Frank Ghannadian, dean of the University of Tampa’s Sykes College of Business, will step down after nearly two decades of leadership at the end of the 2025-26 academic year.
Ghannadian joined the university in 2007. During his tenure, student enrollment tripled from 1,700 to more than 5,000, and full-time faculty expanded from 57 to 150.
Under his leadership, the college’s accreditation was reaffirmed four times by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, and it earned ABET accreditation for its Management Information Systems degree. He also helped launch new programs in business information technology, cybersecurity, an Executive MBA, an Executive Doctor of Business Administration and several online graduate offerings.
Ghannadian spearheaded the creation of the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center and the Southard Institute for Sales Excellence. The college’s MBA and other master’s programs have been ranked in Bloomberg’s top 100 for more than a decade, while Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report have recognized the college’s programs for over 15 years.
Before joining UT, Ghannadian served as associate dean and interim dean at Mercer University’s business school. His academic expertise includes international business, finance and investing.
The university said the search for his successor will begin immediately.