Stillman Announces 2025 Practice Partners Cohort

The Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University proudly announces its 2025 cohort of Practice Partners—distinguished professionals who work alongside faculty to enrich student learning with practical insight and real-world application. The Practice Partner program reflects Stillman’s mission to “put concepts into practice,” strengthening the connection between academic theory and hands-on experience to prepare students for leadership in a rapidly evolving global business environment.

Each semester, Practice Partners collaborate with faculty to design, mentor, and guide students through experiential projects that address contemporary business challenges. These collaborations span areas such as entrepreneurship, digital marketing, sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

For Fall 2025, the Practice Partner collaborations include:

• Dr. Elizabeth McCrea and Dr. Paul Sannitti for BMGT 4566 – Starting a Business and BMGT 4569 – Business Sustainability Consulting, where students learn to launch new ventures and integrate sustainable practices into strategic decision-making.
• Dr. Debra Lee Surface and Dr. Merideth Morgan for BMKT 4650 – Influencer Cultural Marketing, a course examining the intersection of social media, cultural identity, and consumer engagement.
• Dr. Daniel Ladik and Chris Strom for BMKT 4639 – Digital Marketing, exploring the influence of artificial intelligence and analytics on contemporary marketing practice.
• Susan Scherreik and Karen Pisciotta for BMGT 4567/7567 – Entrepreneurship Lab, a signature experiential course where students design, build, and launch new ventures.
• Dr. Paula Alexander and Stephen Wood for BMBA 9451 – Corporate Social Responsibility, helping graduate students connect ethical leadership with organizational performance.

Dean Joyce Strawser praised the initiative, highlighting its role in advancing student readiness and faculty engagement:

Our Practice Partners represent the very best of Stillman’s commitment to integrating business theory with real-world practice. By connecting our students directly with accomplished professionals, we ensure that they graduate not only with strong analytical and ethical foundations, but with practical insights and experiences that prepare them to make a meaningful impact from day one.

This commitment to applied learning is echoed by Chris Strom, Chief Marketing Officer at Sunrise Association and Practice Partner in the Digital Marketing course, who emphasized the value of technological fluency and ethical awareness for today’s emerging professionals:

Throughout the Fall semester, I taught and worked with students in a digital marketing class, bringing real-world insights into AI and marketing, two areas I’m deeply passionate about. The industry has been evolving at lightning speed, and it was exciting to explore how AI is shaping marketing with the next generation of digital leaders.

Together, insights from leaders like Strom demonstrate how the program’s partnerships translate directly into meaningful learning experiences for students, a strength that continues to define the Practice Partner initiative as it evolves. In this way, the Practice Partner program continues to strengthen Stillman’s commitment to delivering transformational student experiences. By empowering students to learn through action, address real-world problems and engage with leaders across industries, the program extends classroom learning into professional settings where students can test ideas, refine skills and build confidence. Through these experiences, it reinforces Stillman’s focus on innovation, external engagement and meaningful partnerships that advance both student success and the business community.