Augusta University
Richard Franza, PhD
Faculty, James M. Hull College of Business
- Augusta GA UNITED STATES
Dr. Richard M. Franza is a professor and former dean of the James M. Hull College of Business.
Contact More Open optionsSpotlight
October 16, 2024
5 min
May 30, 2024
3 min
March 27, 2024
2 min
Multimedia
Biography
Dr. Richard Franza is a faculty member who formerly served as the dean of the James M. Hull College of Business. Franza's primary areas of expertise are Operations Management (OM), Management of Technology (MOT), and Project Management.
Areas of Expertise
Links
Media Appearances
Port of Baltimore closure and how it could affect the CSRA
WJBF tv
2024-03-29
Francis Scott Key Bridge’s collapse in Baltimore could have implications for businesses in our area. The Port of Baltimore is one of the major shipping ports and is the first-place cars, and light trucks are brought before they are distributed throughout the country. The port closing means cargo ships must relocate where their items will go. Other ports’ capacity could also be an issue. They could get full, which would cause shipping delays and price increases. “It depends on the capacity of those ports, which are typically below 100 percent, but they typically want to keep them that way because there’s some variance when they arrive and leave, and so it can be kind of full at times,” said Rick Franza, Ph.D., Professor at Augusta University Hull College of Business.
How will the bridge collapse in Baltimore impact the supply chain?
The Georgia Sun online
2024-03-28
In the wake of the unexpected collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the Port of Baltimore, a pivotal artery for the nation’s supply chain, businesses and consumers alike are bracing for the fallout. The collapse, caused by a container ship’s collision with the bridge, has sparked a logistical scramble to reroute goods, with significant implications for the Eastern Seaboard’s shipping capacity. The Port of Baltimore, renowned for its efficiency in handling autos and light trucks— leading the U.S. in this sector— now finds its operations in limbo. The immediate task at hand involves diverting ships to alternative ports, a move that Rick Franza, PhD, a professor at Augusta University with a deep understanding of operations and supply chain management, discusses with a note of caution.
New Hull College dean prioritizes workforce development
The Augusta Chronicle online
2017-03-18
Dr. Richard Franza, the new dean of Augusta University’s James M. Hull College of Business plans to run the school like, well, a business.
Scuttlebiz: Time has arrived at Hull College
The Augusta Chronicle online
2016-11-05
Let’s face it, it’s not easy getting noticed when your roommate’s an 800-pound gorilla.
Kennesaw State administrator selected to head AU’s college of business
The Augusta Chronicle online
2016-11-03
A retired Air Force officer and senior associate dean at Kennesaw State University has been tapped to lead Augusta University’s James M. Hull College of Business.
Supply chain issues causing grocery store shortages
WJBF tv
2022-02-11
Empty shelves and higher prices are becoming a common sight as supply chain issues cause grocery store shortages. Supply chain issues are caused by a couple of factors with the largest being labor shortages. Transportation and truck driver shortages also contribute to issue. “Each of those places are having tight labor crunches and in between getting from the first place to the second place trucking has been limited,” Dean of the AU College of Business Dr. Rick Franza said.
Golf imparts valuable lessons for business
MSN online
2022-06-03
Every April, we are reminded that Augusta is golf town. However, because of two recent events, I was further reminded of that fact. On May 2, more than 700 supporters of the Augusta University’s golf program attended a celebration of AU’s (at that time, Augusta State) back-to-back NCAA Division I men’s golf team national championships in 2010 and 2011, and the individual golf national championship won by AU men’s golfer Broc Everett in 2018. The fact that most of the players and coaches of the two national championship teams and Everett returned for the event, along with the turnout of more than 700, further demonstrates the importance of golf in Augusta beyond the Masters Tournament and the game itself.
New LIV Golf Series Raises Plenty of Questions and Eyebrows
Metro Atlanta CEO online
2022-06-29
When the new LIV Golf series backed by Saudi Arabia formally debuted this year, it raised plenty of questions on who would jump from the PGA Tour to this new league. With the tour guaranteeing appearance fees in the millions, it wasn’t a huge surprise some of the biggest stars in golf like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau have decided to join. However, some critics are pushing back against the new league, citing Saudi Arabia’s track record on human rights issues — including those pertaining to capital punishment, human trafficking, discrimination against religious minorities and strict interpretation of Sharia law. The PGA Tour had warned players there would be repercussions of playing in LIV Golf events, and responded by suspending those who are indefinitely.
As gas prices decrease, what is the indirect impact of fuel costs?
WRDW tv
2022-06-30
The holiday weekend is so close you can almost smell the barbecue and fireworks in the air. The good news, for now, is that gas prices are trending down. In Augusta, we’ve seen prices below $4. The average now is about 14 cents lower than the highest all-time average set a couple of weeks ago. South Carolina’s current average is about a cent higher than Georgia’s. That’s down 23 cents from their all-time high set in early June. But paying less at the pump doesn’t mean you won’t feel the long-term effects of surging prices later.
As prices are at an all-time high, here are some ways to cut costs
WRDW tv
2022-07-07
The warning signs of a recession are flashing while families continue to adjust to rising inflation. Inflation recently reached a new high, rising over eight-point-six percent from May of 2021 to 2022. It’s the highest combined 12-month increase in more than 40 years. We found five ways families can prepare and immediately start saving money.
Augusta businesses partner with community leaders, bringing in more customers
WRDW tv
2022-08-12
For two years, businesses in our area had to deal with the pandemic, which meant not as many customers and restrictions. Now that doors are starting to open again, leaders in the community see owners and city officials can work together to keep people coming. The Dean of the School of Business, Dr. Rick Franza, said: “You can learn about the programs we have like bachelor’s degree and MBA program. We also offer an executive education and project management, becoming very popular, and then we connector and other services.”
Augusta promotes program designed to help small businesses
The Augusta Press online
2022-08-13
The City of Augusta and Augusta University’s Hull College of Business hosted an event highlighting the city’s ‘Local Small Business Opportunity Program’ (LSBOP), something local leaders hope will help small business owners connect with resources they need. Rick Franza, dean of Augusta University’s Hull College of Business, said the goal is to support local business owners by providing educational resources they need. “We are invested in this community,” he said. “Our job as a business school is to help promote business in this community and to provide the education and training necessary to ensure we have a good workforce and the economic growth of our city.”
As Army recruitment numbers slide, Augusta connections helps it fare better than most
Augusta Chronicle print
2022-10-19
The publication Army Times reported in September that up to 70% of potential Army recruits are disqualified in the first 48 hours because of factors such as obesity, low test scores or drug use. According to the State of Obesity 2022 report from the nonprofit Trust for America’s Health, 33.9% of Georgians are considered overweight or obese. But even potential recruits with better health and higher aptitude can be tempted by “a lot of opportunities and benefits” in a competitive civilian job market, said Lt. Col. Brian Meister, commander of the U.S. Army’s Columbia Recruiting Battalion, which oversees recruiting companies in several cities including Augusta. Dr. Richard Franza, dean of Augusta University’s Hull College of Business, agreed. “Even in a recession, such as what we’re seeing, it normally increases unemployment. But the job market’s staying strong,” he said. “We’re not getting the levels of unemployment you would expect in a recession, so you're seeing more job opportunities.”
Augusta University MBA program growing, No.1 most affordable in nation
WJBF tv
2022-10-24
Augusta University’s Master of Business Administration enrollment has increased by 31% since 2016, and it was ranked the most affordable online MBA in the nation by a college review consensus. “Maintaining high quality while being affordable, that’s the key,” said Richard Franza, the Dean of Hull College of Business.
Augusta University expert weighs in on emerging electric vehicle market
The Augusta Press online
2023-07-18
Electric vehicles are steadily making their way toward prevalence on the road and in the market — particularly in Georgia and other parts of the Southeast. Over the next three years, automakers and equipment producers will have factories in development in and around Georgia. “It’s not a question of if they’re coming, but how fast they will be here,” said Richard Franza, Ph.D, professor of management at the Hull College of Business at Augusta University. The Georgia Supreme Court recently rejected an appeal challenging the bond agreements between the state and the Joint Development Authority of Jasper, Morgan, Newton and Walton Counties (JDA) for the $5 billion Rivian EV manufacturing plant west of Atlanta.
Answers
-
Will consumers see an immediate impact from the closure of the Port of Baltimore after the bridge collpase?
-
“First of all it’s going to take a while before we see any effect on certain things. The bad news for inflation is that it’s going to raise the cost of transportation for the goods coming off the ships. Will businesses absorb the cost or pass them along to consumers?”
-
The Port of Baltimore was the busiest for cars and light trucks coming from other parts of the world, how will the closure affect outbound goods from the port?
-
“It’s not just the capacity of the port, that’s one thing, but it’s also their capacity of the outbound items. It may be more trucks are needed and new routes are needed to move inventory. It now becomes a whole different set of providers for the trucks because it’s no longer the people in Baltimore.”
-
How will the bridge collapse in Baltimore affect goods coming in and out of the port?
-
“Most ports on the East Coast are at 70% to 80% capacity, which is where you want to be. You don’t want to have much more than that, but they’re going to have to,” said Franza. “It could affect a good bit of the eastern half of the United States.”
Articles
ERP implementation failures: a case study and analysis
International Journal of Business Information Systems2016 Despite the pervasiveness of ERP systems, there is a serious concern regarding the failure of ERP implementations. One explanation for many ERP implementation failures may be 'escalation of commitment'.
Technology transfer contracts between R&D labs and commercial partners: choose your words wisely
The Journal of Technology Transfer2012 Our study is motivated by the problems encountered by external collaborators, particularly those between research and development laboratories and commercial partners, when writing technology transfer contracts. Kruskal–Wallis one-way nonparametric Analyses of Variance are used to analyze Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) from a national, Department of Defense laboratory in the United States of America.
