Five new faculty members have joined the Daniels College of Business for the 2026-27 academic year in accounting, management, hospitality management, and business ethics and legal studies. Several other faculty received promotions.
“Each fall, our newest faculty bring more than expertise in their disciplines; they bring a commitment to the values that define Daniels: community, curiosity, integrity and service,” said Lorenzo Patelli, senior associate dean. “This year’s cohort reflects the breadth of teaching and research perspectives that make Daniels unique, and their arrival reminds us that we grow stronger every time we welcome someone new. I am confident their presence will be felt directly in and outside the classroom.”
Learn more about the incoming faculty below and welcome them into our Daniels community.
Hangu Chen, Visiting Assistant Professor, School of Accountancy
Hangu Chen is a visiting assistant professor of accounting at the Daniels College of Business. She earned her PhD in management science with a concentration in accounting from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2026. She previously earned a master of science in accounting from Boston College and a bachelor of business administration in professional accountancy from The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Her research examines how information is produced and processed by firms, investors and policymakers, and how these processes shape business and economic decisions. Her research interests include financial disclosure, capital markets, monetary policy and organizational design. Her work applies archival empirical methods, including textual analysis and machine learning.
Prior to pursuing her doctoral degree, she gained experience in the banking industry through business planning and analysis at HSBC. Outside of work, she enjoys rock climbing and dancing.
Tyson-Lord Gray, Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Business Ethics and Legal Studies
Tyson-Lord Gray is a visiting assistant teaching professor in the Department of Business Ethics and Legal Studies, where he teaches courses in business law, business ethics and sustainable enterprise.
Before joining academia, Gray practiced environmental law at Richman Law Group. His scholarship now sits at the intersection of corporate law, environmental law and food systems policy, examining how regulatory design and corporate self-governance shape accountability, from federal food assistance programs to voluntary corporate CSR and ESG commitments. His work has been published in the SMU Law Review and the Cardozo Law Review, and he has been quoted in USA Today and The New York Times, with commentary also appearing in Law360 and The Hill. His current research turns to corporate governance, examining the legal boundary between voluntary corporate self-regulation and government coercion. He is also currently working on a book project on the legal history of African American environmental activism.
Gray previously held visiting faculty appointments at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and Boston University School of Law. He is an inductee of the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collegium of Scholars and serves on the Board of Directors for Green the Church. He holds a JD with an advanced certificate in environmental law from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, a PhD in Ethics and Society from Vanderbilt University, an STM from Boston University, and an MDiv from Morehouse School of Religion. He is admitted to practice in New York and the District of Columbia.
Lauren Simon, Professor, Department of Management
Lauren Simon, PhD, brings an internationally recognized record of excellence in research, teaching and service, as a professor in the Department of Management. Previously, she served as professor of management at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. She earned her PhD in management from the University of Florida, is a fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), and holds the Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) credential.
Simon’s research examines the individual and social factors that shape career success and workplace effectiveness. Her work explores topics including individual differences (e.g., personality, neurodiversity, and social class background) in the workplace; new employee onboarding and adjustment; manager-employee relationships; leadership; and performance feedback. Her work has been published in many of the field’s leading journals and featured in prominent media outlets. She also serves on the editorial boards of Personnel Psychology, the Journal of Applied Psychology and the Journal of Management. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous national and international awards for research, teaching, and service.
In addition to her academic research, Simon is passionate about helping students navigate their careers and enjoys collaborating with organizations to conduct research and apply evidence-based insights to talent management, employee well-being and workplace effectiveness. At DU, she looks forward to contributing through impactful scholarship, meaningful student mentorship, and engagement with colleagues, students, and the broader business community.
Katie Thomas, Visiting Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Business Ethics and Legal Studies
Katie Thomas is a visiting teaching assistant professor in the Department of Business Ethics and Legal Studies. Prior to this position, she taught as an adjunct professor at BELS from 2018-2026 and at the Sturm College of Law from 2015-2021. As an adjunct, Thomas received the Adjunct Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award for the 2019-2020 academic year and the Professional MBA Program Outstanding Faculty Award in November 2020.
Thomas has dedicated her legal career to the nonprofit sector and currently assists nonprofits with their transactional legal needs through her firm, Katie Thomas Law LLC. Prior to that, she founded and served as the executive director and corporate counsel for the Colorado Nonprofit Legal Center (CNLC). CNLC was a Colorado nonprofit dedicated to providing affordable legal services and governance education to other nonprofits operating in Colorado. Additionally, she served as corporate counsel for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at the beginning of her legal career.
Thomas has a BA in psychology from the University of Southern California, as well as her MBA and JD from the University of Denver.
Jill Zimorski, Assistant Professor of the Practice, Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management
Jill Zimorski joins Daniels as an assistant professor of the practice of hospitality. Zimorski is one of only 298 Master Sommeliers (and one of the 33 women Master Sommeliers) in the world. She has been at the forefront of some of the most acclaimed wine and beverage programs in the country, including her time as wine director of The Alinea Group (and then-Michelin Three-Star Alinea Restaurant). She has also earned her diploma, with merit, in wines and spirits from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, is a French Wine Scholar with Highest Honors, and holds a Diploma in Single Malt Scotch Whisky from the Edinburgh Whisky Academy. Zimorski holds a BA from the University of Virginia and an MBA from DePaul University in Chicago.
After working as a Sommelier and Wine Director for restaurants and hotels in Washington, D.C., Aspen and Chicago, Zimorski has been on faculty at DePaul University’s Driehaus School of Hospitality and Sports Business since 2023, teaching undergraduate wine and spirits classes. Additionally, she is an educator with the American Wine School in Chicago, teaching all levels of WSET Wine and Spirits classes, and has been contributor to the SommTV network for both her video series “Study Hall,” and her podcast “Reading & Drinking” where she reviews wine books.
Faculty Promotions
In addition to the new faculty joining this fall, several current Daniels faculty members have been promoted. They are:
- Michael Nalick, Associate Professor, Department of Management
- Alex Petkevich, Professor, Reiman Schol of Finance
- Tia Quinlan-Wilder, Teaching Professor, Department of Marketing
- Holly Roof, Teaching Associate Professor, Department of Business Information and Analytics
- Cristin Tarr, Teaching Associate Professor, Department of Marketing
- Ben Williams, Associate Professor, Department of Business Information and Analytics
- Cheng Zhang, Associate Professor, Reiman Schol of Finance