Faculty

Lisa Bertin began teaching both business and IT–related courses at Penn State Shenango in 2001. Professionally, her business experience includes serving as an office controller and account manager. She has received several teaching awards during her time at the University, including the 2015 George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching. Her research interests include online learning and management information systems. She currently serves on the board of directors for Mercer Area Library, Athena PowerLink, and Lawrence Mercer Athena International.

Dr. Veronica Godshalk is a professor of management and lead program coordinator for the Penn State World Campus Bachelor of Science in Business, Associate in Science in Business Administration, and Business Minor. She has published more than 40 scholarly works and served as a consultant for several Fortune 500 companies. Her research interests include issues surrounding career management and mentoring. Dr. Godshalk is also an active member in the Academy of Management and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

Dr. Ali Kara is a professor of marketing and the discipline coordinator of the Business and Economics Division of University College. He has published in such academic journals as Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Advertising, International Journal of Research in Marketing, European Journal of Operations Research, and Omega. Dr. Kara teaches a variety of marketing courses. His research focuses on statistical modeling, model comparisons, and identifying segments using data.

Michael Krajsa, assistant teaching professor of business at Penn State Lehigh Valley and Penn State World Campus, has a diverse background in management, marketing, business strategy, nonprofit development, entrepreneurship, global NGOs, publishing, public affairs, and government. His background provides a rich foundation and network for him to serve as the founding faculty liaison of Lehigh Valley LaunchBox, an off-campus, community-facing business accelerator that funded 43 portfolio companies in two years.

Michael Ridenour teaches a number of accounting courses ranging from financial accounting to taxation. He has worked for the Internal Revenue Service and several certified public accountant firms. He also owns and operates a tax service business. 

Frank M. Sorokach teaches economics, project management, business strategy, risk management, and marketing courses. He is the lead instructor and course designer for MIS 204 at Penn State World Campus. He has more than 20 years of applied management and business ownership experience in varied disciplines and has taught for more than 15 years. His research interests include process management, technology integration, risk, and business disruption. He focuses on the application of new concepts, systems, and technologies to improve business, specifically in the integration of technology and management theory.

Dr. Yang Xu has taught a variety of business administration courses and was involved in the development of two online courses for Penn State World Campus. She is the recipient of the 2009 Campus Award for Excellence in Teaching. Dr. Xu has published articles in various academic journals and presented refereed papers at large international conferences. In addition to her 21 research papers that have been published or accepted in academic journals and conference proceedings, Dr. Xu has reviewed more than 60 manuscripts for prestigious academic conferences and top-tier or reputable scholarly journals.