Jeff Kudisch
Dr. Jeff Kudisch is a pracademic—an academic-practitioner who brings evidence-based insight to executive education and organizational leadership. He serves as Executive MBA (EMBA) Faculty Director and Teaching Professor in Management at the Villanova School of Business (VSB). In this role he oversees the continued growth and success of the school’s EMBA Program. In his previous role he served as VSB's Associate Dean of Corporate Relations & Executive Education.
Prior to VSB Jeff was affiliated with the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business for eighteen years, including serving as a Clinical Full Professor in the Management and Organization (M&O) Department at the University of Maryland’s (UMD) Robert H. Smith School of Business where he held multiple administrative positions from Associate Chair of the Management Department to Assistant Dean. From 2010 to early 2017 he served as Assistant Dean of Corporate Relations and Managing Director of the Office of Career Services at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. In this role, he oversaw talent management and the placement success of the entire student portfolio (undergraduate, MS, MBA, Online MBA, and Executive MBA) and worked extensively with employers and alumni to build corporate relationships and programming.
At Villanova, Jeff has enjoyed teaching in the EMBA, MBA, and Masters of Church Management programs. He also teaches in Executive Education Custom Programs offered by VSB and partner colleges such as the College of Professional Studies and College of Engineering. During his tenure at the University of Maryland he taught across Executive Development, EMBA, and MBA programs. He also engaged with MS, Ph.D., and undergraduate students, as well in Smith partner universities around the world (Switzerland, Germany, and Poland). He also taught in the Smith School’s Custom Programs for corporate partners and served as an EMBA Executive Coach and member of the program’s Executive Coaching Committee. At Villanova, Jeff brings a strategic and individualized approach to coaching EMBA students, helping them clarify their goals and amplify their unique leadership strengths. He has received many teaching and mentoring awards throughout his career and is a three-time recipient of the Smith School’s top teaching award for faculty, and recipient of the University of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars Program Outstanding Faculty Mentor award (2019-2020).
Jeff is a co-founder and Principal Partner of Personnel Assessment Systems, Inc., a human capital management consulting firm with over 25 years of experience. Known for his creative and future-focused approach, he has partnered with private and public sector organizations to address leadership development, executive assessment, talent strategy, succession planning, negotiations, team effectiveness, organizational change, and performance management. His client roster includes leading companies and agencies such as Under Armour, Lockheed Martin, McCormick & Company, Home Depot, the National Institutes of Health, and the Office of Personnel Management.
Jeff has contributed to The Washington Post’s Capital Business “Career Coach” column and continues to bridge theory and practice through research and national conference presentations. Jeff is a proud Vol alumnus having earned his Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He also earned his M.S. in I/O Psychology from the University of Central Florida, and his B.S. in Psychology from the University of Florida.
When not shaping minds on academic stages, Jeff channels his creative energy into the world of theatre. He has performed in community productions like “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Guys and Dolls,” and recently debuted with Theatre Ariel, where he also serves as a Board Member. These experiences have informed past executive education initiatives, including masterclass sessions that explored improv and stage presence—some of which were developed in collaboration with his brother Marc, a three-time Tony nominee and ongoing artistic inspiration. Jeff is proud to have co-led these improvisation workshops for Executive MBAs and working professionals, blending performance insight with leadership development. His brother Marc Kudisch, a three-time Tony nominee, continues to be an artistic inspiration and collaborator.
Across academic, corporate, and creative stages, Jeff blends insight and authenticity to foster meaningful learning and connection.