Greetings from the Director

Kalle Lyytinen, PhD

Dear Colleagues and Alumni,

We've had an eventful academic year so far and it shows no signs of slowing down. We have made great strides and changes on several fronts, many of which you are likely to see and experience when you interact with our doctoral programs.

First, we admitted a new cohort (Class of 2027) of 15 new students. We are especially happy with the strong local presence and diversity of the program participants. In the steadily maturing executive DBA market, this is a great achievement, and we look forward to continuing in the same direction! We are also making strong efforts to enroll a cohort of the same caliber in the coming year for fall 2025.

One reason for this success is that we have recently invested more in the program marketing and branding. We have better backing at the school level for marketing the program and also are engaging in marketing through webinars (We have organized them more frequently and systematically than in previous years.) Thanks to the help and effort of Jürgen (JB) Brock who joined us last summer, we have renewed and more clearly targeted our marketing messages and brand. Based on this, we are renewing our marketing materials, the web-presence, and how we position ourselves in the tightening market.

Research Spotlight

By Philip A. Cola, PhD, the Winkle Healthcare Management Professor and faculty director of Healthcare Management Programs at Weatherhead School of Management

Bridging Disciplines to Advance Medical Innovation: The FDA Regulatory Sciences and Entrepreneurship Program at Case Western Reserve University

In writing a piece for the DM Digest, we are always thinking about examples of practitioner scholarship applied to real-world management contexts. It is from this that I began writing about the work I have been imagining for more than a decade on the topic of managing translational science in medicine.

The vision included ideas about a flexible interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary curriculum that can be explored to earn 1 or 3 credit hours at the Master’s Degree level or applied to certificate credits for individuals not currently otherwise enrolled in programs at the University. Therefore, the question we attempted to solve was: How does a practitioner scholar in management bring to fruition practical change in the academic curriculum for the long-term benefit of practitioners across disciplines (i.e., medicine, management, engineering, law, nursing, etc.)? After years of pitching ideas, revising those ideas, and persevering until others began to see the value in such a flexible and innovative curriculum we have now begun to see results.

Faculty Spotlight

Welcome Jürgen “JB” Brock, PhD, our new Department of Design and Innovation colleague and associate director Doctor of Management programs!

Brock is a self-proclaimed hybrid with a split personality: half business, half academia. He joined the Weatherhead School in August after 30 years in industry—founding Germany’s first digital livestock trading platform and holding senior management positions, such as CMO of Fujitsu Americas or CEO of the SaaS spin-off fulfillment tools in Germany—and 25 years after completing his PhD (University of Strahclyde, Scotland, U.K.). He is teaching marketing management and DBA/PhD courses, such as Designing Sustainable Systems and Qualitative Inquiry I. He is also engaged in research, with his most recent publications in California Management Review and Journal of Business Research focusing on digital transformation, artificial intelligence and digital exploration services.

DBA/PhD Alumni Council Spotlight

 

We are pleased to introduce Rich Bonaccorsi (MGT ’02; GRS ’21, management) as the new chair of our DBA/PhD Alumni Council. A proud double alumnus of our program, Rich has been a dedicated supporter, mentor and advocate for our community. With a deep passion for the program’s mission and a longstanding commitment to its growth, Rich brings valuable experience and leadership to this role. Please join us in welcoming Rich as we continue to engage our alumni network and build on the legacy of excellence!

DBA and PhD Methodology Course Innovations at Weatherhead School of Management

In fall 2024, Weatherhead School of Management launched an enhanced research methodology sequence for DBA and PhD students, reaffirming its commitment to continuous innovation in doctoral education. This initiative aims to ensure that research methodologies remain aligned with evolving data practices and contemporary analytical approaches, equipping students with the tools needed for impactful, practice-driven research.

The revised structure emphasizes methodological plurality, allowing students to select approaches that best align with their research problems and questions, rather than relying solely on traditional interview and survey methods. These updates strengthen Weatherhead’s leadership in doctoral education, further distinguishing DBA and PhD training while maintaining both rigor and efficiency in learning.

Save the Date: 30th Anniversary Celebration, October 2025

Please mark your calendars for Oct. 23–25. We're going to come together to celebrate 30 years and take this DBA/PhD community to a new level. The theme is “Honoring Our Past and Charting Our Future.” We are planning an incredible weekend of conversation, fun, food and plenty of reminiscing. Please help us spread the word to other alumni. Registration will go live in March/April, and the program itself will begin at noon on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. For questions about the event, please email Sue Nartker san2@case.edu.