Pepperdine Executive DBA Earns Prestigious Spot at 2025 Academy of Management Conference

The Pepperdine Executive Doctor of Business Administration (EDBA) program will be prominently represented at the 2025 Academy of Management (AOM) Annual Meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark—one of the world’s most prestigious gatherings of business and management scholars.

With over 10,000 attendees and more than 20,000 members globally, AOM is known for its highly selective acceptance process. This year, the Pepperdine EDBA community—including alumni, postdoctoral fellows, current students, and faculty—will take the stage to share original research that embodies the University’s mission of purpose, service, and leadership.

Three symposiums featuring contributions from the Pepperdine Executive DBA were accepted. Dr. Carol Lusk, a postdoctoral fellow, is leading a session that explores the unique contributions and strategies of underrepresented groups, with participation from alumni, students, postdocs, and faculty—including Dr. Sharifa Batts, Dr. Ruth Prato, Dr. Mark Cox, and EDBA candidate DeJuan Price. Another symposium, led by alumna Dr. Kim McGinnis, presents empirical research on innovative mechanisms for building community within and beyond organizational boundaries. Dr. Kevin Sakamoto and Dr. Melanie Venture are also featured. In a third session, EDBA postdocs—who also serve as adjunct faculty—will join Pepperdine faculty and University of Michigan scholars to present new frontiers in dignity research.

A common thread across the symposiums is the involvement of Pepperdine University Professor Cristina Gibson, who encouraged, mentored, and supported the participants and serves as a co-author with many of them. As a Fellow of the Academy and Past Chair of its largest division, Professor Gibson has been instrumental in guiding participants through the submission and publication processes, as well as navigating the professional association.

These accepted presentations highlight the program’s academic rigor, collaborative culture, and mission-driven scholarship, and affirm the EDBA’s distinction as a top DBA program in the world and the highest-ranked program at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. They also reflect the program’s growing contribution to the University’s R2 research classification and its standing as a global leader in practitioner-focused doctoral education.

Learn more about Pepperdine Graziadio Business School’s Executive Doctor of Business Administration program.