People and Places: November 2024
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 Cardiff University has appointed Tim Edwards as the new dean of the Cardiff Business School in the U.K. Edwards, who joined Cardiff University in 1999, most recently was the pro-dean for research, impact, and innovation and a professor of organizational and innovation analysis. He has also held roles as head of the Management, Employment and Organisation unit and co-director of the Digital Transformation Innovation Institute. |
 Pan-Atlantic University in Nigeria has appointed Olayinka David-West as dean of Lagos Business School (LBS). David-West is currently a professor of information systems at LBS, where she also serves as associate dean of the school. Her research interests include policy and strategic management interventions for digitally transformed businesses and societies. The new appointment is effective in January 2025, when David-West succeeds Chris Ogbechie, who is retiring. Ogbechie oversaw the launch of several academic programs and the implementation of sustainability initiatives that target the school’s renewable electricity use and support the elimination of single-use plastic. |
 Timothy Clark will step down as the provost of Singapore Management University (SMU) at the end of March 2025 to join the faculty at the university’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business. During his six years as provost, the university expanded its academic offerings for learners at all stages of their academic careers, from undergraduates to continuing education professionals. Prior to joining SMU, Clark spent 16 years at Durham University in the U.K., where he held a variety of posts, including professor of organizational behavior. After a one-month transitional period, Alan Chan will assume the full responsibilities as provost. Chan is currently provost at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. |
 The University of Rochester in New York has appointed Sevin Yeltekin as dean of Simon Business School for a second five-year term beginning July 1. During her first term as dean, Yeltekin led the efforts to develop Simon’s 2025 strategic plan and oversaw the creation of several new programs, including the school’s online master’s degree in business analytics and applied AI, the master’s degree in AI in business, and the advanced certification in fintech and AI. Previously, she was the Rohet Tolani Distinguished Professor of Economics and senior associate dean of education at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. |
 Richard Buttimer has been named the new dean of the Belk College of Business at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte). He previously was dean of the Coggin College of Business at the University of North Florida. The new position marks his return to UNC Charlotte, where he held multiple positions from 2002 to 2020, including senior associate dean, professor of finance and real estate, and director of Belk’s PhD in business administration. |
 On November 1, Tara Feld became interim dean for the Western Illinois University College of Business and Technology in Macomb. Since joining the university in 1998, Feld has served as associate professor of economics, director of the MBA program, and associate dean. When she served the school as associate dean, she oversaw collegewide curriculum management and assessment activities and supported efforts to build industry partnerships through corporate outreach. |
New ProgramsNext fall, the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in Bloomington is launching a +Flex MBA that provides students in their second year with the choice of continuing their studies on campus or completing their degree online. The flexible program is designed to adapt to students’ career goals by combining elements of the school’s long-standing full-time MBA experience and newer Direct Online MBA. Students who choose the +Flex option could spend as few as 10 months on campus. This flexibility will allow students to pursue opportunities such as traveling, returning to their current employer, networking in a desired location, or starting new full-time employment earlier. The University of Chicago Booth School of Business has announced the creation of a new Family Office Initiative (FOI), a comprehensive program targeting the growing family office sector and its leaders. The initiative will leverage the school’s faculty and research efforts to better understand the sector and support the development of materials to help practitioners manage and run their offices. In addition to creating the Family Office Initiative Council, the FOI will also organize events and assist in crafting new curricula for MBA students and Executive Education participants at Booth. The School of Business at Stockton University has designed two new degree programs that will begin enrolling students for the spring of 2025. The Bachelor of Science in entrepreneurship program will prepare students to create and run a business and discuss the best ways to problem-solve. Students will take undergraduate courses in commercialization, business planning, marketing strategies, global entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership. In addition, the new Master of Science in accounting degree aims to address the current shortage of accountants and evolving CPA licensure requirements. The program will include professional work experience and an internship requirement as well as two concentrations in forensic accounting and business analytics. Students can complete the degree on a traditional two-year track or in a one-year accelerated format on top of the Bachelor of Science in accounting program. CollaborationsNottingham University Business School’s new collaboration with consulting firm Veritas Prime LLP will give Nottingham students access to Veritas Prime’s cloud-based human resources information software designed for organizations to build and manage their workforce in today’s dynamic business environment. The tool helps organizations streamline HR processes, improve employee experiences, and drive strategic workforce management. Through the partnership, Veritas Prime will provide students with dedicated training in SAP SuccessFactors, using pre-populated data to support teaching and configuration exercises, helping students gain practical knowledge of the application and how it will likely be used in a professional environment. The G. Brint Ryan College of Business at the University of North Texas has launched a partnership with the Certified Lease and Finance Professional (CLFP) Foundation and the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation to create a new course on commercial equipment finance. The Survey of Commercial Equipment Leasing and Finance course will provide students with hands-on experience that will position them for successful careers. The academic program will debut in spring 2025. Courses will cover foundational concepts, origination topics, and operations and servicing areas. Upon successful completion, students will earn the CLFP Student Certification. KPMG in Singapore has teamed with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants to offer a joint certificate that aims to equip accountants with future-ready ESG skills. Together they designed a two-track masterclass, where students will analyze real-world case studies, receive hands-on training from industry experts, and explore networking opportunities at both organizations. The first track, which focuses on foundational ESG knowledge in areas such as climate risk and measurements, is tailored for new graduates and working professionals. While the second track offers advanced content for senior finance leaders, enhancing their strategic and technical expertise acquired from their accountancy qualification or relevant work experience. The goal is to ensure that accountants can confidently navigate and address the practical challenges of a rapidly changing business environment while maintaining the essential trust that underpins the profession. Centers and FacilitiesLast month, the School of Business at the University of California, Riverside officially cut the ribbon on a new four-story, 63,400-square-foot building. The facility includes two 80-seat specialized classrooms, a computer and finance lab with an LED stock market ticker, a community room adjacent to a small coffee shop, a graduate student lounge, an auditorium that can seat 100 people for lectures or larger classes, and administrative and faculty offices to support the school’s plan to grow its faculty. The new building, which is powered by solar panels, aims to provide students with educational opportunities beyond the classroom. The Coggin College of Business at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville broke ground on a 26.3 million USD building to expand access to the school’s resources for students and faculty. The new 21,660-square-foot structure will include classrooms, the Stellar Student Lounge, research labs, and faculty offices, and it will house the Crowley Center for Transportation and Logistics. The new facility will be built between the existing ones, connecting Building 42 with Building 10. The second floor of Building 10 will also be renovated to create additional classrooms for the school’s graduate and executive education programs. ESCP Business School has formally opened its new Turin, Italy, campus. The 8,000-square-meter campus will feature collaborative learning spaces for faculty and more than 1,000 students. “This state-of-the-art facility strengthens our unique European multi-campus model, providing students with an unparalleled multicultural experience across Europe,” said Léon Laulusa, the executive president and dean of ESCP Business School. The School of Business at Arkansas Tech University (ATU) in Russellville was renamed the LeMoyne Smith School of Business. The name honors longtime donations from Smith, an alum and director emeritus of the ATU Foundation board of trustees. In the past, Smith has supported the ATU Foundation with a 1.5 million USD endowment, which was directed to the former School of Business. Smith also gifted 300,000 USD to be dedicated to research scholarships in 2010. A portion of the money will be repurposed into the C. LeMoyne Smith Professorship, a fund that will support one business faculty member in recognition of contributions to their discipline. The undergraduate business program at Rice University in Houston, Texas, has received a significant gift from Farid Virani and his wife, Asha. In honor of their generosity, the program will be renamed the Virani Undergraduate School of Business. The gift will fund a new associate dean position, support undergraduate curriculum development and delivery, and allow the school to expand resources to support undergraduate career readiness and academic success. The Virani Undergraduate School of Business is home to more than 300 students. Grants and DonationsThe Smith School of Business at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, is receiving 1 million USD from alum Ian Friendly. Half of the gift, 500,000 USD, will create the Ian R. Friendly Women in AI Graduate Scholarship, which will be awarded to female students in the Master of Management in artificial intelligence program. The new scholarship aims to address the gender equity gap in this rapidly evolving field of AI. The rest of the money will establish the Ian R. Friendly Indigenous Initiatives Fund, which will support faculty members pursuing research, thought leadership, and programs that advance Indigenous business knowledge and contribute to economic reconciliation. In the past, Friendly and his wife, Carol, have supported the Ian and Carol Friendly Leadership Entrance Award, the Ian R. Friendly Marketing Scholarship, as well as the Ian R. Friendly Fellowship in Marketing. If you have news of interest to share with the business education community, please submit press releases, relevant images, or other information to AACSB Insights via our online submission form at aacsb.edu/insights/articles/submissions/guidelines. |
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