Full-Time MBA Faculty

Jennifer Franczak
Associate Professor of Organization Theory and Management

Dr. Jennifer Franczak, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Organization Theory and Management at Pepperdine University. Jennifer received her Ph.D. in management from Southern Illinois University. Her research interests include organization theory and institutions, multi-level analysis, organizational culture, and building equitable hybrid workplaces. Jennifer’s work has been published in outlets such as the Academy of Management Annals, Harvard Business Review, Journal of Organization Behavior, Human Relations, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Managerial Psychology, MIT Sloan Review, Organizational Dynamics, and the Journal of Business Research.

Nelson Granados
Professor of Information Systems and Technology Management

Dr. Granados is the executive director of the Institute for Entertainment, Media, and Sports and professor of information systems and technology management. He actively combines academia with practice, as a member of the Board of Advisors for technology start-ups, and he is a frequent contributor to the Media and Entertainment section on Forbes. His broad research interests are related to the strategic and economic consequences of digital innovation. Prior to joining academia, Dr. Granados performed multiple marketing management positions in the airline industry across four continents, and he was also a product manager for enterprise systems at IBM.

Robert Lee
Associate Professor of Accounting

Dr. Robert Lee is an associate professor of accounting at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. He earned his PhD in accounting from Drexel University, a master in accountancy degree from Villanova University and a bachelor of arts degree in economics and mathematics from the University of Michigan. He is a certified public accountant (CPA) and certified management accountant (CMA).  He has worked for companies such as PwC, KPMG, Conversant, and Thomson Company and currently provides consulting services to companies in the Los Angeles area.   

Cole Short
Assistant Professor of Strategy

Dr. Short’s research explores how strategic leaders navigate disruptions to create value. This work examines topics such as the motivations and consequences of strategic decision making, how executive characteristics adapt and influence firm strategy, and the implications of natural language processing techniques on organizational research and practice. Dr. Short has contributed research to several top-tier academic journals, with published and forthcoming work in journals such as Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Management, Research Policy, Journal of Management Studies, Academy of Management Discoveries, and Journal of Business Venturing Insights. 

Bobbi Thomason
Associate Professor of Applied Behavioral Science

Dr. Bobbi Thomason is an associate professor of Applied Behavioral Science at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. Her research explores how individuals of traditionally underrepresented social categories work and pursue their careers globally. She is particularly interested in how individuals overcome inequality and social hierarchies in order to attain career rewards and resources. This includes how they navigate leadership positions, financial compensation and social status. Her research also considers how individuals shape the social structures, organizations, and families around them in the process of attaining career rewards and resources. 

Mark Tribbitt
Associate Professor of Strategy

Dr. Tribbitt comes to academia with more than 14 years of experience within the financial services industry. During that time he has held a variety of management positions in retail, commercial and wholesale banking. He earned a Ph.D. in strategic management from Drexel University, an MBA from Villanova University, and a B.S. in finance from the University of Delaware. His teaching focuses on strategic management, entrepreneurship, and management of technology and innovation. 

Rick Walton
Associate Professor of Finance

Dr. Richard Walton is an associate professor of finance at the Pepperdine University Graziadio Business School. He earned a PhD in finance from the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, an MBA from London Business School and a BA in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford University. His research interests are primarily in the realm of empirical corporate finance with a focus on corporate governance, corporate takeovers and behavioral finance.