FACULTY PROFILE
Dr. Zhao joined Governors State University as an assistant
professor of management in 1999. Over the past 20 years, she was actively
engaged in teaching, research, and service, and was promoted to full professor
in 2012. She was appointed to be the division chair in Management, Marketing,
and Entrepreneurship Division in 2012. She became Dean of the College in
November 2016.
Dr. Zhao has been actively engaged in COB’s efforts to
develop and offer high quality academic programs as faculty leader, division chair,
and most recently Dean of the College. She worked closely with the Illinois
Network for Advanced Manufacturing (INAM) consortium and its community college
members to develop the Bachelor of Arts in Manufacturing Management program. Under
her leadership, enrollment in GSU’s Online MBA in General Management and Supply
Chain Management programs have earned top rankings and recognitions for its
high quality and affordability, and increased enrollment significantly.
As Dean of the College, Dr. Zhao leads the college’s efforts
in enhancing its engagement with various stakeholders, including its business
partners. She serves as member of the South Suburban Economic Growth Initiative
(SSEGI) workforce group, Will/South Cook TDL Employer Partnership, as well as
Calumet Manufacturing Sector Partnership. In 2019, she led GSU’s efforts to
seek Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) hub grant, to establish a Supply Chain
Innovation Center and Business Incubator
on its campus.
Dr.
Zhao received her Bachelor of Engineering degree from Shanghai Jiaotong
University in 1990. She earned her MBA and DBA degrees from Southern Illinois
University at Carbondale in 1994 and 1998, respectively. She also held teaching
positions at Western Illinois University, Governors State University, Roosevelt
University, and California State University Channel Islands.
RESEARCH
Dr. Zhao’s research interests include corporate
restructuring, organizational downsizing, psychological contract, and
cross-cultural management issues. Her work has appeared in scholarly journals
including Academy of Management Review, Management Research Review, Chinese
Management Studies, Journal of International Education in Business, Advances in
Competitiveness Research, and Journal of Business Diversity. She teaches
strategic management, international business, and organizational behavior at
both undergraduate and graduate levels.
SERVICE
Dr. Zhao actively contributes to division, college, and
university committees as member of Strategy 2025, Planning and Budget Advisory
Committee, Graduate Council, Administrative Policy Committee, Global Affairs
Committee, and so on. She has led COB’s efforts in globalizing its curriculum,
faculty, and students since 2009. She participated as a trip leader for two
short term study trips to China in 2006 and 2012, and contributed to planning
for other trips COB offered to its students in the past few years.
Link to Dr. Zhao's CV