Award-winning Wertheim College teacher, healthcare scholar embraces visibility, FSU

Graphic by Robin Doyle; click or tap to enlarge

He displays his love for teaching and his students on his office door and walls, reaffirms his dedication to life-changing research in his steady stream of awards and wears his commitment to his job and university literally on his sleeve.

Riley Krotz leaves no doubt that he cherishes his work at Florida State University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Business.

“I love this college and university,” he says. “The students, staff and faculty I interact with every day give me joy and make my heart full.”

Krotz, an assistant professor and a Dr. Persis E. Rockwood Emerging Scholar in the Wertheim College’s Dr. Persis E. Rockwood School of Marketing, stands among the most recognized and decorated junior faculty members at FSU.  

Start with his custom-made FSU suit, which he proudly sports in his Wertheim College profile photo. His LinkedIn photo shows him in the same suit holding Grandpa, a small, frail and toothless dog he adopted and nursed for nine years until his pet’s passing early this year.  

For the background on his suit, which he now considers vintage after FSU’s new branding two years ago, Krotz recalls 2023 when he became an assistant professor at the Rockwood School. Michael Brady, the school’s director at the time and now an FSU assistant provost, impressed upon Krotz and other faculty members the importance of visibility in upholding the FSU brand.  

Krotz promptly visited a tailor and ordered a suit that flaunted, from shoulders to ankles, “FSU” and the Seminole athletics logo. A couple of weeks later, he showed up at a departmental meeting, oozing garnet, gold and gaudiness.

Brady looked at him, his mouth agape.

“You told me to be visible,” Krotz said to Brady with a smile. “I’m visible.” 

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