Jersey City, N.J. – June 5, 2018 – Saint Peter’s University today announced that Mary Kate Naatus, Ph.D., has been appointed to the position of KPMG dean of the School of Business. Dr. Naatus previously served as the interim dean and as an associate professor of business administration and business department chair at Saint Peter’s University. She was the founding director of the Ignite Institute at Saint Peter’s University and served as the Institute’s director of research.
“Dr. Naatus has been a tremendous asset to the University over the years as she maintains strong relationships with community partners and business leaders in Jersey City and beyond,” said Frederick Bonato Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs at Saint Peter’s University. “These relationships benefit the University and our students. We are confident in her ability to lead the School of Business and look forward to what the school will accomplish under her guidance.”
Prior to coming to Saint Peter’s, Dr. Naatus served as a program director in the School of Management at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Dr. Naatus earned her Ph.D. in Global Affairs from Rutgers University, a M.B.A. from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a B.A. from the College of New Jersey. She has published and presented on numerous topics including entrepreneurship, digital marketing, ethical issues as they relate to business and experiential learning. She served in the U.S. Peace Corps in El Salvador from 2000-2002 and is a recent graduate of the Ignatian Colleagues Program, an 18-month immersion program designed for educators and administrators at Jesuit institutions. She also serves on the strategic advisory boards for Rising Tide Capital, whose mission is to assist struggling individuals and communities to build strong businesses which transform lives, strengthen families, and build sustainable communities, and the Global Center for Social Entrepreneurship Networks, whose mission is to accelerate social entrepreneurship in higher education through innovative programs and learning technologies.
In her new role, Dr. Naatus will leverage the dynamic businesses and organizations in Jersey City and the NYC area to build meaningful career building experiences and internships into the curriculum of the School of Business. She also plans to incorporate emerging technologies with Saint Peter’s data and consumer analytics and cyber security programs, Bloomberg Terminals and industry software throughout the curriculum. Through her leadership, the School of Business will become a prominent academic institute that educates future business leaders and professionals who have the knowledge and skill set for successful careers in a variety of industries, and who are ethical leaders with a strong moral compass, committed to making a positive difference in their chosen professions and communities.
According to the 2017-18 Deans Survey conducted by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), only 23 percent of deans are female. Dr. Naatus becomes only the sixth female dean among the 28 schools in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) network.
“I am thrilled to have been chosen to lead Saint Peter’s School of Business,” Dr. Naatus said. “As one of the most diverse colleges in our region with a strong emphasis on Jesuit values and the liberal arts, Saint Peter’s shapes leaders that are equipped to deal with complex global challenges and to become engaged citizens throughout their careers and lives.”
To learn more about the School of Business, please visit saintpeters.edu/academics/school-of-business-administration/.
# # end # #
Saint Peter’s University, inspired by its Jesuit, Catholic identity, commitment to individual attention and grounding in the liberal arts, educates a diverse community of learners in undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional programs to excel intellectually, lead ethically, serve compassionately and promote justice in our ever-changing urban and global environment. To learn more, please visit www.saintpeters.edu.
Media Contact
Sarah Ferrary
(201) 761-6239
smalinowski@saintpeters.edu