Faculty Directory
The Graduate School of Management at UC Davis brings together distinguished scholars and industry experts from all over the world. Alongside our students, they create a vibrant educational experience with real-world relevance and a culture of camaraderie.
Our instructors have both academic expertise and practical experience, giving you a well-rounded and relevant MBA education. Plus, with a low student-to-faculty ratio, these diverse, high-quality faculty get to know you by first name and serve as mentors as you grow your professional network after graduation.
They've trained at top schools, including Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, Harvard University, The University of Chicago, Cornell University and Northwestern University.
Through a powerful combination of case studies, seminars, guest speakers, simulations and team projects, they turn complex concepts into actionable tools you can use throughout your career.
Catherine Kendall
Lecturer
Doctor of Education (EdD) in Education Policy, Drexel University, 2014
Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Management Information Systems, University of California, Davis, Graduate School of Management, 1999
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Agricultural and Managerial Economics, University of California, Davis, 1993
Research Expertise
Macroeconomic history and trends, Domestic violence and marginalized populations, Intersectionality, Socio-ecological framework
Alexander F. McCalla
Professor Emeritus
Active efforts to organize the Graduate School of Administration, as it was known in 1981, were launched under the leadership of Professor Emeritus Alexander F. McCalla, professor of agricultural economics and former dean of the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. McCalla was asked to serve as the founding dean of the nascent program from 1979 to 1981. Together with a 13-member planning committee, McCalla was responsible for the School’s initial organization and development.
Robert H. Smiley
Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., Stanford University
Research Expertise
Economics, strategy, public policy, competitive strategy, energy economics, public policy analysis, anti-trust policy, regulation
Consulting
Public utilities, telecommunications, wine industry, energy, strategy
Victor Stango
Professor
Ph.D., University of California, Davis
Research Expertise
Consumer and firm behavior in banking markets, behavioral economics, industrial organization.
Professor Victor Stango’s research focuses on household financial decision making over both short- and long-term time horizons. His current work examines how behavioral influences on consumer decision-making are related to each other, to cognitive abilities and other demographics, and to financial decisions and outcomes. That work is supported by grants from the Michigan Retirement Research Center (MRRC), and by the Pension Research Council/TIAA Institute. Stango has also studied the credit card and ATM markets, and has a side interest in sports economics.
Stango’s work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Business Week, Newsweek and major online business news media. He has appeared on "Good Morning America," Fox News, CNBC, Bloomberg and many other news programs to discuss his work and provide expert commentary. His research has appeared in the American Economic Review, The Journal of Finance, The Review of Financial Studies and other leading academic journals. Stango is an associate editor of The International Journal of Industrial Organization. He is also an affiliate expert with Cornerstone Research, occasionally providing consulting in matters related to the financial service industry.
Before joining the Graduate School of Management in 2008, Stango gained experience at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, the Federal Reserve Banks of Chicago and New York, and other academic institutions. He also served for several years on the board of Consumer Credit Research Foundation, a nonprofit research foundation supported by providers of short-term credit.
Stango holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in economics and political science from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. in economics from UC Davis.
Awards
- Research Grant, Michigan Retirement Research Center (MRRC), “Behavioral Factors and Long-Run Financial Well-Being,” 2016-2017.
- Research Grant, Pension Research Council/TIAA Institute, “Behavioral Factors and Long-Run Financial Well-Being,” 2016-2017.
- Research Grant, Russell Sage Foundation, “Behavioral Biases in Household Financial Decision-making,” 2010-2012.
- Professor of the Year Finalist, UC Davis Graduate School of Management, 2010.
- Research Grant, National Science Foundation, “Information Technology, Outsourcing and Productivity,” 2008-10.
- Research Grant, Networks, Electronic Commerce, and Telecommunications Institute, Summer 2004, Summer 2006.
- Research Grant, Filene Institute, “Outsource or Die,” 2006-07.
- Research Grant, Filene Institute, “Payment Choices,” 2006-08.
- Research Grant, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), 2006.
- Allen H. Keally Teaching Award, University of Tennessee, 1999-00.
- Club 6 (High Teaching Evaluations), Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, 1998.
- Finalist, Allen H. Keally Teaching Award, University of Tennessee, 1997-98.
Alan M. Taylor
Professor
Ph.D., Harvard University
Research Expertise
International trade, finance, macroeconomics and economic history