Xavier appoints Pagani as next Williams College of Business dean

May 3, 2023

Today, Xavier University Provost Rachel Chrastil, PhD, announced the appointment of Marco Pagani, PhD, as the next dean of Xavier’s Williams College of Business (WCB).

Pagani will officially assume the role on July 10.

“With Dr. Pagani’s appointment, Xavier gains a proven and accomplished leader to lead our Williams College of Business, long regarded as one of the top institutions of its kind in our region,” Chrastil said. “His extensive experience in leading innovative initiatives and supporting student success across diverse populations will be a true asset to our community as Xavier embarks on a bold strategic journey in the coming years. I am excited to see the next chapter of the WCB under Dr. Pagani’s leadership.”

Chrastil also recognized Tom Hayes, PhD, who will return to Xavier’s faculty in the fall and resume his lifelong passion of teaching after serving as WCB’s dean for the past seven years.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Hayes for his service as dean and for his deep commitment to Xavier University and our mission in the service of faith and justice through the liberal arts and professional education,” Chrastil said.

Pagani comes to Xavier from San José State University, where he currently serves as interim dean of the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business. Since joining SJSU in 2006, Pagani has undertaken several prominent faculty and administrative roles at the university, including overseeing its MBA programs, serving as the founding director of the Center for Banking and Financial Services, and successfully leading the business college’s efforts to receive re-accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business in August 2021.

He also led the creation of new degrees, expanded enrollment in existing graduate programs, established partnerships with industry stakeholders, and raised significant funds for students and faculty.

“I am thrilled to join Xavier University and the Williams College of Business,” Pagani said. “I am impressed with the quality of education that the WCB delivers and the commitment of faculty and staff toward students. The WCB is well integrated in the fabric of the Greater Cincinnati area, and this provides wonderful opportunities for collaboration with businesses and the alumni community. As dean, I will also cherish the opportunity to work in an environment that promotes experiential learning and espouses the values of a Jesuit Catholic education rooted in the liberal arts tradition.”

Pagani holds a doctorate in finance from Georgia State University, a master’s degree in finance from École d’Hautes Études Commerciales in Montréal, Canada, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Université Lumière Lyon II in Lyon, France. At SJSU, he established a record of teaching effectiveness in corporate finance, investments, and banking courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels and received the Lucas College of Business Master Teaching Award in 2013 and 2017.

His research and teaching interests are in the areas of corporate finance, capital markets and institutions, investments, and derivative securities.

Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Founded in 1831, the University is the sixth-longest-running Catholic university in the nation. U.S. News & World Report ranks Xavier as one of the best universities in the country, while The Princeton Review names it one of the "Best 388 Colleges in America." Follow Xavier on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.