Dear Mendoza Community,

As we reflect on the 2024-25 academic year, I'm grateful to share the remarkable progress we've made together across all areas of our mission. This has been a year of significant achievement, strategic advancement, and community building that positions Mendoza for continued excellence.

FACULTY EXCELLENCE: WELCOMING NEW COLLEAGUES

Historic Hiring Success

This year marked one of our strongest ever for senior faculty recruitment years. We will introduce all of our new faculty in an upcoming Mendoza Exchange. Here are several new hires and leadership appointments I’d like to highlight (previous universities in parentheses): 

• Marco Giacoletti, associate professor of finance (USC), whose areas of research include housing and real estate finance, fixed income securities and household finance.
• Brandon Gipper, associate professor in accountancy (Stanford University), who studies the trustworthiness of firms’ financial and non-financial reporting.
• Joe Redden, Aloysius and Eleanor Nathe Collegiate Professor of Marketing (University of Minnesota), a senior marketing scholar who studies consumer behavior.
• Mike Withers, Management & Organization professor (Texas A&M), a prolific scholar whose research interests include corporate governance, resource dependence theory, strategic entrepreneurship and research methodology in strategic management.
• Heng Xu, ITAO professor (University of Florida), a leading scholar in AI and machine learning with a focus on privacy.
• Nan Zhang, ITAO professor (University of Florida), a noted scholar in studying the societal impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) and the development of machine learning methods for the social sciences.

New Academic Leadership Appointments

• Corey Angst - Department Chair, ITAO
• Jeff Burks - Associate Faculty Director, Business Honors Program
• David Cloutier - Faculty Director, Business Ethics and Society Program
• Vamsi Kanuri – Faculty Director, Business Research Honors Program
• Alfonso Pedraza-Martinez - Faculty Director, Business on the Frontlines Program
• Andrea Tamoni - Faculty Director, Notre Dame Institute for Global Investing (NDIGI)

RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP

The College had a very successful year in benefaction with more than $50 million secured. These contributions provide a significant boost to our research and scholarship efforts.

Major Funding Achievements

• $15 million secured for Ph.D. Program in Business Analytics.
• $10 million in external funding for Human-Centered Analytics Lab (HAL).
• Over $1 million raised for the Humanitarian Operations (HOPE) Lab.

Infrastructure Investments

• The North Addition is on schedule to open in fall 2026.
• The Mendoza Behavioral Lab in the lower level is completed, providing a much-needed resource for our research faculty to conduct studies. 
• The Trading Room will open for fall classes. (The stock tickers are already running!)
• The Jordan Auditorium’s technology upgrade, which includes the installation of a state-of-the-art LED screen, will be completed for Welcome Weekend.
• The Technology and Collaboration Corridor in the lower level of Mendoza’s southeast wing (to the right from the Mendoza IT suite) brings together the important resources of the Mahaffey Library with our tech classrooms and teamworking spaces. 
• Bathroom renovations on the lower and second floors and classroom renovations in Mendoza will be completed in mid-August.
• Green roof installations will be complete by fall.
• Planning for South Addition design and fundraising will begin this year.

Research Culture Development

We’re seeing positive momentum in our research culture with new conferences and lectures, including acceptance to the SFS Cavalcade in 2027 and our new University Chair Lecture Series. Further, the restructured Mendoza Events & Engagement Team (MEET) will also better support research activities as we organize conferences and events to convene more top scholars at Mendoza.

STUDENT SUCCESS AND PROGRAM INNOVATION

As we continue to focus on providing our students with an exceptional academic experience that reflects our values of excellence and service, we’ve made several significant changes to elevate our programs.

Undergraduate Program Enhancements

• New Research Opportunities: Launched the Mendoza Research Honors Program, which is open to all business majors with a thesis option. 
• Expanded Access: Opened the Foundations of Business minor to students from Arts & Letters, Science and Global Affairs.
• Enhanced Advising: Restructured the Undergraduate Advising Office to add five first-year advisors for personalized four-year guidance.
• Growing Programs: Expanded the Maximizing Mendoza course from one to three sections, with student-driven mentorship. 
• New Partnership: Launched the dual major in business and computer science in partnership with the College of Engineering. 

Graduate Program Developments

• MBA Strategic Planning: Completed a comprehensive review process on July 1. Details to follow.
• New Programs: Launched the re-envisioned EMBA program and the Master of Science in Digital Marketing.
• Program Optimization: Consolidated EMBA to a single South Bend location.
• Quality Focus: Reduced MBA cohort size from 175 to 75-80 annually for increased selectivity.

International Expansion

• Expanded Programs: Commenced review of new undergraduate exchange programs.
• Global Partnerships: Commenced active discussions for partnerships in Europe, Asia and the global South
• Experiential Learning: Revised the approach to Grow Irish and EMBA immersions.

COMMUNITY AND CULTURE

Our community is the key to our success as a College. We continue to seek ways to enhance a culture of belonging and inclusion.

Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

New Enrollment Partnerships: Established cooperative partnerships with colleges and organizations to expand enrollment opportunities, including:

• Stonehill College
• King's College
• Bonner Scholars
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity

Community Building Events: Organized events to celebrate research and the Mendoza community, including:

• University Chair Lecture Series
• Lunar New Year celebrations
• Halloween gatherings
• Business Honors Program Colloquium
• Mendoza Rally

Staff Development: Continued to innovate in staff recruitment and engagement opportunities:

• Participated in University HR performance pilot.
• Implemented structured talent review process.
• Strengthened hiring and retention practices in response to new University staffing guidance.
• Continued refinement of organizational structure to align with college strategic goals and university hiring parameters.

RECOGNITION AND GRATITUDE

This year's achievements reflect the dedication and excellence of our entire Mendoza community. From faculty pursuing groundbreaking research to staff supporting student success, from undergraduate students engaging in new research opportunities to graduate students launching innovative ventures, every member of our community contributes to our collective success. In particular, I want to recognize the tireless efforts of my team — Marnie Stahl, Alison Lanski and Jean Meade — in providing College-level analytical, strategic and operational support to our faculty and staff leaders in more ways than I can fit in this column.

Special recognition goes to our departing Academic Advancement Director Aimee Sharpe, whose efforts helped us raise over $50 million this year, and to Senior Associate Dean Ken Kelley, who has been instrumental in our faculty recruitment success. I also want to recognize our Charles and Jill Fischer Provost, John T McGreevy, for his office’s unwavering support of the College this past year. Finally, I want to acknowledge the essential work that David Bailey, vice president for Institutional Research, Innovation, and Strategy, and his team of consultants and analysts have done to assist Mendoza with several critical strategic initiatives.

Challenges and Opportunities

We continue to work on raising research expectations, building sustainable funding for all Ph.D. programs, and strengthening our graduate programs' financial stability and national prominence.

As we look toward next year, we remain committed to our mission of developing ethical leaders who Grow the Good in Business. The progress we've made together this year provides a strong foundation for continued excellence and innovation.

Thank you for your continued dedication to Mendoza College of Business and our shared mission.

Go Irish!

Ryan Retartha
Advisor to the Dean
Senior Director, Strategy & Planning