By: Erika Hodges
Originally Published on December 6, 2023
Will Lead UCF’s New Risk Management & Insurance Education Program
ORLANDO, Fla. – With the University of Central Florida set to launch an MBA program with an emphasis in Risk Management & Insurance in fall 2024, Ronald F. Piccolo, Ph.D., has been named Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives in the College of Business, Executive Director for the new Risk Management & Insurance Education Program, and Special Assistant to the Provost for Volusia County, where the program will be located.
“Ron is the perfect person to build the strong corporate partnerships necessary to build a successful Risk Management and Insurance program in Daytona,” said Paul Jarley, dean of UCF College of Business. “He has an uncommon ability to bring groups together in ways that lead to a shared vision that drives success.”
With more than 18 years of experience in higher education, Piccolo will lead UCF’s expansion in Volusia County, the epicenter of Florida’s insurance industry, and the development of educational programming that emphasizes Insurance Technology, or InsurTech. The College of Business is no stranger to launching innovative programs. In 2021, UCF created the first Master of Science in FinTech in Florida.
“There is clear and compelling alignment between Volusia County’s economic interests and UCF’s areas of expertise,” Piccolo said. “We are excited to integrate business, engineering, and computer science to develop Florida’s workforce, support the insurance industry’s evolution, and develop a national hub for InsurTech.”
Piccolo is the Galloway Professor of Management and previously served as Chair of the Management Department at UCF from 2016-22. He was a special advisor to UCF President Alexander Cartwright from 2021-22 and facilitated the development of the university’s strategic plan (“Unleashing Potential”). He also served as Interim Vice President in UCF’s Office of Advancement. Piccolo was an assistant professor of management at UCF from 2005-09. From 2009-16, he was the Cornell Professor of Management and Academic Director of the Center for Leadership Development in the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College.
Piccolo’s primary areas of research include leadership, job design, social information processing, and subconscious motivation. An award-winning teacher and scholar, he has been recognized by the Academy of Management Learning and Education as one of the Top 100 Most Influential authors in organizational behavior and by The Leadership Quarterly as one of the most highly cited leadership scholars since 1990. He is among the top 20 most cited faculty members at UCF.
He earned a Ph.D. in organizational behavior from the University of Florida, an MBA from Rollins College, and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Stetson University. He has been a visiting scholar at Drexel University, Tulane University, Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany, the University of Kiel, and the Amsterdam Business School.
Piccolo is also active in the Central Florida community, serving on the Orlando Tech Council and on the Boards of Directors for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Winter Park Library, and 1858 Capital Advisors in Winter Park. His consulting experiences include leadership development, executive coaching, and strategic planning.
About UCF College of Business
Established in 1968, the UCF College of Business offers degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and executive levels. All programs, as well as the Kenneth G. Dixon School of Accounting, are accredited by AACSB International – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The college provides high-quality academic programs designed to give students a competitive advantage in the world of business now and in the future. The college promotes a unique culture of engagement, risk taking, cross-disciplinary collaboration and data-driven decision making to ensure students are well prepared to enter a dynamic marketplace. Learn more at business.ucf.edu.