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Business and Economics
Meet the Faculty

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Dr. Peter V. Bias earned the Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Cincinnati in 1989. Dr. Bias is Professor of Business and Economics at the College and teaches in both the undergraduate and graduate programs. Areas of specialty are monetary theory and statistics.
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Dr. Craig Bythewood, a native of Tampa, Florida, earned his Bachelor of Business Administration at Howard University in Washington, D.C. He received his Ph.D. in Finance at the University of Florida at the age of 26. Upon graduation, in an effort to gain practical experience, he worked as a Chief Financial Officer for a south Florida healthcare facility. At Florida Southern, he teaches both Finance and Economics. He has served as a consultant for several organizations, including JPMorgan Chase, Hewlett-Packard and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is also a personal financial planner and provides countless speeches on personal finance, economic empowerment and community issues. He also serves as Director of the Scholarship Program and Sunday School Teacher for Bible-Based Fellowship Church. His hobbies include flag football and basketball. He is married to CeCe and has two daughters, Mecca and Nilaja.
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Dr. Carl C. Brown is Professor of Economics. He has the BS in Business Administration from Florida Southern College, MA in Economics from University of South Florida, and Ph.D. in Economics from Oklahoma State University. Dr. Brown is the William F. Chatlos Professor of Business and Economics at Florida Southern College where he served as director of the economics program for 16 years. He has taught in the graduate program for 21 years, and has published the Polk Progress Economic Report on the local economy for the past 20 years. Dr. Brown has served on a number of boards of directors for nonprofit institutions and civic organizations, including the Chautaugua Institution. He is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, Omicron Delta Epsilon, and the Southern Economic Association.
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Dr. Joan Buccino is Professor of Economics
and chair of Business and Economics Program. She has the BA from Wellesley College, MEd from Boston State College, Graduate Harvard-Radcliffe Program in Business Administration, and Ph.D. from the University of South Florida. She was appointed in 1994 to the Dorotha C. Tanner Chair in Ethics in Business and Economics. Dr. Buccino has 23 years teaching experience at FSC and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Omicron Delta Kappa, National Association of Corporate Directors and the American Economic Association. She served FSC as Chair of the Social Science Division and Interim Vice President of the College.
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Dr. Lynn H. Clements, Professor of Accounting at Florida Southern College, began as an adjunct instructor in 1984, and as a full-time instructor in 1990. After earning her Bachelor of Science degree at Florida Southern College, she practiced public accounting for 6 years, and then earned the Master of Business Administration degree at FSC. She has been certified as a Florida CPA since 1980, as a CMA (Certified Management Accountant) since 1992, as a CFM (Certified in Financial Management) since 1997, as a Cr.FA (Certified Forensic Accountant) since 2002, and as a CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner) since 2004. She is a member of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), the American Accounting Association, and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Lynn earned her Doctor of Business Administration degree from Nova Southeastern University in March 2002. Her interests include family activities, reading, travel, and music.
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Walter Coleman, Associate Professor, has a Master of Business Administration in Management as well as an MBA with Computer Science emphasis and has been at FSC since 1988. His 35 years of applied business experience range from entrepreneurial activities as the CEO of his own organizations to the strategic environment of the board of directors of a New York Stock Exchange listed company. He teaches Strategic Management and Computer Science Concepts. He also teaches Human Resources Management, having served at one time as the Regional Director of Personnel for the twelfth largest company in the Fortune 500 index. He is a frequent faculty member of the FSC May Option program in England where he teaches Entrepreneurship. Having traveled extensively throughout Eastern and Western Europe, he has served as an international business consultant for the U.S. Agency for International Development in former eastern block countries such as Ukraine. For many years the author of a fortnightly syndicated column, he also serves as chairman of the corporate governance committee of a diversified company owning subsidiaries in information technology, propane and natural gas transmission distribution, interstate pipelines and water distribution. Coleman is the advisor to the FSC Student Chapter of Toastmasters International and serves as a fraternity advisor. A former two-time president of the chamber of commerce, he is still active in economic development serving on the board of the Central Florida Economic Development Council. He was appointed to the Workforce Development Board, which was created by the federal Job Training Investment Act to distribute the millions of dollars allocated to Polk County. He coordinates the FSC MBA Abroad program.
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Gary Cook, Associate Professor of Business Administration, brings over twenty years of teaching experience to FSC. Cook received his B.S. and M.B.A. from California State University and his Ph.D. in Management Information Systems from Arizona State University. Since receiving his Ph.D., Cook has taught at Michigan State University, the University of South Florida, the University of Dubuque, and Governors State University. His research interests include decision support systems, information technology management, electronic commerce, and human computer interactions. He is the recipient of the Faculty Excellence Award from Governors State and is a Certified Wireless Security Professional. In addition to his own publications, Cook is a reviewer for several journals and is on the editorial board of The Journal of Information Systems.
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Dr. Paul Eberle is Associate Professor of Business and Economics. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1990. Dr. Eberle holds a B.S. in Economics and an M.S. in Finance from Texas A&M University. Dr. Eberle has taught business and economics classes at universities and colleges in Shanghai, Tianjin, Dezhou, Baoding, Shijiazhuang, Wuhan, Wenzhou, Qiqihar, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Uzbekistan, and Copenhagen. At Florida Southern he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in finance, management science, and economics. His office is 214 in the Rogers Building and may be reached at (863) 680 4275.
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Dr. David Grossman is Assistant Professor of International Business and Marketing. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management and Marketing, Master of Science in Business Education and Master of Science International Business, and Doctorate in Business Administration in International Business from Southern New Hampshire University. His teaching interests including market entry strategies, marketing research, development of international educational programs, and sport and entertainment marketing. Dr. Grossman is a member of several professional and academic organizations and consults for several schools in their quest to venture into the various overseas markets. Professionally, Dr. Grossman has worked for a variety of organizations ranging from hotel chains and chemical distributors to public school systems and non-governmental organizations.
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Dr. Cindy Hardin is Professor of Business Administration. She received the BS degree magna cum laude from Florida Southern College in 1982. She then received her Juris Doctorate degree from Stetson University College of Law in 1984. Upon graduating from law school, Dr. Hardin began practicing law in Lakeland, in the areas of business law and commercial transactions, real estate, probate and family law until joining the staff of Florida Southern College in the fall of 1988. Although still engaged in the practice of law, Dr. Hardin focuses her energies on the classroom, teaching primarily Business Law I and II, Legal Research and Writing, Legal Document Drafting and Freshmen Year Experience. Dr. Hardin is the faculty advisor of Delta Sigma Pi, National Business Fraternity, and the Honors Student Association. She is on the Board of Directors for Pied Piper Players Community Theater, Santa Fe Catholic High School Board of Education, a member of the Lakeland Bar Association, Florida Bar Association Law Related Education Committee, Delta Sigma Pi, Sigma Beta Delta, Phi Eta Sigma and Omicron Delta Kappa. In her spare time she enjoys visiting elementary school classes to speak about the legal system, volunteering at her church and her children's school, performing in community theater productions, and spending time with her husband and two sons.
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Mike Knudstrup or “Dr. Mike” has a BA from Kalamazoo College, MI and an MBA and Ph.D. in management from Florida State University. While at FSU, Mike received three different teaching awards. He has also taught at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates and at the University of Central Florida. Dr. Knudstrup has authored various articles relating to the topics of leadership and management.
Mike’s business background includes five years managing a construction and remodeling business as well as several years investing in real estate. He also does business and personal coaching. His outside interests include playing basketball, windsurfing, listening to rock and roll, and doing Christian studies. (He played intercollegiate football and basketball at Kalamazoo.) He coaches various sports teams for his three daughters. Mary, his wife of twenty years, is a pediatric intensive care nurse.
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Nicholas Nugent is Assistant
Professor of Business. He earned his Bachelor of Science in
Business Administration, an MBA (Master of Business
Administration), and a Master of Science in International
Business from Southern New Hampshire University. He is currently
completing his Ph.D. in Business, also at Southern New Hampshire
University. His major field of doctoral study is International
Business, with minor fields in Marketing and Applied Statistics.
His teaching interests include marketing strategy, international
business, and marketing research.
Professor Nugent has traveled extensively and has worked and
lectured in Germany and Dubai, UAE. He has guest lectured at
Boston College, Plymouth State University, and the NordAkademie
in Hamburg, Germany. His current research includes marketing
strategy, international sport marketing, and business strategy.
Although he was born in Daytona Beach, Nick has lived most of
his life in New Hampshire and recently joined the FSC faculty.
He enjoys all sports and played varsity baseball and hockey at
SNHU, and served as team captain in both sports.
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Dr. Larry Ross is the Anne and Bill France Distinguished Professor of Business and the Coordinator of the Graduate Program. Dr. Ross joined the faculty in 1993. He received both his MBA and Ph.D. in business/marketing from Georgia State University and his Bachelors degree in business from Florida State University. His teaching interests are in the areas of marketing, hospitality, and strategic planning. He has received several awards for teaching excellence. Dr. Ross is an officer serving on the board of the Leadership Lakeland Alumni Association, the United Way of Central Florida, and is the Chairman of the Board of the McKeel Academy of Technology. Until recently, Dr. Ross was active as a business owner and operator of a dozen restaurants. He still serves as a consultant to the food service industry in the areas of marketing and operations. He works as a facilitator in the area of strategic planning for a diverse range of clients. Dr. Ross is frequently invited to give presentations and seminars ranging from the need for business etiquette, to the role of internal marketing, and the impact of effective strategic planning. Office phone, 680-4285. Room 237 Rogers Building.
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Dr. John L. Stancil is Associate Professor of Accounting. Dr. Stancil received the Bachelor of Science from Mars Hill College, the MBA from the University of Georgia, and the DBA from the University of Memphis. He holds the professional certifications of CPA, CMA, CFM, and CIA. At Florida Southern, Dr. Stancil teaches Tax, Managerial/Cost, and Principles of Accounting classes. Prior to teaching, he worked in various accounting positions in public and private accounting. Dr. Stancil is a member of the Institute of Management Accountants, the Florida Institute of CPA's, the American Institute of CPA’s, the American Accounting Association, the American Taxation Association, the National Society of Tax Professionals, and the South East Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences . He maintains an active tax practice and is a Tax Analyst for Webtaxcenter.com. He is on the editorial review board of Strategic Finance magazine. Dr. Stancil is a member of Lakeland Christian Church. He currently serves as Treasurer of His Nets, an international not-for-profit organization seeking to reduce deaths in Africa from malaria. In 2005, Dr. Stancil was named the Florida Institute of CPA’s Outstanding CPA in Public Service.
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