Sarah Gardial named College of Business dean at Belmont University

Sarah Gardial, dean of the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business, has been named dean of the Massey College of Business at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.

Sarah Gardial

Gardial, who came to Iowa as Tippie College of Business dean in 2012, will begin her new position March 1, 2020. An interim dean will be named, and the UI will conduct an external search for Gardial’s replacement.

“Dean Gardial has earned her reputation as an innovative leader and creative problem solver who leaves the Tippie College of Business well-positioned for the future as one of the country’s top business schools,” says Montserrat Fuentes, executive vice president and provost. “She leaves the Tippie College of Business stronger than it was when she arrived, and we are grateful for her leadership.”

A native of Hot Springs, Ark., Gardial is leaving to be closer to family who are still in the South. She received her undergraduate and MBA degrees from the University of Arkansas and her PhD from the University of Houston. She joined the marketing faculty in the University of Tennessee-Knoxville College of Business in 1986 and later served as assistant dean for the full-time MBA program and associate dean for academic programs. She then served as UT-K’s vice provost for faculty affairs before coming to Iowa.

As dean, Gardial expanded the Tippie college’s master’s degree offerings to include finance and business analytics, and oversaw development of a new online part-time MBA program that began this fall. She also phased out the college’s full-time MBA program. The college also expanded its professional course offerings in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and the Quad Cities, and opened a new dedicated classroom building in Davenport.

Gardial also oversaw recruitment efforts that pushed the Tippie college’s enrollment to record highs, and led efforts to revise and broaden the undergraduate curriculum.