Ekin Pellegrini

Ekin Pellegrini is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Graduate Business Programs at the University of Missouri-St. Louis's College of Business Administration. She founded the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program and leads the Global Leadership and Management Department. Her research focuses on mentoring, leadership in international contexts, and cross-cultural management, with publications in top journals like the Journal of International Business Studies and Journal of Management. Dr. Pellegrini holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the University of Miami and prior industry experience in human resources at AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Accenture.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior Management, University of Miami (2001–2006)
• MS in Management, University of Florida (2000–2001)
• B.A. in Sociology, Bogazici University, Turkey (1991–1996)

Research Interests: Intercultural workplace dynamics, leadership development, mentoring frameworks, and organizational behavior. Her work emphasizes cross-cultural applicability of leadership theories and employee engagement strategies.

Awards:

• 2014 Anheuser-Busch Excellence in Teaching Award
• 2015 National Society of Leadership and Success Excellence in Teaching Award

Teaching & Service: Teaches Leadership, International Management, and Organizational Behavior across undergraduate, MBA, and doctoral programs. Active in executive education and curriculum development for graduate business programs.

Labs/Teams: Leads the DBA program and collaborates with faculty on cross-cultural management initiatives and talent retention strategies.