People and Places: May 23, 2023
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 Vishal Gaur has been named the Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean of the Johnson Graduate School of Management at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Gaur currently is the Emerson Professor of Manufacturing Management and professor of operations, technology, and information management at the school. As associate dean for MBA programs from 2014 to 2019, Gaur launched the Digital Technology Immersion, which allows students to develop skills in coding and analytics by tackling challenges from participating companies. He also created the Master of Science in Business Analytics program offered through eCornell. Gaur, who will begin his role on July 1, will serve as a member of the College Leadership Team led by Andrew Karolyi, dean of the Johnson College of Business. He succeeds Mark Nelson, who has been dean of the Johnson School since 2016 and who will return to his position as professor of accounting. |
 Timothy O’Keefe has been named the new dean of the Beacom School of Business at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. O’Keefe previously was dean of the College of Business and Economics at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia, where he increased enrollment in the MBA program by 3,000 percent in two years. Prior to joining Longwood University, he held academic and administrative positions at the University of North Dakota (UND). Between 1999 and 2017, he served as professor of information systems and entrepreneurship, executive director and chair of the School of Entrepreneurship, chair of information systems and business communication, and MBA program director. He led both Longwood and UND through AACSB accreditation processes. O’Keefe also has experience as an entrepreneur, co-founding and leading ComMark Inc., an internet consulting company based in North Dakota. |
 On July 1, Stephen Ferris will become the next dean of the Eberly College of Business at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) in Indiana, Pennsylvania. Ferris comes to IUP from his position as dean of the Miller College of Business at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Prior to his work at Ball State, Ferris was dean of the College of Business at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. He previously worked at the University of Missouri–Columbia for 25 years, most recently as the interim dean of the Trulaske College of Business. During his time at Missouri, he also served as director of the Financial Research Institute and was the J.H. Rogers Chair of Money, Credit, and Banking. He began his academic career as a finance professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg. Ferris will take over from Prashanth Bharadwaj, who has served as interim dean since January 2022.
New ProgramsThe Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland in College Park is accepting applications to a three-year Doctor of Business Administration program aimed at working professionals. The practitioner-oriented curriculum covers business strategies, research methodologies, analytics, legal and ethical issues in the digital economy, and big data management. A track in information systems management will focus on research tools and techniques in AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics. A track in marketing will cover marketing analytics, digital marketing, e-commerce, retail management, social media strategies, customer relationship management, brand and product management, advertising and marketing communications, and new product development. To provide participants with flexibility, program offerings are available during weekday evenings and weekends. Nottingham Business School has launched a two-year Global Executive MBA designed to help executives become sustainable leaders in a geopolitical world. While the program features online learning to accommodate working professionals, it also offers immersive residential modules at Nottingham Trent University in the U.K., Stellenbosch University in South Africa, and Insper Institute of Education and Research in Brazil. Through live case studies, students will be immersed in contextual leadership projects as they explore real-world challenges. The program includes a Personal Leadership Development module, as well as access to academic mentors. Deusto Business School at the University of Deusto in Bilbao, Spain, is launching a fully online track for its Executive MBA. Students can take all courses remotely or assume additional cost and participate in modules conducted at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France, or the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University in New York City. During the program, students develop an innovation project in either entrepreneurship or strategic consulting. Participants also have opportunities to benefit from personalized career development plans. The part-time program begins every February and can be completed in 18 months. Mannheim Business School at the University of Mannheim in Germany has launched a six-month part-time program designed to help more women reach leadership positions. The Female Leadership Accelerator also aims to support women entering or re-entering the workforce. Four two-day modules provide insights into leadership strategies, digital and sustainable transformation, values-based management, financial strategy, and customer orientation. These in-person classes are held on Fridays and Saturdays to accommodate busy managers or mothers caring for small children, and they are followed up with online sessions. Participants also take part in workshops, receive leadership and career coaching, and have opportunities to build their personal networks. CollaborationsQueen’s University in Toronto is partnering with Desjardins Group, a cooperative financial organization, to give students at the Smith School of Business interactive opportunities to learn about the fintech industry. Students in the Master of Financial Innovation and Technology program will participate in activities such as a public speaker series, a fintech pitch competition, and an industry-driven hackathon. The partnership is part of Desjardins’ Together For Our Youth Program, which annually invests 50 million CAN (about 37 million USD) in initiatives that help young people in the areas of education, employment, entrepreneurship, health, and community involvement. The multiyear partnership launched in April. IESE Business School, based in Barcelona, Spain, and the executive education program at New York University’s Stern School of Business are teaming up to launch the C-Suite Pathway Program. The five-month program, which starts in December, helps senior executives gain a broader outlook on international business and a deeper awareness of emerging trends. It will be taught through a mix of in-person modules, online modules, and self-paced study. The in-person classes will be held at NYU Stern as well as IESE’s New York campus. Executives also will be able to participate in the Personalized Leadership Journey component of the program, in which they receive one-on-one executive coaching on honing their leadership styles and improving their capacity to drive positive change. Grants and DonationsThe Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago has received a 100 million USD gift for its PhD program from alumnus Ross Stevens. In recognition, the PhD Program will be renamed the Stevens Doctoral Program. The gift will materially increase stipends for all matriculants, more than double research support for data and computing, and provide additional financial support for incoming students via Stevens Fellowships. It will cover personalized coaching programs in wellness, public speaking, and professional development, as well as full-time mental health support. Finally, the gift will establish an alumni mentoring initiative, which Stevens will co-chair. Stevens is the founder and CEO of Stone Ridge Holdings Group, based in New York, which focuses on alternative asset management, reinsurance, and bitcoin. If you have news of interest to share with the business education community, please send press releases, relevant images, or other information to AACSB Insights at editor@aacsb.edu. |
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