Lisa A. Petrides, M.B.A. 1991
Lisa Petrides earned her BS in conservation and resource studies
from UC Berkeley in 1981, after which she went to work as an aspiring
audio engineer who ended up in management. After working as a freelance
computer consultant and full-time in a recording studio, Petrides
came to Sonoma State University unsure of where it would lead. Her
first semester was "a breath of fresh air. I found other students
in mid-career jobs, each of us trying to better ourselves, many
with families and other professional responsibilities." Petrides
started her renewed school career by taking one business class.
After being asked to work as a teaching assistant, she left her
full-time job to spend more time on-campus. She says, "I felt
as if I had finally returned back to my old self, and had gained
both the external and internal validation that I could succeed."
After receiving her MBA from SSU in 1991, Lisa went on to obtain
her Ph.D. from Stanford University's School of Education in 1996.
About her experience there, she says: "When I got to Stanford,
people wanted to downplay my MBA from SSU. I always defended it.
It had gotten me this far."
Today Lisa works at the Teachers College at Columbia University.
She is an Assistant Professor of Education, and the Director of
the joint EDD/MBA program in educational leadership and management,
and she believes that the groundwork for this was laid at SSU. She
has had many academic grants and awards bestowed upon her, and has
written numerous academic publications revolving around gender politics
in technology and education. She still plays music and has dabbled
in audio recording ventures. Being at SSU made her realize that
she "could inspire others, both young and old to not sell themselves
short, and push them to realize their maximum potential." A
new hobby for Lisa is painting in watercolors, and she had her first
art exhibit at Columbia University this year.
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