BUQU Faculty

Ali Hassanlou

Academic Qualifications: 
Ph.D. (Carleton - Management);
M. Eng. (Ottawa - Engineering Management)

Before joining KPU in 2009, Ali taught courses in Operations Research and Operations Management at the graduate and undergraduate levels in Carleton University from 2001 to 2009. During 2001-2004, Ali managed Carleton University's MBA program in partnership with the Qeshm Institute of Higher Education in Iran. In 2005, he accepted a senior management position at the Sprott Melville School of Business as the Executive Director of Professional Programs; he helped the School in developing a reputation for offering executive education to the public and private organizations.

In addition to his teaching and academic work experience, Dr. Hassanlou worked as a Research Council Officer at the National Research Council Canada in Ottawa, where he conducted research on various business projects. He also worked as consultant on business research projects for health Canada and Industry Canada.

Ari Goelman

Academic Qualifications:
Ph.D. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Urban Studies);
M.Sc. (University of British Columbia - Planning);
B.A. (New college of Florida - Economics)
 

Bernie Neuhold

Academic Qualifications:
M.B.A. (Queen's University, Kingston);
M.Sc. (Queen's University, Kingston - Geography)
B.A. (University of Toronto)

Bernie joined KPU in 1997 following time spent in industry and academia. His employer, a marketer of athletic equipment, serviced the institutional markets across Canada. Operating from the company's base in Central Canada, Bernie's primary responsibilities consisted of overseeing the firm's sales and marketing programs. While working in industry, Bernie also began to pursue a part-time career as a College instructor, teaching courses in Quantitative Methods, Finance, Marketing and International Business.

An interested observer of financial markets since graduate school, Bernie was excited at the prospect to teach a course in Managerial Finance when the opportunity presented itself in his second term at KPU. As the course evolved over a number of terms, one particularly popular component was a stock trading simulation that involved the buying and selling of equities. Working in small groups, students would collaborate in formulating and executing investment strategies, thereby gaining both an insider's view of the markets and hands-on experience trading stocks in a virtually risk-free environment.

While teaching remains Bernie's primary passion, he also enjoys travelling, hiking and skiing. Since joining KPU, Bernie has witnessed the transformation from College to University College to Polytechnic University and has been amazed by the robust growth the institution has experienced.

Esther Tiessen

Academic Qualifications:
Ph.D. (University of Toronto - Education);
Ed.M. (Harvard University);
B.Ed. (University of Windsor);
B.Math (University of Waterloo)

Esther joined BUQU in January 2010, previously having taught at KPU in Qualifying Studies. While Esther has worked in business-software development, consulting, software support, production scheduling-her passion is for education. She believes that education is a more constructive agent for positive change in the world than business. She has worked for many years as an educator, including university, adult basic education, K-12, and teacher professional development. In all of her teaching experiences, she has enjoyed facing the challenges-both common and unique to subject area, context, and population-that have helped her develop and grow as an educator. Her goal as an educator is to help students to not only achieve the learning outcomes for the courses she teaches, but also to become self-directed learners, critical thinkers, and competent knowledge workers.
 

Guoren Zhang

Academic Qualifications:
ABD Ph.D. (University of Western Ontario, Richard Ivey Melville School of Business);
M.Sc. (McMaster University);
B.A. (Nankai University)

Guoren joined the Melville School of Business at KPU as a full time faculty member in April, 2009. He started his teaching career at the University of Western Ontario where he taught Operations Management. Guoren's research interest includes revenue management, supply chain management, and financial mathematics. He has published refereed articles in different scholarly journals. Besides teaching and research, Guoren is actively involved in university and community services.

Jacky Li

Academic Qualifications:
M.Sc (Dalhousie University - Applied Mathematics);
B.Sc (Dalhousie University - Mathematics)

Jacky joined the Melville School of Business at KPU as a faculty member in the fall of 2008. At KPU, he is the Chair of the Melville School of Business Scholarships & Awards Selections Committee. Prior to teaching at KPU, Jacky held various teaching and research positions in Canada. Jacky is committed to enable and empower people to see their own greatness, and teaching at KPU allows him to fulfill that commitment. In his spare time, Jacky enjoys cycling, dancing, travelling, and playing Ultimate Frisbee.

Laurie Phipps

Academic Qualifications:
Ph.D. (Simon Fraser University (in progress) - Educational Technology & Learning Design);
M.A.D.L. (Royal Roads University - Distributed Learning);
M.A. (Queen's University, Kingston - Economics);
B.A. (Simon Fraser University - Economics Major, Business Minor)

From 1995 to the end of 2007, Laurie was full-time continuing faculty at Camosun College in Victoria, British Columbia teaching mainly introduction to economics, principles of economics, money & banking, as well as some quantitative methods and business math courses. In August, 2007, he moved back to Vancouver (he was born here) with his wife (she wasn't) and started work on a PhD in Educational Technology and Learning Design at Simon Fraser University (SFU). In January 2008, Laurie began teaching in the Department of Economics at KPU and celebrated the publishing of a Principles of Economics text on which he is co-author. Laurie joined the Business Quantitative Methods department full time in May, 2009.

Minli Lian

Academic Qualifications:
Ph.D. (Simon Fraser University (in progress) - Finance);
M.B.A. (Simon Fraser University - Finance and Management Information Systems);
C.F.A. Charter holder
B.A. (Xiamen (Amoy) University - Economics and International Business)

Minli completed her MBA from Simon Fraser University in 2001. She is a CFA charter holder and currently working on the PhD degree in Finance at Simon Fraser university. Minli's research interest includes: capital market, hedge funds, mutual funds, real estate, and derivatives.

Robert Ironside

Academic Qualifications:
ABD Ph.D. (University of Toronto - Finance);
M.B.A. (University of Alberta - Finance);
P.D./A.D. (University of Alberta - Secondary Education);
B.A. (University of Alberta - Economics)

Robert is currently a finance Professor at KPU. Prior to returning to the academic world in 2005, Robert spent a number of years in the corporate sector. He was President and CEO of Learning Dividends, a private eLearning company dedicated to taking the teaching of finance to the internet. He was previously a corporate account manager for two of Canada's largest banks, a contract administrator for an international manufacturing company and VP Corporate Development for a Toronto Stock Exchange listed public oil company.

Robert has been a life-long entrepreneur. He was the primary force behind developing the concept that went public on the Toronto Stock Exchange as Trilogy Resource Corporation. He was a co-founder and Director of Primeline Capital Corp., an Alberta Stock Exchange listed Junior Capital Pool Corporation.

Robert has taught and consulted in over twenty countries including Barbados, Belgium, China, Equatorial Guinea, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland and the United States.

Robert is widely recognized for his exceptional teaching abilities - he has won six teaching awards in three different universities, teaching both graduate and undergraduate students.

Rebecca Tang

Academic Qualifications:
M.B.A. (University of Hertfordshire - Finance/Marketing, Knowledge & Complexity Management);
M.E.T. (University of British Columbia - Learning Design & Distributed Learning);
Grad.Dip.Ed. (University of British Columbia - Language and Literacy Education, TESL);
B.Ed. (University of British Columbia - Secondary, ICT and Mathematics);
B.Sc. (University of British Columbia - Computer Science and Mathematics) 
 

Stephen Peplow

Academic Qualifications:
P.h.D. (University of British Columbia (in progress) - Economics);
M.Sc. (University of British Columbia - Agricultural Economics);
M.Sc. (Distinction) (Imperial College, London - Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development)

Stephen has spent most of his working life as a businessman in Hong Kong. He tries to use his business experience as a motivation for the courses he teaches, which include the new BUQU 3230 Applied Decision Analysis. Stephen spent much of his early years enjoying life on a farm in England, and remains interested in agriculture. He is currently completing a PhD at the University of British Columbia. His research interests focus on agricultural economics, where he is interested in combining insights from geographical information systems (GIS) with other statistical approaches. Stephen tries to publish regularly in journals such as Eurochoices and the Journal of Ecological Economics. He is especially keen to help students interested in research or applying to graduate school.

Nancy Stewart

Academic Qualifications:
M.A. (Queens University, Kingston - Economics);
B.A. (Hons.) (University of Alberta - Economics)

Nancy has taught economics, public sector financial management, business math, and non-profit financial management for Athabasca University, MacEwan University, NAIT and BCIT. Her career at the Government of Alberta, and its various boards and agencies, spanned over thirty years. During this time, she led research and policy development in ministries including Advanced Education, Education, Intergovernmental Affairs, and Treasury, and project management of several government initiatives including resolution of teachers' unfunded pension liabilities, human rights reform, and redesign of services to children. In semi-retirement, Nancy continues to enjoy public issues, and post-secondary teaching duties, while also devoting time to long walks with the dogs and umpiring local softball games.

Ulrieke Birner

Academic Qualifications:
M.Sc. (Dalhousie University);
B.A. (University of British Columbia)

Ulrieke first discovered her passion for teaching at the University of the Cariboo (now Thompson Rivers University) where she taught courses in first and second year psychology. She joined the Melville School of Business at KPU as a full time faculty member in the Fall of 2004. At KPU, Ulrieke has also been involved in a variety of non-teaching roles at the University, including, serving as Department Chair, being a member of the Research Ethics Board and serving on numerous University committees. Prior to teaching, Ulrieke held various research positions both in Canada and in Germany. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, cycling and travelling.