School of Business Announces 2026 Faculty Tenure and Promotions
The Wake Forest University Board of Trustees has awarded tenure to one School of Business faculty member who is also among three business faculty receiving promotions. These career milestones highlight excellence in research, teaching, and professional practice, as well as their significant contributions to Wake Forest and the broader business community. Appointments are effective July 1.
“The professional achievements of Stephen Smulowitz, John Karabelas, and Aric LaBarr reflect a deep commitment to scholarly impact and the success of our students,” said Acting Dean Stacie Petter. “Their work in strategic management, information systems, and analytics strengthens our academic mission, and we are proud to formally recognize their dedication and well-earned accomplishments.”
Stephen Smulowitz, Awarded Tenure and Promoted to Associate Professor of Strategic Management
Stephen Smulowitz, McNicholas-Lightcap Faculty Fellow, conducts research that explores the intersection of strategy, corporate governance and sustainability, focusing on the role of governance structures in shaping business outcomes. Smulowitz has published numerous articles in Financial Times 50 (FT 50) journals since 2019, including in Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Management, and Research Policy.
Beyond the classroom, Smulowitz serves as a Research Associate for the Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character and is a board member for the Sabin Family Center for Environment and Sustainability.
Smulowitz earned a Ph.D. in management from IESE Business School and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He joined the Wake Forest faculty in 2023.
John Karabelas, Promoted to Associate Professor of the Practice in Management Information Systems
With over 20 years of industry experience, John Karabelas has deep expertise in systems and network engineering, internet security, Public Key Infrastructure, security policy and network architecture. His work focuses on the strategic management of information resources and the entire system development lifecycle, from requirements gathering to analysis to implementation.
A Certified ScrumMaster and Scrum Product Owner, Karabelas integrates agile leadership and project management methodologies into his coursework. Karabelas earned a master’s in information systems technology from George Washington University and a bachelor’s in management science and information technology from Virginia Tech. He joined the Wake Forest faculty in 2018.
Aric LaBarr, Promoted to Teaching Professor of Business Analytics
Aric LaBarr’s research interests include financial analytics, volatility modeling, credit scoring, and time series analysis. He teaches a wide array of topics across the School’s programs, ranging from undergraduate quantitative finance to graduate-level machine learning and business analytics.
In addition to teaching, LaBarr applies his expertise to community initiatives. He has developed predictive models for the Central and Eastern North Carolina Food Bank to forecast hunger needs and assisted international nonprofit organizations with credit score modeling.
LaBarr earned a Ph.D. in statistics from North Carolina State University where he also received his master’s in statistics and dual bachelor’s degrees in statistics and economics. He joined the Wake Forest faculty in 2025.
