Joe Palazzolo, Ed.D., is a lecturer in the Department of Management and Leadership within the Leon Hess Business School. He began his teaching career at Monmouth University in 2007. In his prior career as a community development lender, Palazzolo deployed nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in community development investments that supported almost a billion dollars of real estate development, small business entrepreneurship, and arts-based projects throughout New Jersey. He is a nationally-recognized leader in facility financing for innovative education programs and a thought leader in New Jersey’s nonprofit community. He also owns and is the managing director of several businesses, each with an international footprint.

Outside of his professional obligations, Palazzolo is an award-winning community volunteer. This service includes volunteering as the off-campus alumni advisor for the Monmouth University chapter of Sigma Pi Fraternity and his prior service as the chairman of the fraternity’s National Board of Directors. Palazzolo also serves as a sounding board and advisor to the University’s Interfraternity Council and Greek Senate. He is a founding member of both his local parish’s Knights of Columbus Council and the Monmouth University Knights of Columbus Council. Within the University community, Palazzolo was a member of the Athletics Department’s Blue/White Leadership Committee, and is the current faculty mentor for the men’s tennis team and the Faculty Advisor for the wrestling team. He also served on the University’s LMS Re-Evaluation Committee and the Leon Hess Business School’s Societal Impact Committee. He currently serves on the business school’s Faculty Development Committee and operates the AIM Series, featuring University alumni speaking about their professional career paths.

Palazzolo also manages the Leon Hess Business School’s Summer High School Entrepreneurship Program. This program provides free entrepreneurship training to high school students through instruction in accounting, finance, marketing, and leadership, as well as provides in-person interactions with successful entrepreneurs and business owners. 

Education

Ed.D., University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Post-Master’s Certificate, Curriculum Studies, Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ

Graduate Certificate, Public Relations Specialist, Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ

M.A., Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

B.A., Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ

Research Interests

Teaching interests and areas of expertise include leadership, organizational strategy, professional communication, entrepreneurship, ethical and socially responsible business operations, and nonprofit board development.

Publications

Scholarly Publications, Presentations, and Panels

Caridi, C. H., Hill, R. A., Palazzolo, J. V., & Sue, D. L. (2024, November 2). Adapting to a New Generation of Teaching and Learning [Conference presentation abstract]. Fifty-first annual conference of the Northeast Business & Economics Association, Danbury, CT, United States. 290-291.

Palazzolo, J. V., & Navarro, C. A. (2023, October 28). The Efficacy of Financial Literacy Programs [Conference presentation abstract]. Fiftieth annual conference of the Northeast Business & Economics Association, Lafayette Hill, PA, United States. 183.

Sue, D. L., Rosenberg, S., &, Palazzolo, J. V. (2023, October 27). Academic Integrity – Issues and Solutions [Conference presentation abstract]. Fiftieth annual conference of the Northeast Business & Economics Association, Lafayette Hill, PA, United States. 237.

Palazzolo, J. V., & Navarro, C. A. (2023, June 2). Building a sustainable economy and reducing income gaps through financial literacy [Conference presentation]. STAR Symposium, West Long Branch, NJ, United States.

Palazzolo, J. V., & Devasagayam, R. (2023). Exploring Place-Based Pedagogy as Entrepreneurship Accelerator. Metropolitan Universities, 34, 27-42. DOI: 10.18060/26459

Palazzolo, J. V., & Skiba, M. (2022). Teaching management skills that matter in professional life. AACSB Insights.

Palazzolo, J. V., Gomez, S., & Torchio, L. (2021, November 5). Business & community impacts from covid-19 [Conference presentation abstract]. Forty-eighth annual conference of the Northeast Business & Economics Association, Atlantic City, NJ, United States.

Palazzolo, J. V., & Apgar, L. (2021, October 7). Using nontraditional loan funds for covid-19 small business recovery [Conference presentation abstract]. Twenty-eighth annual conference of the Institute of Behavioral and Applied Management, Zoom.

Professional Presentations and Panels

(2025) Community Facilities and Economic Development, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

(2025) Creative Placemaking, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

(2024) Foundations of Financial Literacy, Mercy University, Dobbs Ferry, NY

(2024) Higher Education Leadership – Trends and Outlook, June 2024, Sigma Pi Fraternity’s 51st Biennial Convocation, Indianapolis, IN

(2024) Community Facilities and Economic Development, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

(2023) Community Facilities and Economic Development, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

(2022) Creative Placemaking, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

(2022). Creating Inclusive Classroom Spaces, New Jersey Collegiate Business Administration Association, Quarterly Meeting, Ewing, NJ.

(2021). Creative Financing for Creative Placemaking, National Consortium for Creative Placemaking, Creative Placemaking Leadership Summit, Online.

(2020). Charter Schools & Community Facility Financing, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.

(2019). Understanding NJ’s Successful “Friends of” Facilities Financing Experiment, New Jersey Charter Schools Association’s Annual Conference, Atlantic City, NJ.

(2018). Charter School Facilities & Financing, New Jersey Charter Schools Association’s Annual Conference, Newark, NJ.

(2018). Rutgers Alumni Entrepreneur Panel, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.

(2017). Charter Schools & New Markets Tax Credits, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.

(2017). Facility Financing Lessons from the Real World, New Jersey Charter Schools Association’s Annual Conference, Newark, NJ.

(2016). A Conversation with Non-Traditional and Traditional Muni Buyers, SMITH’s High-Yield Municipal Bond Conference, Greenwich, CT.

(2016). Putting Together a Winning Project Team, New Jersey Charter Schools Association’s Annual Conference, Atlantic City, NJ.

(2015). Essential Questions About Facility Finance, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools’ Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA.

(2014). The Benefits & Economic Impact of Child Care Services for Towns, New Jersey State League of Municipalities’ Annual Conference, Atlantic City, NJ.

(2013). Financing Charter School Facilities, National Charter School Resource Center, National Webinar, Washington, DC.

Selected Volunteer Presentations

(2025) Alumni Engagement, Sigma Pi Fraternity’s Greater New Jersey Province, West Long Branch, NJ

(2025) Authentic Leadership, Monmouth University’s 9th Annual Monmouth LEADS Conference, West Long Branch, NJ

(2024) Don’t Fall Off the Cliff – Future Proofing Your Membership, Monmouth University’s 8th Annual Monmouth LEADS Conference, West Long Branch, NJ

(2023) Social Media Use & Moderation, Sigma Pi Fraternity’s Greater New Jersey Province, West Long Branch, NJ

(2023). Understanding the Future Through Today’s Data & Trends, Monmouth University’s 7th Annual Monmouth LEADS Conference, West Long Branch, NJ.

(2021). Data-Driven Leadership in a Post-Covid World, Monmouth University’s 6th Annual Monmouth LEADS Conference, West Long Branch, NJ.

(2021). Data-Driven Leadership: The Future by the Numbers, Monmouth University’s 5th Annual Monmouth LEADS Conference, West Long Branch, NJ.

(2020). Data-Driven Leadership: What the Data Says About the Future of FSL, Monmouth University’s 4th Annual Monmouth LEADS Conference, West Long Branch, NJ.

(2019). Living Leadership: Meetings, Managing Members, Recruiting Members, & More. Monmouth University’s 3rd Annual Monmouth LEADS Conference, West Long Branch, NJ.

(2018). Nonprofit Boards of Directors, Sigma Pi Fraternity, International’s Mid-Year Leadership Conference, St. Louis, MO.

(2016). Best Practices for Undergraduate Interaction, Sigma Pi Fraternity, International’s Mid-Year Leadership Conference, St. Louis, MO.

(2015). True Greek Leadership, Sigma Pi Fraternity, International’s New Jersey Province, Orange, NJ.

Awards

2025 – Monmouth University – Leon Hess Business School – Beta Gamma Sigma Induction

2024 – Sigma Pi Fraternity – Dr. Robert L. Burns Award – Most Outstanding Faculty Advisor

2024 – Monmouth University – Leon Hess Business School – Service Excellence Award

2023 – Monmouth University – Fraternity & Sorority Life – Advisor of the Year

2013 – New Jersey Charter Schools Association – Advocate of the Year

2008 – Sigma Pi Fraternity – Justice Curtis G. Shake Award – Most Outstanding Regional Volunteer

2006 – Sigma Pi Fraternity – Lyle H. Smith Award – Most Outstanding Local Volunteer

2005 – Rutgers University – Arthur Holland Ethics in Government Fellowship

2005 – Sigma Pi Educational Foundation – Lothar I. Iverson Graduate Student Fellowship

2004 – Sigma Pi Fraternity – Lyle H. Smith Award – Most Outstanding Local Volunteer

2004 – Sigma Pi Educational Foundation – Lothar I. Iverson Graduate Student Fellowship