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Tag: dean

U.Va. Darden School dean reappointed to third term

Scott C. Beardsley, dean of the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, has been reappointed to his third term as dean, which starts Aug. 1, 2025, and extends through August 2029, U.Va. announced Wednesday.

Named dean in 2015, Beardsley is now the university’s longest serving current dean and has raised more than $610 million for the school over the past decade, as well as opening a satellite campus in Arlington County; hiring more than 60 faculty members; hitting application and enrollment records among women, military veterans, underrepresented minorities, international and first-generation students; and launching the $150 million student housing project on the business school’s grounds. During his tenure, Darden also has been named the top public MBA program in Bloomberg Businessweek (2022-24) and Poets & Quants (2023 and 2024). Beardsley was named U.Va.’s Dean of the Year in 2020.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to work with the incredible community of the Darden School of Business in pursuing our mission to improve the world by developing responsible leaders, and to my wife Claire, and family who have been critical to any success I’ve had,” Beardsley said in a statement. “I am invigorated to continue pursuing progress with all of our stakeholders to ensure that Darden cements its position as one of the best places to learn, teach, research and work in higher education. In a world in which responsible leadership remains at a premium, Darden can be a beacon of hope as we inspire and develop the leaders of today and the future.”

Beardsley added that his focus over the next five years will be on marking the Darden School’s 75th anniversary in 2030, as well as increasing scholarship funding and accessibility, and shepherding the school’s facilities master plan to completion.

Also the Charles C. Abbott Professor of Business, Beardsley holds a degree in electrical engineering from Tufts University, an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania. Beardsley worked for McKinsey & Co. for 26 years in New York City and in Brussels, Belgium. As of this year, he is finishing a part-time master’s in practical ethics at the University of Oxford’s Pembroke College.

 

VCU names new dean of health professions college

Virginia Commonwealth University’s College of Health Professions will have a new dean effective Aug. 15, the university announced Wednesday. Amy R. Darragh comes from Ohio State University, where she is director and vice dean of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Services.

Darragh succeeds interim dean Paula Song, the college’s Richard M. Bracken Chair and professor of health administration, who stepped in after the departure of Susan Parish in July 2023. Parish, who served as dean beginning in 2019, was named president of Mercy College in New York last year.

As dean, Darragh will be in charge of nine departments and one center, as well as 84 full-time faculty members and nearly 1,250 students at four campuses in Richmond, Roanoke, Abingdon and Alexandria. Darragh, who has been with Ohio State since 2008, earned a Ph.D. in environmental health epidemiology from Colorado State University, where she also received a master’s degree in occupational therapy. At Barnard College, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and arts.

Her current research includes testing pediatric and adult medical treatments that work well for patients while also protecting caregivers’ health, and at Ohio State, she focused on expanding radiologic sciences and therapy programs to meet workforce demand. She is also a licensed occupational therapist.

“I am thrilled and honored to serve as dean of a college that prepares students who will work in some of the most in-demand health care roles, and who will ultimately impact the patient experience throughout our communities,” Darragh said in a statement. “I look forward to advancing the college’s efforts to inspire the most outstanding health professionals, researchers and leaders.”

The College of Health Professions offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in various health-related fields, including physical therapy, health administration, gerontology, nurse anesthesia and rehabilitation counseling.

“Dr. Darragh’s distinguished leadership, commitment to innovation and strong collaborative vision make her uniquely positioned to lead the VCU College of Health Professions,” said Dr. Marlon Levy, interim senior vice president of VCU Health Sciences and interim CEO of the VCU Health System. “I am confident that her extraordinary track record of academic and leadership success will help continue to build on the college’s stellar reputation.”

UMW hires new business college dean

The University of Mary Washington named a new College of Business dean, Filiz Tabak, who will start July 10 at the Fredericksburg university, in an announcement this week. She comes from Towson University in Maryland, where she was acting associate dean of its College of Business & Economics most recently.

Tabak succeeds interim Dean Ken Machande, who led the business college’s AACSB International accreditation effort in 2018 during his first stint as interim dean. He has served as the college’s associate dean since 2012. UMW progressed from offering business degrees to establishing the college of business in 2010.

Tabak earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in environmental engineering and marine physics and chemistry at Istanbul Technical University and Istanbul University, respectively, and received an MBA from Turkey’s Bogazici University while working at Henkel AG & Co., the German multinational chemical and consumer goods company. Then, Tabak received her Ph.D. at Oklahoma State University’s College of Business Administration and became an assistant professor at Towson in 1995. She ultimately became a full professor and served as chair of the management department.

“I am excited about Dr. Tabak joining our leadership team,” UMW Provost Tim O’Donnell said in a statement. “She believes in our mission, is enthusiastic about our future, understands the important work that lies ahead and brings a range of knowledge, experience and a competitive drive that will benefit both the college and the larger university.”

Va. Tech names College of Architecture, Arts and Design dean

Virginia Tech has named a new dean to lead its College of Architecture, Arts, and Design (AAD) following an international search.

Tsai Lu Liu will start July 1. He has led the Department of Graphic Design and Industrial Design at North Carolina State University, in Raleigh, since 2012 and has a background in industry and academia.

Liu succeeds Rosemary Blieszner, who had served as interim dean of the college since August 2021 and led a realignment of its programming. He will also be a professor of industrial design within the college’s design school.

“During this important transitional period for the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design, Lu brings a wealth of academic and industry leadership experience to the college and a vision for working collaboratively to elevate its programs, faculty and national reputation,” Executive Vice President and Provost Cyril Clarke said in a statement. “His expertise and perspectives will be invaluable to our academic leadership team and to creating a strategic path forward for AAD that aligns with the goals and priorities of the university.”

Liu established corporate-sponsored research and partnerships and improved faculty and student diversity during his time at N.C. State. He also helped mentor and facilitate faculty grant applications totaling more than $2.3 million since 2019 and led the university’s efforts in “Design It Forward,” a partnership with IBM to help nonprofit organizations rethink how to understand, empathize and design for client needs. In 2021, Liu directed a team from the design college that developed public service announcements for North Carolina county governments.

Liu’s research and teaching interests include user-experience centered product/service innovation, user-centered design methods, inclusive design, design education and the social responsibility of designers. He earned a bachelor’s degree from National Cheng Kung University, in Taiwan, an MBA from George State University and a master’s of industrial design degree from Auburn University in Alabama, where he worked as a professor starting in 2004. He was appointed associate dean for research and academic affairs at Auburn’s College of Architecture, Design and Construction in 2011.

Liu has also worked in private industry, including helping create solutions in health care and telecommunications as well as the design, production and marketing of semiconductors, toys and electronic gaming systems.

“I am very humbled and honored to serve as the dean of the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design at Virginia Tech,” Liu said in a statement. “The academic strengths of AAD, the commitment to excellence, and tradition of service: These attributes place the college as an integral leader in the pursuit of inquiry, discovery and understanding. I am excited to be part of this extraordinary community as we explore scholarship, expression and inspiration and create experiences that will positively enhance and impact our world.”

AAD has more than 1,700 students and 200 faculty and staff members and includes the schools of architecture, design, performing arts and visual arts. The college offers 11 undergraduate degrees, five master’s degrees, a doctoral degree and a graduate certificate program.

ODU names biz school dean

Old Dominion University has appointed Kenneth B. Kahn as dean of its Strome College of Business, effective Sept. 1.

He succeeds Jeff Tanner, who served as dean for eight years.

“Please join me in thanking Dean Jeff Tanner for his outstanding service and extending our best wishes on his retirement and welcoming Dean Kenneth Kahn to ODU,” Austin Agho, ODU’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, said in a statement.

Kahn is currently the dean and a professor of Cleveland State University’s Monte Ahuja College of Business. Under his tenure, the school launched three majors — property management, sport entertainment management and business studies — and established the first executive MBA scholarship, the Jennifer Buck Memorial Scholarship.

Prior to joining Cleveland State, Kahn was associate dean of Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Business and a marketing professor. He also served as inaugural executive director of the VCU da Vinci Center for Innovation for cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Before joining VCU, Kahn held leadership and faculty positions at Purdue University, The University of Tennessee and Georgia Tech.

Kahn has written three books on product planning and forecasting and edited “The Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) Handbook on New Product Development.” In spring 2021, Stanford University included him on its Top 2% Most Cited Researchers in the World list. He has published more than 50 journal articles.

Before joining moving into academia, Kahn was an industrial engineer and project engineer for Weyerhaeuser Co., a Seattle-based timberland corporation, and was a manufacturing engineer for Respironics Inc., a Pennsylvania-based medical supply company that is a subsidiary of Philips.

Kahn holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Georgia Tech, a master’s degree in industrial engineering from Virginia Tech and a doctoral degree in marketing.

Va. Tech business school dean retires, interim named

Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business has named Roberta “Robin” S. Russell as its interim dean, effective July 1.

Russell, who heads Pamplin’s Department of Business Information Technology, succeeds Robert Sumichrast, who has retired. Russell will serve while the college conducts an international search for a new dean.

In May, Tech hosted in-person and virtual forums with three finalists for the position, including Mark Ferguson, senior associate dean for academics and research at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business; Anthony Ross, associate dean for research and doctoral programs at the University of Missouri’s Trulaske College of Business; and Lara Khansa, Pamplin’s associate dean for undergraduate research. A fourth candidate, Brian Butler, senior associate dean at the University of Maryland’s College of Information Studies, withdrew his name from consideration.

Ferguson told Virginia Business in an email Wednesday that he had not heard “directly” from Tech since interviewing with the university but had seen the news about the interim hire on its website and assumed it meant the search would continue. Butler wrote in an email that he accepted an offer from the University of Alabama to lead its College of Communication and Information Sciences.

David Geurin, a spokesperson for Tech, said in an email that the search remains in progress and a finalist hasn’t been selected. Geurin declined to comment on the status of specific candidates but said the university hopes to conclude its search for a permanent business school dean by the end of this year.

Russell joined Virginia Tech as an assistant professor in 1983 and has headed the business IT department since 2017, according to a news release. Her research and teaching focuses on operations and supply chain management, service operations and security, privacy and trust. She also examines issues in quality in supply chain management with an emphasis on humanitarian and health care operations.

Russell earned her Ph.D. and bachelor’s of science degrees from Virginia Tech and an MBA from Old Dominion University. She has also earned certifications from the Association for Supply Chain Management in production and inventory management, and she is a certified supply chain professional. A past president of the Southwest Virginia chapter of American Production and Inventory Control Society and the APICS Foundation, Russell has been honored by Pamplin for excellence in teaching as well as for her efforts to build diversity. In 2016, she received the Gryna Award from the American Society for Quality for her research in health care quality.

“Through her collaborative work in the Pamplin College of Business and with faculty and department heads across the campus, Robin has earned the respect and admiration of her colleagues and is well-positioned to effectively lead the college during this transition,” Tech Executive Vice President and Provost Cyril Clarke said in a statement. “Her knowledge of and contributions to Pamplin’s strategic priorities and how those priorities advance the university’s strategic vision for the future is critically important. Robin has my full confidence and support, and I look forward to having her as part of my leadership team.”

GMU appoints dean for health, human services college

George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services has named epidemiologist Melissa J. Perry as its new dean.

Perry has chaired The George Washington University’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health since 2011. She is expected to start her new position August 1 after completing a Fulbright fellowship in Albania, GMU said in a news release Thursday. During her time at GWU, Perry has also served as interim associate dean for research at the university’s Milken Institute School of Public Health and serves on the faculty within its Department of Epidemiology. She is also a faculty member in GWU’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences’ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Perry to the leadership of our university. She is internationally respected for her work as an educator, researcher and administrator,” GMU Provost Mark R. Ginsberg said in a statement. “Her research has been well-funded by both federal agencies and foundations, she has published more than 150 manuscripts, technical reports, book chapters, commentaries and book reviews, and is a frequent speaker at professional conferences. I look forward to her leading our College of Health and Human Services during its next era.”

Perry’s research includes the impact of climate change on the properties of pesticides and other chemicals, as well as the mutagenic and hormonal effects of pesticide exposure on farming communities, agricultural workers and the public. She has also developed engineering and behavioral interventions to address risks to workers at meat packing plants, construction sites  and agricultural operations.  Her laboratory at the Milken Institute focuses on reproductive epidemiology and hormone disruptors and in she teaches students how to research the connections between climate change and health.

“This is a fantastic opportunity and I am delighted to join George Mason University,” Perry said.  “The College of Health and Human Services  is making a real impact in health promotion and disease prevention, and I am looking forward to leading the college to the next level of national and international accomplishments and prominence.”

Before joining GWU in 2011, Perry was a faculty member of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health as well as the Medical College of Wisconsin.  She earned master’s of health science and doctor of science degrees from Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School Public Health, as well as a bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont. She is also working on a master’s of business administration at GWU.

Perry is a former president and a current fellow of the American College of Epidemiology, chairs the Health Effects Institute’s review committee and is co-chair of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s emerging science committee. She also chaired the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s board of scientific counselors from 2014 to 2019.

 

Va. Tech Graduate School appoints next dean

Virginia Tech has named Aimée Surprenant of Memorial University of Newfoundland as the next dean of its graduate school, effective Sept. 1.

Surprenant will lead the Graduate School’s budgetary, admissions and program development operations. She will serve as a member of the executive vice president and provost’s leadership team and as an adviser to graduate student organizations.

“I’m excited to join the team in the Graduate School to continue and advance the great work that is already underway at Virginia Tech,” Surprenant said in a statement. “I’m eagerly looking forward to working with students, faculty and staff to support an equitable and just graduate community that nurtures practitioners, scholars and researchers, and prepares them to be future leaders on the national and global stage.

Surprenant is currently the associate vice president, academic, and dean of the School of Graduate Studies for Memorial University of Newfoundland, which has more than 120 graduate diploma, master’s and doctoral degree programs. She also serves on the board of directors of the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies and the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools.

In a statement, Virginia Tech Provost Cyril Clarke said, “Aimée’s strength of leadership and scholarship, and her commitment to collaboration with faculty and students comes at a critical time for our Graduate School and university. I look forward to working closely with her to develop and implement strategies for growth of graduate education in support of our commitment to impactful scholarship.”

Focused on research in the field of psychology, Surprenant has co-authorized two books, “Human Memory: An Introduction to Research, Data, and Theory,” and “Principles of Memory.” She has served as chair of the Scientific Affairs Committee for the Canadian Psychological Association and is active in Science Atlantic and the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science.

She holds a doctorate, and master’s degrees in philosophy and psychology from Yale University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in psychology from New York University.

She succeeds Karen DePauw, who announced her retirement in January 2020 after 18 years at Virginia Tech.

“I want to thank Dean DePauw for her years of service and invaluable contributions to Virginia Tech,” Clarke said in a statement. “Karen has been a dedicated advocate for graduate students and her impact on the university will be felt for years to come. I wish her all the best in her retirement.”

Liberty appoints dean for College of Osteopathic Medicine

Dr. Joseph R. Johnson was appointed dean of Liberty University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, effective July 1. Johnson had been serving as interim dean since December 2020.

“Prior to Dr. Johnson’s arrival, Liberty’s leadership set a goal to take LUCOM as a well-established osteopathic medical college, both in mission and outreach efforts, to the next level of medical education with more faculty physicians and clinical partners, as well as increase the number of clinical experiences and medical education programs for our students,” said Liberty Provost and Chief Academic Officer Scott Hicks in a statement.

Johnson has more than 26 years of experience in medicine. He earned his Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine degree from the National College of Chiropractic Medicine in Lombard, Illinois, and his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the University of Health Sciences – College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City, Missouri.

While at Oklahoma State University, Johnson developed the state’s Project ECHO (Extension for Community Health Care Outcomes) initiative, an effort that joined medical education with care management to provide specialty care to rural and underserved communities.

In a statement, Johnson said he is committed to growing LUCOM into a “top five osteopathic medical school with increased academic opportunities and clinical rotations that are meaningful — rotations that bring our students in front of residency directors and residencies at hospitals, which is the next step of what medical students are looking for.”

With more than 100,000 students enrolled, most of them online, Liberty is Virginia’s largest school by enrollment and is the nation’s second-largest online university, behind the University of Phoenix. Located in Lynchburg, where it was founded in 1971 by the Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr., Liberty is one of the world’s largest Christian universities.

U.Va. names new engineering school dean

The School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Virginia announced Friday the appointment of its first female dean, Jennifer L. West. She will start July 1.

A researcher, inventor and entrepreneur, West comes from Duke University, where she’s been associate dean of doctoral education for a little more than six years at the Pratt School of Engineering. She’s been the Fitzpatrick Family University Professor at the engineering school for nearly nine years, in the areas of biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering and materials science.

West previously was the first faculty member hired by Rice University to form its Department of Bioengineering. During her time at Rice, West helped develop curricula and hire faculty and played in integral role in the development of the university’s Bioscience Research Collaborative, a 477,000-square-foot facility where bioengineering faculty were co-located with key collaborative groups.

U.Va. cited West’s 25 years of experience in engineering education and leadership, noting her election to the National Academy of Engineering in 2016 and the National Academy of Inventors in 2017.

University Provost Liz Magill called West a “creative and bold leader,” saying West is “nationally recognized as a change-agent in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.”

West’s research is focused on “biomaterials, nanotechnology and tissue engineering, applying engineering approaches to studying biological problems and solving unmet medical needs,” according to the U.Va. announcement. She also holds 19 patents that have been licensed to eight different companies, including two bioscience startups, Focal Inc. and Nanospectra Biosciences Inc. — which West cofounded.

West is a 1992 graduate of MIT and earned her master’s degree and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.