Letter from the MSOD Program Director

Dear MSOD Alumni and Community

Wow! What an alumni conference! We have been so awed and proud of our alumni community; coming away from the conference this year has inspired and renewed our work in the MSOD program. The sharing of your talents and gifts has truly been a treasure. With this in mind, it is with great pleasure and humility that I assume the Academic Program Director position for MSOD again!

Over the last four years, under the direction of Dr. Julie Chesley, we have seen many innovations emerge while maintaining the integrity of the core of the program we all regard so highly. It is with much appreciation we thank her for her stellar stewardship of MSOD. The program is stronger, more dynamic, and highly regarded as ever. I also extend my heartfelt appreciation to our amazing core faculty, Julie, Ann, Terri, Miriam, Kent and Darren for their continued exemplary teaching, caring for our students, and nurturance of the MSOD program. And, of course, a great big thank you to all the alums who have served as Learning Group Consultants, whose contributions and support for the development of our students is truly a unique attribute of being in MSOD.

Now, as we move forward we aim to redouble our efforts in ensuring that the MSOD program is known for its value centered cutting edge organizational development knowledge and development of extraordinary OD practitioners. In collaboration with our MSOD Alumni Council, we will continue to work closely with our alumni to continue creating opportunities to showcase our graduates' talent and achievements. We will invest in the development of programs for advanced learning and professional development beyond the degree program, and bring forth exciting and relevant research. Equally important we will uphold a leadership role in contributing to the advancement of the field of OD with mindfulness and doing good for the world.

This August, we will congratulate our Tau Prime as they graduate, continue to develop the growth of Upsilon Prime as they enter their second year, and enthusiastically welcome the new class of Phi Prime which is at 35 members strong! We are ever so grateful to Ms. Shany Mahalu who leads our recruitment efforts in bringing together this great new class! And, I'm delighted to introduce Ms. Kim Weiss, who has taken on the role of Assistant Director for the MSOD program handling the program office responsibilities that ensure our program runs well. Please join me in welcoming Kim on board and making her feel welcome in to the MSOD family.

I look forward to having future dialogues with all of you and co-creating ways we can continue to build and nurture the MSOD to be the preeminent program in OD. On behalf of the faculty, staff, and administration at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School I want to extend our appreciation and let you know how much you matter to our collective success. Together we make a difference in the world!

With much warmth and affection,

Gary

Gary Mangiofico, PhD
Academic Program Director
Executive Professor
Master of Science in Organization Development