Yasaman Ghasemi, Ph.D., Faculty Chair
Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics, College of Business Administration
Yasaman Ghasemi joined Loyola Marymount University’s Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics (ISBA) in fall 2021. She teaches operations and supply chain analytics and interdisciplinary courses involving artificial intelligence and data analytics.
Her research focuses on systems engineering and management, with particular interests in healthcare operations, public health, complex adaptive systems, simulation, optimization, and supply chain management. She has collaborated with healthcare organizations, law enforcement agencies, and industry partners to identify operational bottlenecks, improve process efficiency, and optimize resource allocation. Her research also includes applications of artificial intelligence and agent-based simulation to healthcare and public safety challenges.
In addition to her teaching and research, Yasaman is actively involved in student mentoring, academic service, and initiatives that support student engagement and professional development. She received the 2026 IEOM Outstanding Woman in Academia Award.
Yasaman earned her Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington, an M.S. in Industrial Engineering and Management from Linköping University, and a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Azad University.
Evgeniya Pyatovskaya
Department of Communication Studies, College of Communication and Fine Arts
Evgeniya Pyatovskaya is an Assistant Professor of Strategic Organizational Communication in the Department of Communication Studies. Her research explores what happens to organizations when certainty disappears—during crises, disruptions, and periods of change—and how communication and leadership shape their capacity to respond. Drawing particularly on feminist approaches to leadership, she examines how more inclusive, compassionate, and collaborative leadership practices can transform organizational cultures and strengthen resilience. Her work is especially concerned with mission-driven and resource-constrained organizations, where navigating uncertainty often requires people to rethink how they lead, collaborate, and care for one another.
Emily Hawkins, Ph.D.
Physics, Seaver College of Science and Engineering
Emily received her B.A. in physics from Occidental College in 2014. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted experimental research on cryovolcanic icy slurries at the nearby NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) with the Applied Low Temperature Physics Group. From her time at JPL, she gained a love for planetary physics and went on to earn her M.S. and Ph.D. in Geophysics and Space Physics at the University of California Los Angeles.
Emily’s research interests involve the experimental study of various geophysical and astrophysical fluid phenomena. Her ongoing work aims to constrain the fluid dynamics inside planets that generate and sustain global-scale magnetic fields. This work has important implications for the detection of life in our solar system and beyond, as a planet’s magnetic field protects it from lethal radiation emitted by the Sun or its host star. She is also interested in furthering our understanding of the potential habitability of icy moons by examining the unexplored connection between the fluid physics of global subsurface oceans and geologic surface observations.
In her spare time, Emily enjoys dancing, running, biking, and spending time outdoors with friends and family.
Rebeca Acevedo
Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts
Rebeca Acevedo is a Professor in Spanish Linguistics in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. Her area of specialization is Hispanic Historical Linguistics. Prof. Acevedo received her B.A. in Latin American literature from the University of Guadalajara, México, her M.A. in Spanish Linguistics from UCLA, and her Ph.D. in Romance Linguistics at the University of Michigan. She has published about the historical development of the Spanish in California. Her research is in Historical Linguistics, Sociolinguistics, and Spanish as a Heritage, and Second language.
Becca Okida
Associate Director, Office of Student Conduct and Community Responsibility
Becca (she/her) has worked in Student Affairs at LMU since fall 2017. She has held positions in Residence Life, Student Psychological Services and currently the Office of Student Conduct and Community Responsibility overseeing procedures and compliance for processes such as Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct, Title IX, and severe sanctioning. She has served on the CSW since 2019, on Staff Senate, is a Restorative Justice Facilitator, and is a member of the LMU Children's Center Advisory Board. She is an instructor in the Ignatian Leadership Institute and currently teaches EDLA 489. Prior to joining LMU she worked in various institutions in Residence Life and Housing Operations. She holds a master's degree in theology and ethics from Fuller Theological Seminary. She is a proud parent to three young kids, and eagerly seeks to enhance processes and benefits to all caregivers on campus.
Elizabeth Kiralla
College of Business Administration
Elizabeth Kiralla is a sophomore finance student in Loyola Marymount University’s College of Business Administration with a passion for leadership, commercial real estate, and empowering women in traditionally male-dominated industries. She currently serves as Vice President of LMU’s Women in Business and Real Estate Society, where she leads initiatives focused on professional development, mentorship, networking, and creating opportunities for students to succeed. Outside of her campus involvement, Elizabeth works as a Broker at NAI Capital and a Real Estate Analyst for LMU Real Estate & Faculty Housing. As a student representative on LMU’s Committee on the Status of Women, Elizabeth is passionate about amplifying student voices, advocating for gender equity, and fostering an inclusive university community where women feel supported, represented, and empowered to thrive.
Courtney Peterson
College of Business Administration
Courtney Peterson is a senior marketing student in the College of Business Administration’s M-School. Her studies focus on the intersection between brand strategy and creative marketing. She currently serves as the President of the LMU Women in Business Club, having previously served as Director of Social Media and Marketing, where she leads initiatives to support, educate, and uplift future businesswomen through workshops, networking events, and speaker events.
Kyle Studebaker, Co-Chair
Director of Administration and Budget, Facilities Management