Professor George Pettinico
Professor George Pettinico was a core member of PSU’s School of Business and a stalwart supporter of the University, the community, and most of all, Plymouth State students when he passed away in March of 2024. He is greatly missed.
Pettinico received his BA from Cornell University, MBAs in marketing and management from the University of Connecticut School of Business, and a PhD in marketing from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After a successful 20-year career in business he joined our faculty in 2017 because of his desire to work with first-generation college students and his passion for the Integrated Clusters approach.
His numerous publications included co-authoring The Coming Age of Robots: Implications for Consumer Behavior and Marketing Strategy and articles in the Journal of Consumer Marketing, the Journal of Consumer Affairs, and Health Marketing Quarterly, among others.
George loved his second career as Associate Professor of Marketing. “Teaching at Plymouth State was George’s dream job,” according to his family. “He was happy to be able to make a difference in the lives of business students.”
George spent a lot of time in service to the business school and the university’s honors program in a variety of roles including director of students, Student Business Advisory Council advisor, internship coordinator, Strategy Task Force co-chair, Promotion and Tenure Committee chair, Delta Mu Delta honor society co-advisor, MAPS advisor, and faculty mentor to the Panther Pitch. He also served as chair of the University Honors Council for many years and was a member of the Athletics Council. In 2020 he was named to a three-year term as an O. B. Rosenblum Professor in Business.
“Dr. Pettinico was a major contributor to every facet of Plymouth State,” says Professor Scott Mantie, executive director of the School of Business. “He had a distinguished academic career at PSU and demonstrated his dedication to commit his time and energy to providing service to students, departments, and the University.”
Professor George Pettinico
Pettinico’s dedication led him to be nominated for two awards this year, the Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award and the Award for Excellence in Faculty Service.
“In the classroom, George served both the students and our community by bringing real clients into the coursework,” notes Professor Denise Hutchins. “He did this for both his Digital Marketing course and the Plymouth Marketing and Design course. He saw the value our students bring to our clients, the experience the students accumulate, and how we can help the community thrive.
“When I needed ideas, leadership, and action, I turned to George,” continues Hutchins. “He was a true collaborator, visionary, and a very capable and dependable person. He wasn’t afraid to work hard and to serve in various capacities for the greater good. No job was too big or too small. He would jump right in producing viable options and results. He was a joy to work with and always put our students first. He will be remembered fondly for his significant contributions across our campus and for the ways he touched many of our lives.”
In memory of her loving husband, Sandy Pettinico, along with the generosity of George’s family, friends, colleagues, and students, has established the George Pettinico Memorial Business Scholarship at Plymouth State University. The scholarship will be annually awarded to a deserving student with financial need who is majoring in Business, with preference given to students specializing in Marketing.
ESTABLISHING A SCHOLARSHIP
Establishing a named scholarship is a meaningful way to honor a family member, a mentor, or a specific passion of yours. A named annual scholarship can be established with a four-year commitment of at least $2,500 annually. Alternatively, you can create a scholarship endowment with a minimum gift of $50,000, which will generate a 3% to 4% annual payout to provide scholarship awards in perpetuity.
For more information, visit plymouth.edu/giving, or contact Director of Development John Scheinman P’19, P’21G by phone at (603) 535-2805 or via e-mail at jscheinman@plymouth.edu.
