The Gatton College of Business and Economics is pleased to announce the five recipients for the Gatton Research Excellence Doctoral Awards focusing on the impact of our current PhD candidates and their research.
Blake Holman, Accounting
Blake Holman is a PhD candidate at the Von Allmen School of Accountancy whose research interests include judgment and decision-making in audit, primarily focusing on issues related to audit technologies and evidence evaluation. He received his MS in accountancy from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. He will join the University of Central Florida in August 2023.
Nicholas Graff, Economics
Nicholas R. Graff is an economics PhD candidate in the Department of Economics. His research focuses on the economics of entrepreneurship. His work analyzes the differences in entry and business performance of necessity and opportunity entrepreneurs. He also estimates earnings differences between self-employed men and women. Nick earned his BS in Economics from the Gatton College of Business and Economics, with Honors, and his MS in Economics from the Gatton College as well.
Tian Qiu, Finance
Tian Qiu is a PhD candidate in the Department of Finance & Quantitative Methods at the University of Kentucky. He received his master's degree from the University of Illinois and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh. His research interests lie in empirical corporate finance and disclosure. He will join the University of Alabama in August 2023.
Chenduo Du, Management
Chenduo Du is a PhD candidate in the Department of Management, specializing in Organizational Behavior. She received her master’s degree from Renmin University of China and her bachelor’s degree from Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing, China.
Umair Usman, Marketing and Supply Chain
Umair Usman has successfully defended his dissertation and is graduating with a PhD in Marketing from the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain in Spring 2023. He received his BSc (Hons) in Accounting and Finance in 2015 from the Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan. He will join Florida International University in August 2023.
