The School of Business & Communication Welcomes Three New Faculty Members for the 2026 Academic Year

The Mount's School of Business & Communication is growing its faculty team for the 2026-27 academic year, welcoming three new professors who bring a combination of academic expertise, professional experience and research to the classroom. The additions of Ryan Lauerman, Ph.D.; Cam Mallett, Ph.D.; and Nana Twum Owusu-Peprah, Ph.D. further strengthen the School's commitment to preparing students for today's evolving business and professional landscape while supporting its mission to develop future leaders through academic excellence, professional experience, social responsibility and ethical leadership.

Biography:

Ryan Lauerman is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Mount St. Joseph University. He earned his Ph.D. in Human Resource Development from the University of Louisville. He also holds an M.A. in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Oklahoma and a B.S. in Business Administration from Oklahoma State University.

Dr. Lauerman spent more than a decade in industry, including several years in recruiting and staffing leadership. He brings this professional experience into both his teaching and research, with an emphasis on connecting organizational theory to the challenges faced by employees and leaders in practice.

His research focuses on workplace belongingness and how it interacts with human resource development, human resource management, and leadership to influence individual and organizational outcomes. His work has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals and examines how belongingness can advance theory and inform evidence-based practices related to leadership, employee development, and organizational change.

https://www.msj.edu/faculty-and-staff-directory/faculty-directory/ryan-lauerman.html

Biography:

Cam Mallett is an Assistant Professor of Sport Management. He joined the Mount after graduating from Penn State's Department of Kinesiology and teaches sport management and general business courses. His research uses historical and qualitative methods to examine the experiences of college athletes, with a particular focus on those competing at the Division III level. His research and teaching focus on sport governance, ethics, communication, and the sociocultural dimensions of collegiate and Olympic sport. He is also a member of the North American Society for Sport History and the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport, and has presented at conferences for the Applied Sport Management Association and the Center for Sociocultural Sport and Olympic Research.

https://www.msj.edu/faculty-and-staff-directory/faculty-directory/cam-mallett.html

Biography:

Nana Twum Owusu-Peprah is an Assistant Professor of Finance at Mount St. Joseph University. He earned his Ph.D. in International Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Texas A&M International University and holds degrees from Ohio University, the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana.

Dr. Owusu-Peprah brings 10 years of commercial banking experience with Ecobank PLC, Ghana, where he served as a Credit and Relationship Manager. He teaches courses including International Finance and Principles of Finance, connecting financial theory with real-world practice.

His research focuses on corporate finance, financial intermediation, climate finance, and the intersection of AI and finance. His work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals and has been presented at major finance conferences, earning Best Ph.D. Student Paper in 2022 and an Honorable Mention in 2025. He is passionate about quality education, student success, and impactful research.

https://www.msj.edu/faculty-and-staff-directory/faculty-directory/nana-twum-owusu-peprah.html

Together, the three new faculty members represent continued growth for the School of Business & Communication and bring new perspectives that will enrich the student experience. As the Mount continues to respond to changing workforce needs, these faculty additions will help prepare students to move forward in their careers and lead with purpose.