Employee Directory

Debra Petrizzo-Wilkins Professor
Business Management

With 25+ years of experience in senior-level accounting and program leadership roles, Dr. Petrizzo joins the Management department as a Professor. Dr. Petrizzo has been involved in numerous institutional and academic development committees, crafted courses marketed to schools around the world, traveled internationally to teach within partner schools, championed efforts to bring Sigma Beta Delta to campus, and served as the President of the IACBE Great Lake Regions. Through these efforts, Dr. Petrizzo has been instrumental in elevating programs, extending reach to students around the world, cultivating international partnerships, and recognizing the successes of students.

Finding ways to successfully incorporate digital learning in the classroom, Dr. Petrizzo serves as a Digital Faculty Consultant for McGraw-Hill and a Digital Faculty Advocate for Pearson.  In 2014, Dr. Petrizzo was awarded the Robert L. Bailey Teaching Award for influencing, engaging, and challenging students to connect to course content both personally and professionally. Over the last eight years, Dr. Petrizzo has served as the Accounting Program Chair and MBA Lead Faculty at Franklin University.  As Program chair, she spearheaded the specialized accreditation of Franklin's accounting program by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE), drove the transformational change critical to reinventing the program, positioned offerings for success in an increasingly competitive academic climate, and ensured curriculum and courses aligned with changing CPA examination standards. As MBA Faculty Lead, she not only developed courses for, and taught within, undergraduate and graduate programs, but she also played a key role in the creation of Franklin's Global MBA Program.

With foundations in industry, Dr. Petrizzo combines her passion and experience, in teaching, with an equal zest for the accounting profession. Her industry experience includes Internal Auditor with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, Project Controller, Alstom Train Life Services and International Controller with Electro-Motive Diesels, Inc (EMD). Dr. Petrizzo holds a Bachelor of Arts (BBA) with majors in accounting and management, a Masters of Business Administration (MBA), and a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) in accounting.