By Hunter Boschert
Dr. Sharon Kerrick is the dean of the Rubel School of Business she came to Bellarmine from the University of Louisville. She is a Louisville native and has her undergraduate degree in business and educational leadership, her master’s in human resources, and her doctorate in entrepreneurship and educational leadership, all earned from the University of Louisville.
Kerrick owned a technology firm for almost 20 years with its headquarters in Louisville, her firm had 11 offices in five states with more than 340 full-time employees.
Q: What brought you to Bellarmine, and are you happy with your decision?
A: Well the Bellarmine Board actually recruited me to come over and collaborate with the business school. Before I knew it, I was being recruited as the dean of the business school. I think that has a lot to do with my entrepreneurial background.
I am very happy with my decision. I like to build and grow, and that is exactly what they were looking for. The business school has an immense amount of untapped potential, and while there is a great base, there is a lot of work to be done. In order for Bellarmine to continue to carve out our niche, change is needed. Enrolment is crawling, and while we do not want to double our admission, we want more collegiality among students and that will naturally occur as enrollment increases.
Q: What has been your biggest challenge since you arrived?
A: Being a change agent. Change is difficult to anyone, and sometimes it is hard to see the big picture. Innovation is change, and we need to preserve our founding rituals and ceremonies, and we need to aid those fundamental principles with new advancements that better the department as a whole.
Q: Do you notice a difference in Bellarmine students versus University of Louisville students?
A: Not really, I do not get to teach that many classes now, but all students have drive and all students want to better themselves. I really enjoy teaching in small classroom environments because I can connect with students on a personal level, and that is difficult when you have a classroom of 50 to 80 students.
Q: What is your vision for the business school?
A: Innovation is the theme in accounting, marketing, business administration and economics. It is the umbrella that takes the difference from a leader to an impactful leader. In order for someone to be an impactful leader, they must anticipate challenges before they occur. The business school needs to utilize technology and tap into the analytics department to embed more technology. We need to incorporate more business intelligence into undergraduate and graduate programs.
Q: What is your best of advice for students?
A: Connect with professors and use their resources. Build your circle and make it as big as possible by getting involved with things outside of your comfort zone.
Q: What is next for you? Do you plan on finishing in the education field?
A: This will be my last career. I plan on staying dean for a couple of years and then educating until I decide to actually retire.