Q&A with Director of MBA Programs Adam Herman

When Adam Herman stepped into the role of Assistant Dean of Warrington MBA Programs a year ago, he inherited a nationally recognized program with a strong reputation and an engaged community. Over his first 12 months, he’s focused on building on that momentum. 

As Herman reflects on his first year, he credits a culture that is never satisfied with standing still. From launching new AI programming and expanding the MBA program’s presence in Miami and Jacksonville to growing experiential learning opportunities and reinforcing the value of the Warrington network, the future of the Warrington MBA has never been stronger.  

Q: What were your expectations when you took the job as Assistant Dean of Warrington MBA Programs, and how has the reality matched that? 

Herman: “I knew some of the magic in being at a business school at a large public flagship institution is that students benefit from the scale and scope of a large university while also being part of the small tight-knit business school community. I was excited to be part of that at Warrington. It’s been great to see that effect in action here at Warrington.  The faculty help foster an intentional community of learners in the classroom, and our alumni are generous with their time and energy to our students. Our Warrington community also has reach, with UF and Warrington connections across the state.  

“From the full-time MBA students learning and performing in the Chris Winfrey Family Case Challenge to launching our educational centers in Jacksonville and Miami, it’s clear we serve our students and all corners of the state.” 

Q: What has been your impression of the Warrington MBA community since taking over?  

Herman: “I knew coming in that Warrington was one of the top business schools in the country. The faculty are prolific in their research, students are driven and passionate about learning, and our staff is obsessed with student success. With 20 years of my career in education, I knew of Warrington as a top-ranked online MBA program, a founding member of the Consortium for Online Graduate Business Education and a participant in the Executive MBA Council. Being here for one year now has allowed me to see up close the staff’s passion for serving students but also some great systems in place behind that. We are impatient with the status quo and constantly thinking of what we can do better to meet student and employer needs.” 

Q: What’s an example you’ve seen of the MBA program moving forward? 

Herman: “We recognize that UF is a premier artificial intelligence institution. We hear from current and incoming students that they want more AI content to be savvy users and leaders with AI in their workplace. In August, Professor Joel Davis partnered with the MBA program to offer the inaugural edition of the Warrington AI Launchpad to students in the full-time and online programs, and we will roll out elements of this four-hour workshop to all MBA students in the future. The launchpad teaches students to not only understand generative and agentic AI, but it also allows them to be savvier about how they think about AI in their internships or workplaces.” 

Q: What do you consider to be some clear wins from your first year? 

Herman: “The beginning of this precedes my arrival, but since starting my role, the hands-on experiential learning opportunities in the MBA program stand out. The Rise to Leadership program is developing professional competencies in our full-time students. The Campus Residency program offers students outside of the Gainesville programs an opportunity to come to campus and experience The Gator Nation in Gainesville. The Summit Series connects students with industry topics on the road, like learning about digital transformation at Ernst & Young in Chicago and brand equity at Frito Lay in Dallas. These programs are growing in their impact because of our team, and it’s rare that I go even a week without a student sharing positive feedback about them.” 

Q: What are some of your best event memories from the first year? 

Herman: “Even after working in education for 20 years, I’m still sentimental about orientations, graduations and other milestone events. I’ve been really impressed by the in-person orientation opportunities that exist for students to come together and make new friends, build their network of peers, learn from us about how to be navigate the program and participate in team building. I’ve also enjoyed seeing students at graduation, with many of them taking a moment to pause for a photo with a favorite faculty member. Some of the most enthusiastic photos at graduation are the group photos with Dean Gary McGill, who teaches Global Immersion Experience courses all over the world, and serves as a magnet for students at graduation to reconnect about these international academic trips. It’s great for families to experience a small sliver of what makes the Warrington community so special.” 

Q: How much is the MBA program strengthened by expanding into Jacksonville and Miami? 

Herman: “Our Jacksonville students started classes in January 2026, and our longstanding South Florida program relocated to Miami in May. The first phase was simply bringing our existing weekend professional program to their new homes. In the very first week of our Miami classes, a faculty invited a Warrington MBA alumnus who lives and works in Miami to come speak to the class about his entrepreneurial ventures. That alumnus was able to easily come into the class and meet with our students. In the future, we’re aiming to activate the Jacksonville and Miami spaces even more. We want students in all of our degree programs across the Warrington community to leverage our presence in these cities, and we want to strengthen our relationships with corporate partners in the area.” 

Q: What are some exciting growth opportunities you see for the program in the future? 

Herman: “Applicants are often appropriately curious about how they and their organizations benefit from pursuing an MBA. It’s a reasonable question to ask, and we have a duty to answer these questions with actions, and by articulating the value of a Warrington MBA. We will continue to invest in our top-ranked online MBA program, which serves more than half of our enrolled MBA leaners, while also investing in our Gainesville, Miami, and Jacksonville based programs. In the years ahead, students can expect to see continued investment and programming that’s market-relevant and skills focused. We’ll build more relationship opportunities in cities across Florida markets like Orlando or Tampa and throughout the U.S. We’re building an MBA that connects across markets and allows students many paths of opportunity in their career.