously served as Nassau County, New York, health commissioner, noted that health equity isn’t necessarily devoting the same health resources and treatment to everyone, saying, “Health equity means some people need more services, more help, come from a weaker position; and health equity means we’re going to provide whatever it takes so that everybody has the opportunity for the top health outcomes they can attain.”

As a medical information officer, Dr. Jimenez shared insights on how data and generative artificial intelligence can be used to aggregate and leverage data to guide strategy and improve patient outcomes, although panelists agreed that human oversight is necessary to ensure privacy, security and ethical use and to prevent unintended consequences.

Dr. Jimenez, an advocate for preventive health, noted that “food is medicine,” citing how Adelphi Dining Services offers students the option to consult with a . Panelists also noted that preventive measures like breast cancer screenings save lives and reduce costs.

Achan, secretary of the Adelphi University Board of Trustees, pointed out that about 100,000 people in the United States are on transplant lists, and 80 percent of them are waiting for kidneys. He said dialysis is costly not only in terms of tax dollars ($96,000 a year per patient), but in personal costs to those patients, who undergo dialysis three or four days a week and, according to Achan, are “not able to work, not able to contribute, not able to have a part of the American dream, not able to pay for their kids to go to school, not able to provide for their families. And the system has allowed a lot of that to impact, especially, communities of color.”

The panelists agreed that health equity isn’t solely the province of healthcare organizations. Partnering with corporations—the government, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, venture capitalists, insurance providers, pharmaceutical companies and, most importantly, communities—is key to making a difference.

“The Smart Thing to Do”

“Organizations across industries are recognizing that addressing disparities in healthcare isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also a smart thing to do,” said Dr. Cooper, later adding that “We need to find venture capital and private equity companies that have that corporate social responsibility mission. They’re out there, but [finding them is the] challenge.”

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