Profile
Dr. José A. Sagarnaga is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Management at the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business at Clemson University, where he coordinates the Global Management discipline area.
Dr. Sagarnaga conducts research and lectures on global management, cross-cultural leadership, corporate social responsibility, and global education. In recognition of his work, he was selected as a TEDxClemsonU speaker in 2025, where he delivered “Finding Your Purpose One Small Action at a Time,” inspired by a single paragraph that sparked a transformative journey to Bangladesh in 2005.
He has been awarded numerous teaching and outreach awards, such as the Clemson University Hispanic Impact Faculty Award, the Steve Miller Outstanding International Excellence Award by the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Spears School of Business, the Stillwater Faculty Teaching Excellence Award by the OSU Watson Graduate School of Management, and the OSU Excellence in Online Teaching Award.
Sagarnaga has developed academic and professional programs in twenty-one (21) countries and has traveled to fifty-two (52) countries on five continents. He is a supporter and a product of Global Education, having spent long-term study experiences at institutions in the U.S. (University of Texas at El Paso, The Washington Center, and Oklahoma State University), Mexico (Monterrey Tech and UPAEP University), the Netherlands (Maastricht University), and France (Burgundy School of Business-Dijon), as well as undertaking extended research projects in Belgium, France, and Bangladesh. In recognition of his contributions to international outreach, he was appointed as a member of the Oklahoma Governor's International Team in 2017 and subsequently served as vice chair and chair in 2021.
Before joining Clemson University in 2021, Dr. Sagarnaga served in multiple roles at Oklahoma State University (OSU) for 15 years. Sagarnaga was an Associate Professor of Professional Practice of Management and led the global operations of the Spears School of Business as its inaugural Director of the Center for Advanced Global Leadership and Engagement (CAGLE). He was also the inaugural Assistant Director of OSU’s Ph.D. in Business for Executives Program. Additionally, he served as Program Coordinator at the Center for Executive and Professional Development within the Spears School of Business. Finally, in 2006, he was appointed as the inaugural Manager of the OSU Mexico Liaison Offices at Stillwater, Okla., UDLAP, and UPAEP University in Puebla, Mexico.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the UPAEP University Foundation and is a member of the Upstate International World Affairs Council Advisory Committee. Additionally, he serves as the faculty advisor for the ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals For America) Student Chapter at Clemson University. He is a graduate of the President's Leadership Institute Cohort 8 at Clemson University.
Dr. Sagarnaga received his Doctorate in Economic Development from UPAEP University, his Master of Science in International Studies from Oklahoma State University, and his Bachelor of Science in Financial Management from Monterrey Tech. He has also completed executive programs at Harvard Business School, focusing on Corporate Social Responsibility, and at CIMBA in Italy, the LIFE Leadership Training Program.
