LEXINGTON, Ky. The University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics is celebrating the next chapter for seven doctoral graduates who have accepted faculty positions at universities across the United States and internationally.
The placements span economics, accounting and finance and reflect the strength of Gatton College’s doctoral programs in preparing scholars for careers in research, teaching and academic leadership.
This year’s placements include:
Elizabeth Krause, Economics — Research Faculty, University of Notre Dame
Ting Yao Yan, Economics — Assistant Professor, National Chung Cheng University
Kaschia Wade, Accounting — Assistant Professor, Georgia Southern University
Zeyang Ju, Accounting — Professor of Finance and Economics, Shanghai University
Sarah Khoei, Finance — Clinical Assistant Professor, Indiana University
Spencer Stone, Finance — Assistant Professor, Loyola Marymount University
Justice Enyetornye, Economics — Visiting Assistant Professor, Centre College
For doctoral students, securing a faculty appointment represents the culmination of years of research, teaching, collaboration and professional development. In an increasingly competitive academic job market, these placements reflect both individual achievement and the quality of the research environment in which students have trained.
Throughout their time at Gatton College, doctoral students work alongside internationally recognized faculty while conducting original research that addresses important questions in business, economics and society. Their work is regularly presented at national and international conferences, published in leading academic journals and shared with the broader university community through events such as the Gatton Research Excellence Series, which celebrates outstanding doctoral scholarship each spring.
Those experiences prepare graduates not only to contribute new knowledge to their disciplines, but also to educate and mentor the next generation of students.
“Our doctoral students are making meaningful contributions to their fields long before they graduate,” said Steven Lugauer, director of graduate studies and associate professor. “Seeing them earn faculty appointments at outstanding institutions is both a reflection of their talent and a point of pride for our college.”
The 2026 placements continue a long tradition of Gatton College graduates joining colleges and universities around the world, where they will advance research, teach future business leaders and contribute to the academic communities they now call home.
As these graduates begin their careers, the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics celebrates not only where they are going, but also the impact they are poised to make through scholarship, teaching and service for years to come.
