The Importance of Education

The daughter of Italian immigrants, Dr. Rose Sebastianelli, Ph.D., professor of operations & information management, believes her accomplishments today are a result of lessons learned from her parents.

The elder Sebastianellis emphasized the importance of education to their daughter, explaining that academics would lead her down the path of success. Their encouragement eventually led Dr. Sebastianelli to earn her doctoral degree from Pennsylvania State University. 

“They realized the power of education to transform lives,” Dr. Sebastianelli says of her parents.

'Teaching is really my first love'

Today, Dr. Sebastianelli instills her parents’ lessons in her classroom. She challenges her students to think critically and creatively, and helps identify the connections between what she’s teaching and what they will encounter in the future.

The professor’s teaching style has garnered a great deal of success, thanks in large part to her enthusiasm for her job.

“I love what I do,” Dr. Sebastianelli says. “It’s wonderful to be around college students. Teaching is really my first love.”

'American Dream'

Even after more than 20 years at the University, her exuberance for teaching carries over to the classroom, and her instruction is popular with students.

During her tenure, Dr. Sebastianelli has been voted three times by students as the Kania School of Management’s Teacher of the Year. 

“It’s a tribute to my work, but also a tribute to my parents,” she explains. “I feel I have been able to carry out my parents’ ‘American dream.’”