Father Dave Pivonka, TOR '89 President | Franciscan University website

Franciscan University of Steubenville has announced the appointment of JoAnn Sciarrino as professor of marketing and new director of the MBA Program. Sciarrino will oversee the implementation of Franciscan’s newly envisioned MBA, which aims to integrate business acumen, analytical thinking, creativity, and leadership with Catholic principles and Franciscan values.

Sciarrino previously held the position of Jim and Mary Pat Nelson Chair in Business-to-Business Analytics and co-director of the Nelson Center for Brand and Demand Analytics at The University of Texas at Austin. She is a noted advertising and marketing scholar with research interests in digital marketing, analytics, and brand attachment. Her academic contributions include over 30 peer-reviewed articles on marketing and advertising effectiveness, several book chapters, and books. In 2016, she received the University of North Carolina Tanner Award for excellence in inspirational teaching. Before her academic career, Sciarrino served as executive vice president for BBDO North America for 12 years, providing research, analytics, and modeling solutions for more than 30 global brands such as AT&T, Starbucks, Hyatt, FedEx, and L’Oréal.

“I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to work with the outstanding Franciscan University faculty, staff, alumni, and advisors to build on the MBA Program’s foundation of excellence,” said Sciarrino. “Since its founding, Franciscan University has helped students grow in faith, wisdom, maturity, excellence, and dedication to others. These values are needed more than ever in business today. Franciscan is in a unique position to educate and form faith-filled virtuous business leaders committed to advancing the common good and building a better world.”

Douglas Perry, chairman of the Department of Accounting, Business Administration, and Economics at Franciscan University expressed his enthusiasm about Sciarrino's appointment: “I am grateful Professor Sciarrino is joining us to lead our efforts to enhance our MBA Program,” he said. “She is an outstanding scholar and practitioner with a proven record of building best-in-class graduate business programs.”

Perry further commented on the future direction of the program: “This will allow us to form and equip the next generation of virtuous Catholic business leaders with an MBA designed to meet today’s many challenges and rebuild the Church through the pursuit of excellence.”

The re-envisioned online MBA under Sciarrino will prepare leaders in business by addressing issues related to meaning and purpose within secular culture. Unlike other MBA programs that focus primarily on market expansion at all costs, this program combines advanced business courses with experiential learning aimed at cultivating virtuous leadership aligned with Catholic social teachings on human dignity, common good, subsidiarity, and solidarity.

Dr. Christin Jungers, dean of the School of Professional Programs at Franciscan University added: “The School of Professional Programs is committed to helping students learn about contemporary practices relevant to their chosen discipline while grounding those practices in theories from the Catholic intellectual tradition that honors every person's dignity."

Franciscan’s MBA courses are offered in eight-week sessions starting throughout January until October each year. The online model provides flexibility for students who need to balance professional or personal responsibilities alongside their studies.

The program can be completed online within one year. Options include an essential MBA degree (30 credits), an MBA with a concentration in finance, leadership or marketing (36 credits), or an MBA with two concentrations (42 credits).

For more information about Franciscan University's MBA Program visit franciscan.edu/mba.