Leadership Team
Graziadio Business School
David Smith, PhD
Interim Dean
Dr. Smith serves as interim dean and professor of economics at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. He has had the privilege of working at Pepperdine for over 20 years. Over these years, Dr. Smith has taught over 1,000 graduate and undergraduate students. In addition to his work as a teacher, he has served in numerous leadership posts at Pepperdine. His roles include, department chair, senior associate dean, and most recently, serving as the 8th Dean of the Graziadio Business School. He received his bachelor's degree from Wheaton College in Illinois, and his master's and doctoral degrees in economics from Michigan State University.
Ernald Furxhi, Ed.M.
Assistant Dean, Enrollment Management
Ernald Furxhi serves as assistant dean of enrollment management. Prior to this role, he held various senior admissions and enrollment leadership positions across prestigious higher education institutions. Throughout his two decades in academia, he has specialized in driving record-breaking enrollment growth, implementing advanced business analytics, and modernizing operational infrastructure. He holds a bachelor's degree in international area studies from Drexel University and a master's degree in higher education from Harvard University.
Spencer Hardman, MBA '08
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.
Michael Williams, PhD
Vice Dean, Academic and Student 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.