Kevin D. Clark, PhD, Named the Carmen and Sharon Danella Endowed Professor in Business Innovation

Villanova, Pa., October 11, 2022 - Kevin D. Clark, PhD, department chair and professor, Management & Operations, has been named the Carmen and Sharon Danella Endowed Professor in Business Innovation. This professorship will enrich and develop opportunities within areas of innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) at the Villanova School of Business (VSB). Established in 2008, Patrick G. Maggitti, PhD, now Provost of Villanova University, served in the inaugural endowed role as the founding director of the Villanova Center for Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE Center).

“I am humbled to be named the Danella Endowed Professor in Business Innovation,” said Dr. Clark. “I look forward to making an impact in honor of the Danella Family by collaborating with faculty, staff and stakeholders to enhance I&E efforts through re-launching the entrepreneurship minor, recruiting  faculty with I&E competencies, and enhancing curricular and co-curricular programs for VSB’s undergraduate and graduate programs.”

“Dr. Clark’s exceptional administrative service and research expertise make him an excellent fit for the Danella Endowed Professor, and we are delighted that he will assume this position,” said Joyce E. A. Russell, PhD, the Helen and William O’Toole Dean of the Villanova School of Business. “I know Kevin will honor the Danella family within this role through his contributions to VSB, the University, and our community.”

Dr. Clark’s research focuses in areas of innovation, entrepreneurship, knowledge-creation, and strategic decision-making, particularly within the context of entrepreneurial technology firms. His current research investigates the effects of gender diversity on innovation and performance. His research has appeared in The Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Management, Journal of Management Studies, and The International Small Business Journal.

He received his PhD in Strategic Management from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park, his MBA from the Sellinger School of Business at Loyola University, Maryland, and his BS in Finance from the Merrick School of Business at the University of Baltimore. Early in his career, he was selected to participate in the Coleman Foundation program for emerging scholars in entrepreneurship.

Since joining VSB in 2001, Dr. Clark has won several research and teaching awards including VSB’s Daniel J. O’Mara Award for outstanding teaching in VSB’s graduate and executive programs. He currently teaches in VSB’s MBA program, instructing courses such as the Leadership Challenge, Global Practicum and Global Strategic Management. Administratively, he serves as the chair of the Management & Operations Department and previously as senior associate dean and interim dean of VSB.

The Villanova School of Business (VSB) undergraduate program is top-ranked among business schools in the nation. Its online graduate business programs are ranked #3, and its online MBA program is ranked #9 by U.S. News and World Report. VSB has been at the forefront of business education since it was founded in 1922. Serving over 2,700 undergraduate and graduate students, VSB is home to five Centers of Excellence – the Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate, the Elenore and Robert F. Moran Sr. Center for Global Leadership, the Center for Business Analytics, the Center for Marketing & Consumer Insights and the Center for Church Management – with each designed to foster innovative, cross-disciplinary research and applied opportunities for students. VSB is known for academic rigor; creativity and innovation; hands-on and service-learning opportunities; a firm grounding in ethics; and an applied education that prepares students to become outstanding leaders and global citizens within the ever-changing, complex, and fast-paced world of business. For more, visit business.villanova.edu.