LATROBE, PA – Dr. Justin Petrovich, Assistant Professor of Statistics and Business Analytics and Chair of the Marketing, Analytics, and Global Commerce Department, was awarded the 2023 Quentin Schaut Faculty Award and the Student Government Association Faculty Award at Saint Vincent College’s Spring Honors Convocation, held on April 26 in the historic Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica.
Named in honor of Fr. Quentin Schaut, O.S.B., an English professor and the 17th president of Saint Vincent College, the award recognizes the contributions, leadership and achievements of a junior faculty member to the curriculum and life of the College.
A Saint Vincent College graduate of the class of 2014, Petrovich leveraged his education in mathematics to continue his education at Pennsylvania State University where he received his Ph.D. in statistics. Joining the Saint Vincent community in 2018, Petrovich became the Chair of the Marketing, Analytics and Global Commerce department in the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government in the fall of 2022 following the Business School’s restructuring.
With his education and research covering multiple specialties, Petrovich plays a significant role in the education and lives of many. “[Dr. Petrovich] has been a valuable mentor to students from many disciplines,” said Dr. John Delaney, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean. “Well regarded by students, faculty and staff, he displays many of the qualities we love about Saint Vincent.”
In his acceptance speech, Petrovich highlighted the unique attributes of Saint Vincent College that bring many alumni back to teach future generation of Bearcats through the lens of a statistician.
He quoted the famous statistician John Tukey, saying “the best thing about being a statistician is that you get to play in everyone’s backyard,” meaning that you have the opportunity to work in the background of every field.
“It points to the wonderful Catholic, Benedictine, Liberal Arts tradition that makes Saint Vincent such a special place,” remarked Petrovich. “As a student, I got to play in the backyards of theology, philosophy, politics, chemistry, art history and many others despite majoring in mathematics and finance.” Now, as a member of the faculty, the backyards of those disciplines have widened, growing into deeper research opportunities revolving around statistics and data analytics.
Petrovich highlighted the exceptional faculty who taught, counseled and inspired him as a student and now as a colleague giving special praise to Dr. Lucas Briola, Assistant Professor of Theology, and Dr. Andrew Herr, Professor of Economics.
“My college roommate and best friend, [Dr. Briola], was one of the main reasons I came to Saint Vincent as a student,” said Petrovich. “’Coach Herr’ was another reason and played a role in leading me back as a faculty member. Being able to teach and learn alongside them is one of the great blessings of working at Saint Vincent.”
Petrovich continued to thank his family, particularly his wife and his son who have influenced his teaching in new ways. “There is no learning experience quite like parenting,” said Petrovich.
Thanking his students for bringing curiosity and excitement into his classroom, Petrovich left the graduating seniors with aspirations for their futures. “In all that you do, I hope that you take with you a love of learning and a joy of discovering new backyards.”
Petrovich teaches Business Statistics I and II, Econometrics, Advanced Business Analytics and the Data Science & Analytics Capstone. His research focuses on developing and applying methods for functional and longitudinal data. He also enjoys participating in many of the rich activities on campus including reading groups, lectures and conferences.
A native of the Pittsburgh area, Petrovich is a life-long Steelers and Penguins fan. He was a four-year runner for the Saint Vincent College cross country and track and field teams during his undergraduate career and enjoys running in his leisure time. Petrovich resides in Latrobe with his wife and son and is an active member of the Saint Vincent Basilica Parish.