Marisa Anne Pagnattaro - UGA - Impact UGA

Meet Marisa Pagnattaro

Education:

Ph.D. — English, University of Georgia
J.D. — Law, New York Law School
B.A. — English, Colgate University

Professional Appointments:

2023 — Senior Vice Provost for Academic Planning, University of Georgia
2022 — Vice President for Instruction, University of Georgia
2019 — Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, University of Georgia
2016 — I.W. Cousins Professor of Business Ethics, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia
2015 — Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs, Terry College, University of Georgia
2012 — Professor of Legal Studies, Terry College, University of Georgia
2006 — Associate Professor of Legal Studies, Terry College, University of Georgia
2000 — Assistant Professor, Legal Studies, Terry College, University of Georgia
1987 — Litigation Associate, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, Atlanta

Awards:

2025 — Hugh O. Nourse Outstanding MBA Teaching Award, Terry College, University of Georgia
2025 — Fulbright Korea International Administrators Program
2016 — SEC Academic Leadership Development
2014 — Creative Teaching Award, University of Georgia
2013 — Josaih Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professorship, University of Georgia
2004 — Richard Russell Undergraduate Teaching Award, University of Georgia

Website:

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Delivering value in higher education

It’s a persistent challenge we face in higher education: helping students and their parents see the value and practical application of going to college.

I was a first-generation college student, and for me, higher education opened doors and connected me to a larger world. The power of good teaching, mentorship, and learning experiences shaped my career and continues to inspire me.

Today, as the Vice President for Instruction at the University of Georgia, I’m committed to helping this generation of students find purpose in their college experience and empowering them to forge meaningful careers.

I think universities best serve students by fostering deep engagement with the curriculum. At UGA, we’re focused on innovative teaching, exemplified through active and experiential learning.

UGA requires students to complete a hands-on learning experience and reflect on what they learned. We offer thousands of opportunities and add more each year. We also continue to train our instructors (from graduate TAs to tenured professors) in evidence-based teaching practices that put students at the center of learning.

But our jobs don’t end with helping students to complete courses and earn a diploma. Even though 95% of UGA graduates are employed or pursuing graduate degrees within six months of graduation, I continue to hear about the increasing difficulty college graduates have finding jobs in their fields right now.

So we are working with our students to help them articulate their skills and learning experiences with our new Comprehensive Learner Record.

This new digital credential captures a student’s full range of learning experiences—from academic courses to extracurricular leadership roles and hands-on projects. The tool helps students highlight the foundational skills that signal their readiness for the world after graduation.

While I am proud to lead UGA’s efforts around instruction and academic planning, it’s also invaluable for me to continue to teach while serving in this role. It gives me a much-needed perspective that helps me to be a better administrator.

And I know that despite higher education’s many challenges, college offers transformational experiences for individual students that benefit society as a whole. But it takes innovation, determination, and focus in our instructional efforts to help them reach their full potential.

Pagnattaro