Dr. Sarah Fisher Gardial has been appointed to serve as the new Dean of the Belmont University Massey College of Business effective March 1, 2020. The Massey College of Business, which includes nationally ranked undergraduate and graduate business programs, is home to more than 830 students.
Dr. Gardial is currently Dean and Professor of Marketing for the Henry B. Tippie College of Business at University of Iowa, where she has served since 2012. Gardial holds a B.S. and M.B.A. in Marketing from the University of Arkansas and her Ph.D in Marketing from the University of Houston.
Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns said, “I am excited to welcome Dr. Gardial to the Belmont community. During her interview she demonstrated all of the characteristics that we hope for in a new dean: passion for her discipline, commitment to our mission and an entrepreneurial spirit based in student success. Dr. Gardial’s extensive background and experience will help create wonderful new opportunities for our students and faculty – both on campus and in the business community.”
Gardial brings to her new position more than 30 years of teaching, writing and research experiences. The College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee recognized her for outstanding teaching four times as she has influenced the path of many successful students. She also received the Prometheus Leadership Award in 2012. In addition to her excellence in teaching, she has contributed greatly to marketing scholarship through more than 20 books, articles, journals and presentations.
In a letter to her University of Iowa friends and colleagues, Gardial wrote, “Belmont is a strong, growing, private university in a dynamically evolving city. Their aspirations are to continue growing programs and enrollment, and to do so while more deeply engaging with the vibrant surrounding community. For the Massey College of Business, specifically, this suggests increased industry presence and partnerships, as well as stronger alumni engagement. I believe my skills and experience can help them move towards those aspirations, and I am excited about the opportunity to tackle these challenges in a unique educational context – an ecumenical Christian campus. Having a spiritual framework within which to educate future business leaders is something to which I am deeply attracted.”
In her new position, Gardial will lead the students and faculty in the Massey College of Business, while supporting the work of four learning and professional development centers dedicated to the pursuit of professional excellence in specific areas of business: the Center for International Business, the Edward C. Kennedy Center for Business Ethics, the Thomas W. Beasley Institute for Free Enterprise and the Thomas F. Cone, Sr. Center for Entrepreneurship.
“My passion is for education institutions that are ready to take on the next challenge,” Gardial said. “That is where my heart was when I came to Tippie, and that is why I am excited to move to Belmont.”
