Leadership Team
Graziadio Business School
Deborah Crown, PhD
Dean
Dr. Deborah Crown is the 10th dean of the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. Crown has garnered nearly two decades of academic leadership experience, most recently serving as dean of the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College and professor of management. The former educator and AACSB reviewer has research featured in national media outlets from CNN to Wall Street Journal. Crown has also been awarded exceedingly for her influential leadership and dedication to social responsibility. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder and an M.S. from the University of Colorado Denver.
Arman Davtyan, EdD
Assistant Dean, Enrollment Management
Dr. Arman Davtyan serves as assistant dean of enrollment management at Graziadio. Prior to this role, he served as executive director of student academic services. His career in higher education encompasses a variety of other administrative roles in student affairs, campus operations, and admissions at both undergraduate and graduate program levels. He holds a master’s degree in counseling and personnel services from the University of Maryland, and a doctorate in educational leadership from UCLA.
Spencer Hardman, MBA
Assistant Dean, Finance and Administration
Spencer Hardman previously led the finance, financial aid, and student accounts departments at Pepperdine’s Graduate School of Education & Psychology through the implementation and growth of the school’s hugely successful transformation that has added $64 million of revenue and over 1,400 students in under 5 years. He also served as the school’s primary point of contact with 2U, Inc., for budgets, enrollment forecasting, financial analysis, and related matters. Spencer is an alumnus of the Graziadio MBA program where he majored in finance.
Clemens Kownatzki, PhD
Associate Dean, Academic Programs
Clemens Kownatzki has been an executive in the financial services industry for well over two decades. His experience ranges from management positions in brokerage and treasury operations to advising corporate as well as retail clients with a focus on managing their risk effectively. He has also been an active investor in options and derivatives markets. Having lived and worked in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the U.S., his investments range from equity to international capital and currency markets.
Bernice Ledbetter, EdD
Dean, Students and Alumni Affairs
Dr. Bernice Ledbetter is dean of students and alumni affairs, practitioner faculty of organizational theory and management, and director of the Center for Women in Leadership at Pepperdine Graziadio. She is an award winning teacher, and recipient of the Howard A. White Award for Teaching Excellence, and the George Award for Outstanding Faculty Member. A recognized expert on the topic of women in leadership, Dr. Ledbetter led a team in securing a Waves of Innovation grant to launch the Center for Women in Leadership at Pepperdine where she serves as the Center's director.
Michael Williams, PhD
Associate Dean, Academic Affairs
Dr. Williams earned tenure and the rank of associate professor in the Information Systems and Technology Management Department. His research has been published in leading empirical and practitioner journals including European Journal of Operations Research and MIS Quarterly Executive. His research has been published in leading empirical and practitioner journals in Information Systems including European Journal of Operations Research and MIS Quarterly Executive. He is a proud recipient of Pepperdine's highest teaching award, the Howard A. White Award for Teaching Excellence. Dr. Williams earned an MS and a PhD in Information Systems from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.