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Leavey School of Business Santa Clara University
Department ofManagement & Entrepreneurship

About Our Fellows

About Our Fellows

MAS BEHR Team

Our MAS BEHR fellows collaborate to form a dynamic group united through their shared passion for business ethics.

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Michael Santoro

Founder, MAS BEHR

Prof. Michael A. Santoro is the Director of the Business Ethics and Human Rights Lab in the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University. Prof. Santoro’s current research focuses on number of areas--(1) the intersection of Artificial Intelligence with business ethics and human rights, particularly as it affects underrepresented minorities and citizens of the global south; (2) the management science behind Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; (3) Access of underrepresented minorities to learning accommodations in educational settings; (4) ethical and values-based leadership in community health centers and other local settings, and (5) the fairness of CEO pay.

Prof. Santoro is also working on a book which attempts to bridge the gap between polarized political and cultural debates in the United States and globally.

Professor Santoro’s paper on Machine Learning and Racial Bias (co-authored with LSB colleagues Michele Samorani and Haibing Lu) has garnered media attention and several awards, including the “Best Paper” Award from the “Financial Times 50” journal Manufacturing & Service Operations Management.

Prior to arriving at the Leavey School of Business in 2016, Prof. Santoro was a professor at Rutgers Business School for two decades. He is a founding Co-Editor of the Business and Human Rights Journal (Cambridge University Press) and founding President of the Global Business and Human Rights Scholars Association. He also serves on the editorial boards of Business Ethics Quarterly and the Journal of Human Rights.

Professor Santoro is the author of five books: A China Business Primer: Ethics, Culture, and Relationships by Michael A. Santoro and and Robert Shanklin (Routledge Press, 2021); Wall Street Values: Business Ethics and the Global Financial Crisis by Michael A. Santoro and Ronald J. Strauss (Cambridge University Press, 2013); China 2020: How Western Business Can–and Should–Influence Social and Political Change in the Coming Decade (Cornell University Press, 2009); Ethics and the Pharmaceutical Industry, Michael A. Santoro and Thomas M. Gorrie, Editors (Cambridge University Press 2005); and Profits and Principles: Global Capitalism and Human  Rights in China (Cornell University Press, 2000).

He holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard University, a J.D. from New York University, and an A.B. from Oberlin College and was a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Hong Kong.

Current Team

Sarah Cabral, Ph.D.

Dean's Executive Professor

 Sarah Cabral headshot 

Sarah Cabral joined the Leavey School of Business this fall as Dean's Executive Professor focusing on leadership and ethics curriculum and programming. Last year, Sarah worked at the Markkula Center of Applied Ethics as a senior scholar of business ethics and now serves as a faculty scholar of the center. From 2009-2019, Sarah was a senior lecturer of business ethics in the Portico Program at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management. Cabral maintained a role as a teaching and research fellow of the Carroll School from 2019-2022, focusing on the application of the Jesuit mission to business education. Sarah is a board member and incoming Secretary of the Colleagues of Jesuit Business Education. Her areas of research specialization are business ethics, business ethics education, and Kierkegaard. She holds a B.A. in philosophy and English literature from Gordon College, an M.A. in humanities from University of Chicago, an M.B.A from Boston College, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Loyola University of Chicago.

Chan Thai, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Communications

 Chan Thai headshot

Chan Thai teaches courses on communication and technology, health communication, and the strategic design of communication campaigns to promote behavior change. Her areas of research include measuring the effectiveness of media literacy interventions, designing and evaluating nutrition education interventions, cancer communication, and using national data sets to understand population level health behaviors.

Chan Thai joined the Department of Communication at Santa Clara University in 2016. Her research focuses on the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of communication campaigns to promote healthy behaviors ranging from interactions with the media to dietary behavior. She applies mixed methods approaches to gather data to inform campaign design and assess campaign effectiveness. Her broader research interests include health and cancer communication, health behaviors, and health psychology. She has published her research in communication journals as well as public health and medical science journals. She greatly enjoys teaching students inside and outside of the classroom and strives to design courses that balance theoretical concepts with real world application using a variety of pedagogical strategies and techniques, while also encouraging students to learn about their own working and learning styles.

Sherry Wang, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Counseling Psychology

 

Sherry C. Wang earned her BA in Psychology from Smith College, and her MA and PhD from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She completed her predoctoral internship at the University of Illinois-Chicago, where she had a rotation opportunity working with survivors of political torture. Most recently, she was an Assistant Professor at the University of Southern Mississippi, where she expanded her focus from immigrant and refugee mental health to examine barriers of care for African Americans living in the Deep South. Her research interests are focused on cultural factors in ethnic minority health disparities, such as the role of acculturation, stigma, and oppression in risky behaviors (e.g., hazardous alcohol use, risky sexual behaviors, HIV). To better understand how individual and systemic factors perpetuate oppression, she draws from quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches. She co-directs the organization, Research Initiative on Social Justice and Equity, which is a national team of faculty, students, and community members committed to using critical inquiry to address issues of systemic inequalities. She is also a fellow of the APA Minority Fellowship Program (MFP), a scholar of the UCLA HIV/AIDS Substance Abuse and Training Program (HA-STTP), and an early career award recipient from the National Multicultural and Counseling Summit (NMCS). At Santa Clara University, she will be teaching her favorite classes, which include multicultural counseling, developmental counseling, micro skills, and counseling theories.

 

Melissa Thiriez, MBA Candidate

Melissa Thiriez headshot 

Melissa Thiriez is the Director of Employer Relations and Partnerships in the SCU Career Center and MBA candidate at SCU.

She has worked for four years at SCU and finds passion in expanding opportunities for Broncos!

As a fellow in the lab, Melissa is working on investigating the connections between learning disabilities and accommodations in higher education among diverse student populations. 

 

Olivia Vidal '26

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My name is Olivia Vidal. I am a sophomore class of 2026 from Seattle, Washington. I am majoring in Management and minoring in Economics. I aspire to have a career in project management or product management, hoping to gain experience through this position.

Evan Westervelt '26

MSBEHR Group 5 fellow headshot 

I am a sophomore transfer economics major from Tufts University. Born and raised in Colorado, much of my hobbies involve being outdoors and active. I also run an exotic car brokering business, Phoenix Exotics, which I started in late 2020. I've sold over $2 million worth of cars to date and have greatly enjoyed the process of starting and growing a business. The freedom of having a business has allowed me to work for a charity called the Morgan Adams Foundation which raises money for pediatric cancer research, I have worked with them for over 3 years organizing an event they put on every year and I have helped raise over $3.5 million for the foundation. At Santa Clara, I also play men's lacrosse, a sport that I have loved since I began playing at 6 years old.

 

Ben Broccoli

Ben Broccoli headshot 

Ben Broccoli is currently a junior at Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose, California. Outside of the classroom, he likes to participate in both track and cross country, and he is also an avid ceramicist. These hobbies help instill him with patience, leadership skills, and a collaborative mindset. He first assisted in research in October of 2023 on Health Care in the Bay Area. He enjoys working with BEHR because he believes in the importance of maintaining just and ethical business in his community.

Abraham Zhong

Abraham Zhong headshot 

My name is Abraham Zhong, and I am currently a Junior at Mountain View High School. I've always had a strong interest in biology and biotechnology, and I've participated in many summer programs that allowed me to dive deeper into the science behind many procedures, devices, or drugs that are used in medicine today. So, being able to work on the Bay Area Healthcare project was an intriguing and eye opening opportunity. We looked at all aspects of healthcare for local hospitals and companies, including their medical practices and research. This project was especially interesting, as we found examples of exciting developments in medicine, such as AI for patient care that ensures minority representation and safety. Overall, I am very grateful for being able to research these topics and put together the results for Professor Santoro's healthcare course, as well as working with many amazing people.

 

BEHR Lab Alumni

Bethlehem Melaku '26

Bethlehem Melaku Photo 

Bethlehem Melaku is a class of 2026 student from Oakland, California studying marketing. From a young age, Bethlehem has been interested in morals and ethics. Being interested in business as well, she knew that she would have to find a way to bridge the gap between sustainability and business practices. As an aspiring entrepreneur, Bethlehem has always observed the issues of unethical practices in the business world. She understands how important it is to how apply ethics into business so that she can help create a sustainable and moral impact on society.

Taking Professor Santoro’s business ethics class furthered her interest in the relationship between ethics and business. Seeing how she could assess corporate responsibility in theory was one thing, but being apart of the MAS BEHR lab would allow her to apply the theories to live research. Through the lab, Bethlehem hopes to urge companies to acknowledge their social and ethical responsibilities by utilizing her skills of critical thinking and ethical perspective.

Ellie Tng '25

Ellie Tng headshot 

Ellie Tng is a class of 2025 student majoring in Accounting from Fremont, California. Ever since Ellie switched her major from English to Business and then Accounting, she has been proactive about honing her skills and knowledge to become successful in the business/accounting world. Her goal is to not only leverage her skills to become successful in accounting, but also to encourage the utilization of underrepresented minority groups in business and accounting workplaces. Aware of the proliferation of unethical practices in the current international business environment, Ellie aims to act ethically and encourage ethical practices in her anticipated career as an audit accountant. 

In her time as part of the MAS BEHR lab, Ellie has researched the potential for consciousness in AI and what it means to be conscious. Ellie is particularly interested in this subject because she expects that as AI becomes more powerful and refined, the integration of AI in the business landscape will have significant effects on the livelihoods of everyday people. She hopes that her work at the MAS BEHR lab will contribute to an international business environment where ethics and social responsibility are integrated into the corporate framework.

Yoni Aidlberg '25

Yoni Aidlberg Photo 

Yoni Aidlberg is a class of 2025 Finance Major in the Leavey School of Business and a member of the Men’s Soccer Team at SCU from San Jose, California. Through a lifetime of soccer, Yoni has established himself as a leader and will implement those skills to promote the success of his peers in the direction of a collective goal. Aspiring towards business ownership, he desires to promote inclusivity for a more dynamic and capable workforce while prioritizing the ethical model of businesses.

Yoni is intrigued primarily by the opportunity to research current business issues in terms of corporate social responsibility and the ways in which various businesses can be incentivized towards social awareness. He believes that the most successful business models are those in which CSR is foundational and prevalent, and looks forward to establishing such a business in the future as a metric and guide for others.

 

Annabelle North '24

A person smiling in a formal portrait with a dark background. 

Annabelle North is a class of 2024 student in the Leavey School of Business from San Carlos, California. Annabelle strives to advance the teams she works for through contributing to the growth of her organizations while also prioritizing the causes she supports. Regardless of the industry she ends up working in, she hopes to elevate ethical causes throughout her professional career.

What interests Annabelle in business ethics is the dynamic nature of the conversations within the BHR community. She recognizes that business ethics and human rights is integral to every aspect of business and believes that corporate responsibility should be an endless journey: there are always more opportunities to make business more ethical.

Eric Blair '23

Eric Blair headshot 

Eric is a Finance major and business analytics minor in the graduating class of 2023. He was deeply involved in the Leavey School of Business during his time at Santa Clara, and will be leveraging his undergraduate education in his consulting role at Cornerstone Research.

As a first year student, Eric took an interest in Dr. Santoro's Management 6 course, and demonstrated a nuanced understanding of the curriculum. When the time came to write his University Honors Program Senior Thesis, Eric sought to amalgamate his interests in data analysis and corporate governance with the ethical frameworks discussed in Dr. Santoro's course. Utilizing data afforded by newly mandated SEC disclosures, Dr. Santoro and Eric would go on to present their work at the 2023 Society of Business Ethics Annual Conference, as well as publish the piece in the Loyola University of Chicago Journal of Regulatory Compliance.

Katy Johnson '23

Katy Johnson Photo 

Katy Johnson is a senior studying Management and Communications with a Retail Studies minor at Santa Clara University.  They value bettering the world through studying and empowering positive human engagement. Additionally, that people have a responsibility to find routes that protect human rights regardless of the industry they stand in. Throughout their time working and studying at the university, they have seen many local and global instances of human rights being violated and have made it their mission to do their part in bettering the future.

 

Brooke Eldridge '23

A person smiling in a headshot photo. 

Brooke Eldridge is a sophomore from Kansas City, Missouri studying Marketing alongside Retail Studies and Studio Art at Santa Clara University.  She ultimately strives to work in branding or advertising within the retail space. However, she also recognizes the retail industry’s history with human rights violations and unsustainable practices which she seeks to alleviate throughout her career. 

The Business Ethics and Human Rights space resonates with Brooke because of her strong ambition to explore businesses’ social impact in communities spanning globally. The MAS BEHR has allowed her to funnel her passion for ethics into corporate responsibility. Having an ethics-based business community has inspired her to investigate how human rights concerns interact with her fields of study.

Patrick Burke '22

A person smiling outdoors with trees in the background. 

Patrick Burke is a class of 2022 student from Los Altos, California studying finance. Patrick aspires to have a career in venture capital and private equity in Silicon Valley. He wants to assist in making decisions on investments in start-ups and technology companies. He recognizes that it will be important that I am proficient at understanding the ethical ramifications of an investment in order to invest in the right companies.

Patrick knows that the most ethical business decisions are not always the most profitable. However, he thinks that using business ethics within the venture capital field could help firms to start investing in companies that are going to benefit society. He also argues that investors can help new companies create and implement ethical standards that will assist the company with corporate responsibility and ultimately greater success. Patrick appreciates that working with the MAS BEHR lab has also allowed him to evaluate investments through a Jesuit ethical framework that upholds social justice and human rights.

 

 

Justin Armanino '23

A person smiling with curly hair and a light-colored shirt. 

Justin Armanino is a sophomore from Danville, California studying Finance. Deeply interested in business operations and wealth management, he plans to become a consultant or certified advisor. Beyond solely career-based aspirations, he hopes to engage with his community through his future path and strives to give back in a meaningful way. 

Justin first learned about the Business Ethics and Human Rights community through one of Professor Santoro’s business ethics courses at SCU. The case study-based class interested him and inspired him to learn more about the foundations of business ethics. With the MSBEHR Lab, Justin has really enjoyed the opportunity to apply his dual interest in finance and ethics to current events through his different assignments with the lab so far.

Caroline Glaser '23

Young woman smiling outside with blurred background. 

Caroline Glaser is a sophomore from Portland, Oregon studying Finance. While her main interests academically include mainly finance centered work, she has a genuine passion for ethical business practices.

After taking a business ethics class at the university, she came to realize how much business and human rights truly do intersect at every level of a business. Caroline is particularly excited about corporate responsibility. She ultimately strives to implement general, widely applied accountability standards for businesses globally. Within the MAS BEHR, Caroline is able to utilize both her practical and analytical perspectives to bring her unique perspective to the team.

 

Taylor Kim '22

 

Taylor Kim is a junior studying Business Management and Environmental Studies alongside Retail Studies. Combining her different passions into one career path, Taylor aspires to work for an outdoor retailer and increase general access and equity in outdoor recreation. She also intends to apply her passion for environmental and sustainability efforts into her career.

What interests Taylor in the Business Ethics and Human Rights space is the overall goal for her studies to be grounded in improving the world and making a positive impact. She understands that making businesses more ethical is extremely important in our globalized world, regardless of industries. Taylor has really appreciated that MSBEHR has allowed her to explore specific cases and issues to apply her ethical ambitions to, and she appreciates how the lab’s different perspectives combine to make a truly dynamic space.

 

Camille Spence '23

A person smiling in front of a wooden wall. 

Camille Spence is a sophomore from Houston Texas majoring in Finance. Specifically motivated by sustainability within business practices, she strives to implement corporate responsibility to any career path that she ends up on. At the root of her ambitions, she recognizes that the most successful careers are impactful as well.

What interests Camille most about Business Ethics and Human rights is learning about the precise ways that businesses can both negatively and positively impact human rights.  As an undergraduate business student, she feels empowered by the opportunity MAS BEHR has given her to have a genuinely active role in the business ethics community. She hopes to increase awareness in the corporate world and encourage businesses to fully realize their ethical roles and responsibilities.