Castellano says farewell

After 19 years of teaching at the University of Dayton, Joe Castellano, professor in the School of Business Administration, is retiring on May 15.

Castellano joined the business school in 1999 after retiring from teaching at Wright State University in Fairborn, Ohio. Though, after that, he said he wanted to “reload and begin a second career.” Castellano expressed that UD gave him the opportunity to do just that.

The highlight of that second career, Castellano said, was the opportunity to team teach. The experience allowed him to create relationships with his fellow faculty, including Saul Young, associate professor in operations management who passed away from cancer in 2006.

“Saul became not only a trusted professional colleague but also a best friend,” Castellano said. “I think about him often and still miss him.”

Other team-teaching opportunities included a course called Business as a Calling collaborating with Bro. Victor Forlani S.M.,and Critical Thinking: Role and Purpose for Accounting Professionals with colleague Courtney Stangel. Each course allowed Castellano to express his passion for business while sharing his wisdom with students alongside professional colleagues.

“Both Bro. Victor and I believed that choosing a career in one of the business professions should be considered as much of a vocation or calling as someone choosing a career in one of the helping professions,” Castellano said. “We focused our efforts not only on helping students see how they might improve their places of work but also on the importance of integrating their spiritual life.”

Castellano’s own calling to pursue business started early 一 he had always wanted to be an accountant. What he didn’t realize until he was a graduate assistant at Saint Louis University is how much he loved to teach. He taught a class once for a professor who was ill and fell in love with it. As he put it, “the rest was history.”

Though his retirement from teaching at the university setting is fast approaching, Castellano is not hanging up his hat on business and accounting altogether.

He will continue his writing and research, collaborating with Lucian Zelazny, professor of accounting, to look at the intersection of psychology and performance management.

He will also continue to serve on three different boards of advisors, as well as continue his service as a facilitator with Aileron and teaching with the UD Leadership program.

“These activities, along with golf and my wife, children and grandchildren will keep me busy,” Castellano said.