Jennifer Rinella, Ed.D., is Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the College of Business and Technology at Rockhurst University. She also serves as an Associate Professor of Management in the Helzberg School of Management.

Dr. Rinella teaches undergraduate, graduate, and executive education courses in various management and nonprofit leadership topics, bringing both academic and professional experience to the classroom. As a Gallup-certified CliftonStrengths coach, she enjoys helping individuals and teams discover, develop, and apply their unique talents. In addition to faculty and administrative leadership at Rockhurst University, she has held leadership and/or consulting roles with Providence Medical Center/St. John Hospital Foundation, Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, the LIGHT House, Mechanical Contractors Association, Menorah Medical Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Cure of Ars parish, and Ronald McDonald House Charities. Her research interests include organizational leadership, career paths of executive leaders, business ethics, and philanthropy. Her work has been published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior Education, Nonprofit & Voluntary Sector Quarterly, the Journal of Nonprofit Education & Leadership, and Conversations magazine. Dr. Rinella currently serves as president of the Cooney Family Foundation and is a member of the Board of Trustees at Menorah Medical Center. She is an editorial board member of the Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership and a former board member of the National Seminar on Jesuit Higher Education. She has received the RU Excellence in Outcomes Assessment Award, the American Humanics Community Service and Volunteerism Benchmark Award, the Presidential Grant for Faculty Development, and Jerome and Jeannette Cohen grants for research and program innovation.