Author: Maddie Koss

When Professor Chad Miller talks about his career in technology, he often starts with a memory from when he was just 13 years old.

“I remember teaching BASIC on a Timex Sinclair Z80 computer to a room full of eight- and nine-year-olds,” he says. “It was chaotic, fun, and challenging all at once. That experience taught me early on that technology is more than just machines. It’s about people, problem-solving, and helping others see what’s possible.”

That curiosity, combined with a desire to teach and empower others, would shape the next three decades of his life.

After earning a double major in Integrated Science and Mathematics at Northwestern University, Professor Miller stepped directly into a Systems Analyst role at Eli Lilly and Company. There, he designed and developed a data-driven, client/server tool to support FDA submissions.

“It wasn’t just about coding or databases,” he explains. “It was about building something that could actually make a difference for people. That sense of impact has guided every decision I’ve made since.”

The Ohio native’s career path has been anything but linear, but it’s all connected by a single thread: using technology to solve complex problems while empowering others to grow alongside him. After six years at Eli Lilly, he and his family moved to Evansville, Indiana, where he helped Shoe Carnival navigate a challenging technical transition.

“We were fixing systems, building networks, and training staff – all while keeping the business running day-to-day. It was stressful, but incredibly rewarding,” he recalls.

From there, he transitioned into consulting at C/Soft, architecting networking and system integrations for multiple clients, before taking on staff positions in Butler IT, and later taking  IT leadership roles at Butler University and MJ Insurance. At MJ Insurance, Professor Miller served as Chief Information Officer, overseeing enterprise-wide technology strategy, managing an eight-person team, and guiding a $1 million budget.

He led a complete overhaul of IT infrastructure, orchestrated two full building migrations, managed a pandemic transition to remote work, and led his team to build the company’s first data warehouse to serve as a single source of truth.

“People often think IT is just about computers,” he says. “But really, it’s about trust, collaboration, and enabling others to do their best work. That’s what I focused on – transforming IT from a cost center to a strategic partner.”

Professor Miller has also maintained a strong and enduring connection to Butler University throughout his career. From serving as Senior Director of Technology Development to multiple adjunct and faculty roles, he has contributed to the campus community in a variety of ways.

“I’ve always felt a part of Butler,” he says. “Whether it was supporting systems, mentoring students, or teaching, Butler has been a place where curiosity, collaboration, and people matter. It feels like home, and that sense of belonging drives everything I do here.”

Now a Lecturer in Business Technology and Analytics at the Lacy School of Business, he brings this perspective into the classroom, helping students connect the technical aspects of IT with real-world business strategy.

“I want students to see how technology intersects with business outcomes,” he explains. “It’s not enough to know how to build a system – you have to understand why, how it impacts people, and how it creates value.”

He draws on decades of experience in enterprise architecture, data governance, and organizational strategy to provide students with real-world context. His teaching philosophy mirrors his approach to leadership: thoughtful, supportive, and future-focused. He always tells students that mistakes aren’t failures – they’re opportunities to learn and pivot.

“The best leaders are the ones who can guide teams through uncertainty while still moving forward,” he says.

Professor Miller’s commitment to mentorship extends beyond the classroom. As an Executive Career Mentor, he advises students, alumni, and executives, helping them navigate career transitions and develop leadership skills.

“Even after 32 years in IT, I’m energized by innovation and learning,” he says. “Technology changes every day, but problem-solving, collaboration, and mentorship – those are timeless skills.”

His story is a reminder that technology careers are not just about code, networks, or systems; they’re about curiosity, perseverance, and people. From teaching BASIC in a small basement to shaping enterprise-wide IT strategy, and now inspiring the next generation of business leaders, Professor Miller has spent a lifetime building systems and developing leaders.

“At the end of the day,” he says, “I hope students remember that it’s not just what you know – it’s how you use it to help others succeed.”

After more than 35 years of shaping minds and inspiring future leaders, Dr. Larry Lad is preparing to retire this June – leaving behind a legacy defined by creativity, mindfulness, and deep human connection.

Since joining the Lacy School of Business in 1991, Dr. Lad has brought a distinctive and powerful perspective to the classroom. For him, teaching has never been just about delivering content, it has been about creating moments that spark reflection, evoke emotion, and inspire self-discovery.

“We are all artists searching for the canvas to express ourselves,” he often says. That belief has guided his entire career, transforming his courses into dynamic spaces where ideas, emotions, and experiences come together. In his classroom, students don’t just learn strategy – they learn how to see the world differently.

Before joining Butler, Dr. Lad spent time teaching at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and working in executive education, experiences that broadened his perspective and deepened his appreciation for the classroom. After those roles, he felt drawn back to the energy of teaching in a university setting.

“I missed the classroom,” the associate professor of management shares. “And Butler felt like the right place at the right time. A place that was on the move.”

Since that moment, he has been a constant and guiding presence through decades of transformation: teaching across eras marked by five presidents, five deans, and remarkable growth within the university. Along the way, he has taught more than 6,000 students across undergraduate, MBA, and executive education programs, each one leaving with more than knowledge – they leave with perspective.

“Students may forget the content,” he reflects, “but I hope they remember that I cared. That there was passion in the classroom.”

That care is unmistakable.

Dr. Lad’s courses consistently challenge students to think beyond the textbook, connecting strategy to leadership, and leadership to life. One of his signature assignments, developed more than 20 years ago, asks students to create a personal leadership development plan, linking business principles to their own lives and futures.

“Strategy isn’t just about a company,” he explains. “It’s about your life, how you make decisions, how you prepare for the future, and how you see your role in the world.”

At the heart of his teaching is a belief in mindfulness: the idea that awareness, reflection, and presence are essential to both leadership and learning. He encourages students to pause, consider, and feel – to recognize not just outcomes, but meaning.

That philosophy extends beyond business and into his creative practice. As both a published poet and visual artist, Dr. Lad brings creativity into everything he does. Whether guiding collaborative art projects or incorporating poetry into his lessons, he invites students to engage with ideas in ways that reach beyond logic alone.

“Art taps into all the senses,” he says. “It helps us experience awe, and when we experience awe, we learn differently.”

Throughout his time at LSB, Dr. Lad has also been a dedicated servant-leader. He has served on Faculty Senate multiple times, contributed to the university’s growth and evolution, and remained actively engaged in the broader community through service, including his volunteer work with Second Helpings and other initiatives addressing hunger and homelessness.

“It’s the relationships that matter most,” he says. “The classroom, working with colleagues, serving the community; those moments stay with you.”

He has also been a witness to, and a contributor to, Butler’s rise as a nationally recognized institution.

“It’s been incredible to watch the university grow,” he shares. “The programs, the faculty, the students – we’ve built something truly special. And we walk our talk. There’s an authenticity here that students can feel.”

That authenticity has defined his work from the very beginning.

Across his career, Dr. Lad has also taught internationally and at other leading institutions, including Purdue, LSU, and Harvard, extending his influence well beyond Butler. His research explores mindfulness, strategy, and business ethics, with publications in respected academic journals, further reinforcing his commitment to thoughtful, human-centered business education.

As he prepares to retire, Dr. Lad reflects on his journey with gratitude and pride.

“It’s been a great ride,” he says, pausing with emotion. “And it’s also been a privilege.”

In recognition of his distinguished career and lasting contributions to the university, the Board of Trustees has awarded Dr. Lad emeritus status, effective upon his retirement.

Retirement, however, is not an ending – it’s a new canvas.

Dr. Lad looks forward to spending more time in his art studio, continuing his creative work, and eventually relocating to Nashville to be closer to his family. He also plans to remain engaged in service, particularly around issues of hunger and homelessness, causes that have long been close to his heart.

“I’ve done my art to make the art,” he says. “Now it’s time to share it in new ways.”

Though he is stepping away from the classroom, his impact will endure – in the thousands of students he has taught, the colleagues he has inspired, and the countless lives he has influenced.

Because at its core, Dr. Larry Lad’s legacy is not just about teaching business.

It is about teaching people how to see differently, think deeply, and lead with purpose.

And that is a work of art.

If you want to find Larry over the next year before he heads to Nashville, you can find him in his studio in the Factory Arts District.

For Professor Nick Smarrelli, entrepreneurship didn’t begin with a bold idea or a breakthrough moment. It started, ironically, with a club he created in college because it didn’t exist yet.

As a finance and psychology major at St. Louis University, he was convinced his future was in corporate leadership. He imagined climbing the ladder of a Fortune 500 company, not co-founding tech startups. And yet, that early instinct – to start something simply because it wasn’t there – would become the quiet through line of his career.

“I began the entrepreneurship club not because I wanted to be an entrepreneur,” he said with a laugh. “It was just the only club that didn’t exist yet. It let me build something, create opportunities, and practice leadership. Entrepreneurship came early, but it was almost by accident.”

After graduation, Professor Smarrelli joined Ingersoll Rand and lived the kind of global life young professionals dream about. He moved from St. Louis to New York, then to Shanghai, then Charlotte, Atlanta, and eventually Indianapolis – all with the same company. But somewhere between flights, hotel rooms, and elite frequent-flyer status, the path he once imagined stopped feeling like his.

One morning, sitting on a plane for the fourth time that week, he experienced what he calls his “Ghost of Christmas Future” moment.

“I looked around and realized – this is the next 40 years if I don’t change something,” the entrepreneurship and innovation lecturer said. “I took out my BlackBerry, texted two college friends who were starting a business, and said, ‘I want in. I don’t care what the salary is.’ Three months later, I was co-building my first company.”

That leap began a 15‑year journey as a founder, investor, and eventually CEO – leading companies like Ryvit and GadellNet through periods of intense growth. The secret to that success, he insists, had little to do with marketing or strategy.

“I always say 98% of leadership is psychology and 2% is business,” Professor Smarrelli said. “People are the complex part. People are the differentiator.”

That belief is what drove him back to graduate school for a master’s degree in industrial & organizational psychology at Harvard University – and what ultimately brought him to the Lacy School of Business.

“Butler is incredibly thoughtful and nimble,” the director of entrepreneurship said. “Higher education is under pressure to stay relevant. LSB has proven repeatedly that we can evolve quickly to serve students better. That’s what drew me here.”

That impact was formally recognized when Professor Smarrelli was named a Spring 2026 Leadership Impact Award recipient by the Butler University Family Council. Nominated by the families of Butler students, the award honors faculty and staff whose leadership makes a lasting difference in students’ learning and development.

He was recognized for his hands‑on, real‑world approach to entrepreneurship education, deep investment in students beyond the classroom, and unwavering belief in their potential.

Inside the classroom, Professor Smarrelli teaches the way he leads: with honesty, energy, and stories. Lots of stories.

“There’s not a class that goes by where I don’t tell a story,” he said. “Students can tell I’m still figuring out this teaching thing – and that I’m willing to share everything I’ve learned, including the mistakes.”

It’s why students connect with him not just as a professor, but as a mentor. His classes are filled with real-world cases, guest speakers from his professional network, and lessons shaped by 20+ years of scaling teams and building culture.

Professor Smarrelli lights up most when he sees students doing something for the first time: pitching an idea, traveling to a new city, testing a business concept, or experiencing the spark of real confidence.

Outside the classroom, Professor Smarrelli is an ultramarathon runner who has completed seven 100-mile races, and endurance sports shape nearly every part of his leadership philosophy.

“Big, scary goals are achieved in tiny steps,” he said. “Success is consistency over intensity. Rest matters. And no one does big things alone – there’s always a support system behind the scenes.”

That philosophy is the foundation of his forthcoming book, Next Two Steps, which explores how small, sustainable habits unlock long-term growth.

Beyond his teaching and writing, Professor Smarrelli is deeply involved in the Indianapolis community, serving on boards focused on youth, education, and early-intervention support. At home, he and his wife are raising three children – ages 13, 10, and 6 – who he describes as “the center of everything.”

As he looks ahead, his purpose is clear: invest in people so they can realize their potential.

“I want students to see the humanity behind business – the people behind the spreadsheets and forecasts,” Professor Smarrelli said. “If I can help them take the next step, believe in themselves, or find a path they didn’t know they could walk – that’s the impact I want.”

When asked what he’d tell his younger self, he paused.

“Care less about what people think,” he said. “It’s going to be hard, but it’s going to be worth it. And remember: no one is thinking about you as much as you think they are. So go do the thing.”

Dr. Ronia Hawash’s understanding of economics didn’t begin in a classroom; it began in the everyday rhythms of life in Egypt.

Growing up, she was surrounded by visible contrasts. Families worked tirelessly, doing everything they could to get ahead, yet many still struggled. Access to healthcare was inconsistent. Educational opportunities were uneven. The systems meant to support people didn’t always reach those who needed them most. For Dr. Hawash, those realities weren’t distant observations – they were impossible to ignore.

They sparked a question that would shape her life’s work: why do systems work for some, but fail for others?

That question led Dr. Hawash to economics.

She began her academic journey at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in economics, before continuing to the American University in Cairo for her master’s. Later, she moved to the United States to pursue her Ph.D. in economics at Indiana University Indianapolis – an experience that would further expand both her academic lens and her worldview.

By the time she arrived in the U.S., she was navigating both academic and cultural shifts, learning new norms around communication, privacy, and expression.

“It was a gradual transition,” she reflects. “But what stood out to me most was how welcoming people were. They wanted to understand my background. There was warmth to that.”

Living within two different economic systems also shaped how she understood inequality. Egypt’s more centralized structure and the United States’ capitalist model might suggest vastly different outcomes. But what surprised her most was how similar most challenges remained.

“Inequality in the United States is very high,” she says. “As high as many developing countries. That was shocking to me.”

For Dr. Hawash, it reinforced a deeper truth: economic outcomes aren’t determined by systems along, but by how societies choose to support their most vulnerable.

Today, as an Associate Professor of Economics at the Lacy School of Business, where she has been teaching since 2017, and as Faculty Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Dr. Hawash brings that perspective into both her research and her leadership – ensuring students don’t just learn economics, but understand its responsibility.

Across topics like poverty, health, education, political conflict, refugees, and climate change, one thread connects her work: vulnerability. She is especially focused on populations that are often left behind, particularly women and children, whose experiences are frequently shaped by overlapping challenges and systemic gaps. This focus is reflected in her broader body of research, including “Voiceless and Stateless Rohingya Refugees: Competing Expectations Among NGOs in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh” (Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations), which highlights how humanitarian systems can unintentionally overlook the needs of women and individuals with disabilities – further compounding existing inequities.

This commitment to understanding and addressing systemic gaps extends into her research: in “The Role of Women’s Empowerment on Environmental Sustainability: A Cross-Country Analysis,” published in the Journal of Strategic Innovation and Sustainability (January 2025), Dr. Hawash explores the connection between women’s political empowerment and environmental outcomes across 135 countries. The study finds that countries with higher levels of women’s political participation tend to have lower CO₂ emissions, especially in developing nations – highlighting that empowering women in political leadership is a proven pathway to stronger environmental policy and more sustainable futures.

As an empirical economist, her work is grounded in data and rigorous analysis. But she is intentional about never losing sight of the human stories behind the numbers.

“Every data point is a person,” she says. “A person with a story, a struggle, a family.”

That perspective has changed how she approaches her work and what she expects from it. For Dr. Hawash, research must go beyond observation. It must be meaningful, actionable, and capable of driving change – something she actively models for students interested in policy, global development, and mission-driven careers.

In the classroom, those insights come to life in a different way. Students often enter their first economics course expecting graphs, formulas, and conversations about money. Dr. Hawash meets them there but doesn’t let them stay there.

“Economics isn’t about making money,” she tells them. “It’s about understanding how the world works and how to make better decisions.”

She brings theory to life through stories – real examples from her own experiences and observations. For many students, it’s the first time they’ve encountered the realities of life in a developing country beyond a textbook. It shifts the conversation from abstract concepts to human impact, helping them see how their future careers can influence real people and communities.

“You can see it,” she says. “Their eyes light up when it becomes real.”

Her classroom is built on engagement, curiosity, and respect. When conversations turn to complex or emotionally charged topics, she emphasizes that no single perspective holds all the answers.

“We all come from different backgrounds,” she says. “There’s no such thing as a perfect policy or a completely right or wrong viewpoint. What matters is understanding each other and respecting different points of view.”

In her role as Faculty Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, she works to ensure that students, faculty, and staff from all backgrounds feel they belong and have a voice in shaping the community. From launching peer mentorship initiatives to creating spaces where people can share their cultures and experiences, her focus is on building connection and inclusion in meaningful ways.

Her dedication to student impact and inclusion has been recognized with the 2024 Student Impact Award. Over the past 1.5 years, she has collaborated with students on Diversity Perspective Workshops, integrating her research and leadership to create spaces for meaningful dialogue and learning.

Looking ahead, Dr. Hawash hopes students leave her classroom with more than knowledge. She wants them to carry curiosity, confidence, and a sense of responsibility – to understand that their decisions matter and that they have the ability to make a difference.

Outside of her academic and leadership roles, Dr. Hawash is deeply connected to the things that bring her joy. She loves singing and once dreamed of becoming a radio presenter – a passion for voice and storytelling that still shows up in how she teaches. She hopes to one day start a podcast centered on personal reflections, a space to connect in a different way.

She’s also someone who values connection in its simplest forms: gathering with friends, spending time with family, and exploring new places. And when it comes to food, she smiles before answering: Middle Eastern cuisine will always be her favorite, with Indian food a very close second.

Through it all, the question that first drew her to economics still guides her work today. Not just understanding how systems function but how they can function better, more equitably, and more humanely.

Because for Dr. Hawash, economics has never been just about numbers. It’s about people – and the possibility of building a world that works for all of them.