Faculty Profile - Dr. Brian Engelland

Dr. Brian Engelland

This is the first in a series of faculty profiles that serve the Master of Science in Business Analysis program.


Dr. Brian Engelland, Professor of Marketing, joined the faculty in 2010 from Mississippi State University where he served as Chairman of the Marketing Department.  He brings considerable academic and professional experience to the department at Catholic University.  Dr. Engellands' research focuses on issues in marketing management, measurement, and education. He has authored over sixty refereed publications and four books, won multiple teaching awards and been named as a fellow of the Marketing Management Association.

Prior to becoming an academic, Brian was a product development executive and served in a series of leadership positions at two Fortune 500 corporations. Engelland holds a bachelor's degree from Purdue University, an MBA from the University of Cincinnati, and a doctorate from Southern Illinois University.  He and his wife Barbara are enthusiastic supporters of Catholic education.  Their son is a CUA graduate and now professor of philosophy at a Catholic seminary, one daughter is a Catholic grade school teacher, and another daughter is a Carmelite cloistered nun. Professor Engelland is a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus, and a Knight Commander in the Equestrian Order of The Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. 

I sat down with Professor Engelland to learn more about the man behind the robes.

SM:  What did you want to be when you grew up?

BE:   I was extremely excited about rockets and space travel. I wanted to become an aeronautical engineer and design space ships so that people could travel to all the planets.

SM:  Hmm, me too.  Didn’t work out so well for either of us!

SM:  What was your first job out of college?

BE:   Industrial engineer at the Cincinnati plastics plant for Formica Corporation. I was responsible for introducing cost-savings ideas into the manufacturing process, and consequently, I had to master manufacturing processes and cost-accounting procedures. The company liked what I did and promoted me to financial analyst.

SM:  Engineer to analyst?  Are you sure that was a promotion?

SM:  What was your worst job growing up?

BE:  Coremaker's helper for the Abex Foundry in Elyria, Ohio. I had this job after my freshman year at Purdue. My job was to unload the core ovens, mix core sand, and keep the coremakers happy. It was hot and back-breaking work, and taught me that working with your mind is a better way to make a living than working with your back.

SM:  What’s your favorite restaurant in D.C.?

BE:   Legal Seafood - it has the freshest fish on the East Coast.

SM:   We need to get you out more!

SM:  What made you realize you wanted to go into business?

BE:   My grandfather and father were business entrepreneurs. My grandfather invented the gas conversion burner enabling a coal furnace to be converted to natural gas. My father then created a national business that manufactured and installed these devices. Business seemed to be in my blood.

Professor Engelland at Play

SM:  What do you do in your free time?

BE:   I visit my children and grandchildren, attend their athletic events and other performances, and tell them funny stories.

SM:  You do have some really good stories!

SM:  What is your favorite sport and why?

BE:   My high school athletic aspirations in baseball, track, tennis and basketball all ended in injury. By senior year, I found a new sport - athletic trainer for our basketball team. I was able to participate in all the action without the potential for injury. Also, no one ever criticized me for missing a shot! Subsequently, I've enjoyed water skiing, snow skiing, volleyball and softball and all spectator sports, but now I'm partial to whatever sport my grandkids are playing.

SM:  Why is the MSBA program important to you?

BE:  The program is designed to prepare outstanding students for ethical business leadership. The way we've designed the program, the care we've taken in developing the courses, and the attention we've placed in selecting the faculty and students, all make the MSBA program superior to other business programs out there. The MSBA is the real deal!

Professor Engelland at Work

SM:  And Dr. Engelland is the real deal!  The MSBA program is really fortunate to have an educator with his real world experience, outstanding academic credentials and commanding presence in the classroom.  Our faculty is one of the things that sets the MSBA program apart.

Note:  Dr. Engelland will be teaching a week long course titled Catolic Social Teaching applied to Business at the Catholic Institute of Business and Technology in Accra, Ghana in July.

Professor Stewart McHie

Program Director, MSBA

mchie@cua.edu