Bridging Insight And Impact

Where Research Excellence Meets Practical Relevance in the Virginia Tech Executive Ph.D. in Business

When Hurricane Erin brought dangerous surf to North Carolina, CNN interviewed Virginia Tech Executive Ph.D. student Sam Proffit for expert guidance to residents in the storm’s path. Proffit, the Ocean Rescue Director for Wrightsville Beach, N.C., faces public safety challenges daily, and his dissertation research on “AI versus human-generated emergency messages during disasters” provides him new tools to address them.

This relationship between the daily decisions as an agency director and the disciplined inquiry of a scholar illustrates the guiding principles of Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business Executive Ph.D. program: meaningful research begins in practice and returns to it with impact. The program brings together senior-level practitioners to test ideas drawn from lived experience, apply academic rigor, and return insights that improve their organizations’ and communities’ functions.

As founding director, Dr. Dipankar Chakravarti describes it, the program is “where research excellence meets practical relevance.” Guided by this philosophy, the program attracts executives from organizations such as General Dynamics, the CIA, DOD, Fannie Mae, Cisco, Norfolk Southern, Fidelity, the Department of State, Amazon, the U.S. Navy, and Wells Fargo. These leaders recognize that organizations of all types and sizes increasingly rely on technology-driven research to inform decisions addressing business, policy, and societal challenges.

A Doctorate Designed For Working Leaders

Unlike traditional executive programs focused on management training, Virginia Tech’s Executive Ph.D. in Business program develops executives who generate new, knowledge-producing research that influences strategy, policy, and organizational practice. Many of its graduates publish their work in top research journals where it will have a broader, sector-wide influence.

A defining feature of the program is its hybrid structure, allowing executives to advance their careers while completing online coursework and attending in-person residencies in Alexandria, Virginia, at Virginia Tech’s Academic Building One. The Alexandria location provides proximity to federal agencies, global firms, nonprofits, and research institutions, creating a learning environment where students turn research into practice. They engage with decision-makers, explore complex business and policy questions, and leverage networks to expand their impact.

“The D.C. setting supercharges the learning experience,” said Dr. Rajesh Bagchi, Associate Dean for Research, Graduate Programs, and Centers.

“Pamplin’s Executive Ph.D. students learn in an environment that is as policy-informed as it is industry-connected. They are conducting research that speaks directly to the challenges shaping organizations and society.”

Learning Where Policy And Industry Converge

The program is distinguished by accomplished faculty researchers, who mentor students and share their diverse experience and deep skill sets. As one of the few R1 research universities in the nation offering an executive-format Ph.D. program, Virginia Tech, Pamplin College of Business, provides students access to world-class faculty and interdisciplinary expertise in fields such as engineering, business, data analytics, public policy, and health sciences. This combination of research excellence and strategic location fosters scholarship that connects research across fields to drive meaningful impact.

Research That Resonates

For Dr. Akwasi Ampofo, the Executive Ph.D., deepened his understanding of how financial reporting and governance shape ethical leadership. While serving as a director at Prudential Financial, Ampofo examined how transparent reporting practices influence investor confidence and corporate trust. His research combined academic rigor with practical insight, demonstrating how evidence-based leadership can strengthen both performance and integrity in the private sector.

After earning his Ph.D., Ampofo was promoted to vice president at Prudential and later transitioned into academia. Today, he serves as an Associate Professor of Accounting at Springfield College, where he brings industry experience and research expertise into the classroom. Akwasi’s journey reflects one of the defining strengths of the Executive Ph.D.: advancing in industry while contributing to academia, demonstrating how practice-grounded research creates meaningful impact across both worlds.

“I learned core competencies in researching interesting topics that matter to business and academia,” says Ampofo, “and these skills — such as critical thinking, writing for publication, and communicating results effectively — are helping me tremendously in my professional life.”

A Decade of Impact

“As we mark the 10th anniversary of the Executive Ph.D. program,” said Dr. Saonee Sarker, Dean of the Pamplin College of Business, “we celebrate a decade of shaping leaders who advance innovation where business and technology meet. As one of the nation’s few R1 universities offering this opportunity, Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business, accredited by the AACSB, provides a research-driven education that attracts exceptional professionals and empowers them to make a lasting impact on business and society.”

Each new cohort builds on this foundation, extending the reach of Virginia Tech’s business research into organizations, industries, and communities. The result is a growing network of scholar-practitioners who shape how business and technology evolve.

Learn more about the Virginia Tech Executive Ph.D. in Business at execphd.vt.edu.

 

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