Northern Illinois University (NIU) redesigned its EMBA Program to better meet student needs.

A 20-month program for business professionals with at least five years of work experience, the NIU EMBA now meets every other Friday afternoon and all-day Saturday twice a month in Naperville, with some Friday meetings requiring only online attendance.  Each semester, one to two Friday evening dinners feature C-level speakers who will host a networking event that allows students to strengthen classmate connections.

“We heard from our students that they need a more flexible Executive MBA Program that will also integrate with their personal, professional, and travel schedules,” says Anthony Preston, assistant dean, graduate business programs. “The new format will allow our students to achieve a balance between career and academic pursuits.”

Preston also added that students are now able to commute from greater distances.

“With our previous schedule, EMBA students had to attend every Saturday, which can be challenging. Now, students can travel from surrounding areas due to the new weekend format. We are looking forward to welcoming students from the Midwest to our prestigious EMBA Program.”

NIU divides the Executive MBA Program into four mindsets each semester, which include entrepreneurial, agile, global, and transformational. Four professors present each mindset, teaching and demonstrating the meaning that goes with their assigned mindset.  During the program, students also can travel internationally for nine days visiting global companies, interacting with international business leaders, and immersing themselves in the culture.

For more information about the program, visit here.

Joyce E. A. Russell, Ph.D., the Helen and William O’Toole Dean of the Villanova School of Business (VSB), has decided to complete her term as dean at the end of the 2022-2023 academic year and return to teaching students, working on research and writing projects, and continuing her leadership work on several professional boards.

“During Dr. Russell’s seven years as the Helen and William O’Toole Dean, VSB has experienced tremendous success,” says the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, Villanova University president. “From receiving top rankings for its undergraduate and graduate programs to building a strategic vision that has enabled the school to grow in prominence and reputation, VSB has flourished throughout Dr. Russell’s tenure. I am grateful for her service and contributions to Villanova and congratulate her as she transitions to her new role at the University.”

Under Russell’s direction, VSB strengthened faculty scholarship and teaching; enhanced student programming; and established an Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She also worked to upgrade classrooms, labs, and study spaces; expand connections with alumni and employers; and maintain strong fundraising. She also has helped VSB celebrate its 100th year of excellence in business education.

“It has been such an honor and blessing to serve as the Helen and William O’Toole Dean of the Villanova School of Business,” says Russell. “Working with such talented and dedicated colleagues, alumni, employers, families, and students in VSB and across Villanova has been incredibly rewarding.”

Following the 2022-2023 academic year, Russell will remain at Villanova as a professor in the Department of Management and Operations. After taking a yearlong sabbatical, she will focus her faculty efforts on teaching, writing, and service. She will return to teaching to develop and lead coursework on such topics as leadership and management development and negotiation strategies.

Before joining Villanova, Russell served as the as senior associate dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), as well as director of the Executive Coaching and Leadership Development Program for the Smith School’s EMBA Program and its corporate clients.

After thoroughly reviewing potential destinations, current risks, feasibility, and appropriateness of business opportunities, the Broad Executive MBA Program at Michigan State University (MSU) took the Broad Executive MBA Class of 2022 to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates for the global marketplace international residency from Feb. 27 to March 5, 2022.

Since they were unable to travel last year because of the pandemic, several Class of 2021 alumni joined the group. Coordinating logistics for 90 students and alumni came with challenges and made history as MSU’s largest education abroad program.

Over the course of seven days, students participated in a wide variety of business experiences and cultural activities, supplemented by many opportunities to network and debrief about their experiences. This program offering continues to make a huge impact.

The Wharton MBA Program for Executives has launched its first-ever Global cohort, with a program start date of May 2023. Those accepted into the new cohort will represent business professionals from Asia, North America, Latin America, Europe, and beyond for whom a blended online and in-person learning format opens greater accessibility to Wharton’s world-class faculty and network.

Global cohort students will be taught by the same renowned Wharton professors who teach all Wharton MBA students. During the 22-month program, faculty will leverage the extensive online teaching skills they gained while guiding hundreds of students through the pandemic. 

The new Global cohort will be 75 percent online, 25 percent in-person, and 100 percent a Wharton MBA. Virtual instruction will take place in early morning or late evening hours aligned to Eastern Standard Time, so students can operate around work schedules and participate from multiple different time zones.

In addition to this online community, students also will spend significant time together in person during residential weeks at Wharton’s Philadelphia and San Francisco campuses, as well as during the program’s numerous international learning trips. Throughout the program, students will receive support from concierge-style classroom managers, direct regular contact with senior faculty who are distinguished experts in their fields, and access to Wharton’s global network of 104,000 alumni–currently the largest of any business school in the world. 

For more information about the Global cohort, visit here.

The Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland promoted Shelbi Brookshire (EMBA Smith Alum 2014) to assistant dean of MBA & MS Admissions.

Brookshire leads the admissions team in recruitment and admissions efforts for 13 different programs, with more new programs expected to be launched in the near future. Her role is responsible for funding approximately two-thirds of the Smith School’s annual budget. 
 
During her 20 years at Maryland Smith, Brookshire has created operational efficiencies and implemented cultural changes.  A proud alum of the Executive MBA Program, Brookshire is passionate about partnering with individuals and organizations to promote the transformational education the Smith School provides. She has truly leveraged her own MBA learning experience by using it to drive excellence within the recruiting and admissions team.

Alumni of the EMBA/MS in Healthcare Leadership Program at Cornell University recently led an initiative to support expanding mental health services in the community.

Cornell offers four EMBA Programs that are tailored for specific needs of executives in various fields, with the EMBA/MS in Healthcare Leadership Program targeted for leaders of the healthcare industry. The only healthcare leadership program in the country that offers an Ivy League Executive MBA along with an MS from a world-renown medical school–the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences–it draws leading faculty from both schools. Class cohorts typically include a mix of clinicians and non-clinicians in the healthcare field.

The pandemic presented innumerable challenges for the healthcare community, taking a painful toll on the physical and mental health of many. In spring 2020, the EMBA/MS Class of 2021 lost a beloved member with the passing of Dr. Lorna Breen, M.D., a talented physician who served as the emergency department director at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital. 

Spurred by this tragic loss, members of the Class of 2021 developed the Dr. Lorna Breen Healthcare Legacy Fund, which seeks to make an impact on the complex issue of mental health and has led to the creation of the Dr. Lorna Breen Healthcare Legacy Fellowship.

This collaborative effort between the EMBA/MS Program and the Class of 2021 alumni provides students a platform to apply the leadership skills they have learned in the program and contribute to the expansion of mental health services and support to healthcare workers, students, or their community. 

To further expand on the reach and flexibility of the Flex MBA program, the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University now offers the degree in an online format, allowing students to continue their path toward career advancement in a virtual setting while maintaining the academic rigor and experiential opportunities that define the Georgetown MBA. 

The new online format, known as the Flex MBA One, delivers the same degree as the in-person program with the added convenience of virtual classes. Students will participate in synchronous and asynchronous coursework, along with two weeklong residencies in Washington, D.C., and participation in the global business consulting project. The program will begin in fall 2023.

“The new online option is intentionally designed to maximize the learning experience,” says Prashant Malaviya, senior associate dean of MBA programs. “By pulling from our program’s strengths, we are able to add more flexibility to the MBA format while retaining our quality education and close-knit community.”

Each summer, EMBA students at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) spend a few days in Sacramento and Silicon Valley as a part of their Innovation in Practice course to gain a better understanding of the legislative process and ways organizations can more effectively manage innovation.

The trip kicked off in Sacramento on the eve of Election Day with a visit to the State Capitol where co-instructors Bob Clark, Rob Beamer, and EMBA alumnus Clarence Griffin (MBA ’09) led students in meetings with State Treasurer Fiona Ma, capitol staff, lobbyists, and representatives from NGOs, state departments, and the Public Policy Institute of California.

In just two days, students obtained an insider’s perspective on the legislative process, the various players who support the effort, and the essential role that relationships and trade-offs play in maintaining the fabric of a functioning state government. They also learned how to engage with the state government and legislature through their elected officials, industry lobbyists, and representatives from NGO/advocacy groups and state departments.

EMBA student Jill Yang was surprised to learn the accessibility of government officials and the many ways that private citizens can help drive change, such as joining special committees and contacting politicians.

“Prior to this trip, the only role I thought I had in politics was to vote and that was where my impact ended,” says Yang. “I feel so empowered after the trip knowing I can do so much more for my community.”

Students visited Silicon Valley next, where they met with executives and LMU alumni at some of the top innovative companies in the world including Google, Dell, Oracle, Jabil, and Absolute EMS. They also explored the Computer History Museum and Apple Park Visitor Center.

Overall, the students enjoyed hearing insights from government and business leaders working at the intersection of business and policy through the lens of innovation.

“I learned that a big part of innovation in government or business is about relationships, asking the right questions and building a creative team with diverse skill sets,” says Ruth Amanuel. “The trip brought to life the impact of both public and private sectors on driving this trillion-dollar California economy forward.”

For Mike McKenzie, the experience opened his eyes to a new approach for team collaboration and effectiveness that he plans to implement in the workplace.

“The time we spent with various companies and legislators created a different narrative for each of my classmates – very different takes from the same meeting,” says McKenzie. “Post-meeting takeaways are so valuable and will now be part of my team’s roadmap going forward. I want to take the time to learn from each participant to create a more collaborative and worthwhile experience.”

As part of the summer course, students must analyze a company and identify how that company does (and does not) foster and support innovation. After returning to Los Angeles, student teams completed a Trip Findings Report recapping what they learned and later presented an analysis of their data and recommendations for the company.

“We’re thrilled to be able to foster an experience like this for our students, that brings together learning and action,” says Beamer, director of Executive Programs at LMU. “Hearing and seeing our participants so engaged was tremendously reaffirming. A highlight was hearing students discuss how they planned on applying what they had learned into their communities and workplaces.”

The Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University named Chris Hilario director of its EMBA Program. Hilario brings more than eight years of higher education experience to the position and most recently was director of Evening MBA admissions and recruitment at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business. He also worked at Texas A&M University in student recruitment and admissions for the Dallas-Fort Worth region.

In a homecoming of sorts, William & Mary (W&M) welcomed Todd Mooradian, award-winning teacher, scholar, and administrator, as the dean of William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business in August.

Most recently dean of the College of Business at the University of Louisville, Mooradian previously served as a faculty leader and administrator for nearly three decades at William & Mary. His selection follows a national search to succeed Lawrence B. Pulley ’74, who retired after 24 years as dean. 

“An experienced leader and scholar, Dr. Mooradian has a deep appreciation for William & Mary’s learning mission,” says President Katherine A. Rowe. “We are delighted to welcome him back.

“Under Vision 2026, W&M will graduate principled, data-savvy professionals who are prepared to thrive in every stage of their careers. Todd Mooradian will advance these goals of curricular innovation with dedication and verve.” 

Mooradian is excited to return to William & Mary.

“William & Mary was never a job. It has always been a passion,” says Mooradian. “This is a return to an institution that is woven into who we are. But, more than any return to home, my move to William & Mary now is all about the future, joining with its current leadership, and contributing to its great momentum as a leading university.”

Florida International University (FIU) recently named William Hardin dean.

Ryder Eminent Scholar Chair and Research Fellow in the Tibor and Sheila Hollo School of Real Estate, Hardin had served as interim dean since May 2021. He joined the FIU Business faculty in 2006 as director of real estate programs and the Jerome Bain Real Estate Institute.

“Dr. Hardin is the ideal leader for this moment in the trajectory of FIU Business,” says Elizabeth M. Béjar, interim provost, executive vice president, and chief operating officer. “He understands the needs of industry and has a vision for ensuring our students and graduates continue to excel, and FIU remains a national leader in business education.”

Founding director of the Hollo School of Real Estate, Hardin is a recognized expert on real estate markets, commercial and residential properties, financial markets, and securitized real estate.

During a 20-year academic career, Hardin has authored or co-authored 70 papers on topics including commercial real estate investment, foreclosures, corporate governance, residential real estate, and REIT financial structure. He co-edits the Journal of Real Estate Research.

“It is an extraordinary honor to be chosen as dean of FIU Business at this pivotal time for the global business community, Miami, and our students,” says Hardin. “We will marshal the remarkable talent and dedication of our faculty and staff and FIU Business alumni–nearly 65,000 strong–to address challenges and drive success.”

Jon Kaplan, assistant dean, MBA and specialty master’s programs, at the University of California Irvine (UCI) Paul Merage School of Business, retired this summer.

His career at the University of California included stints with UCLA Athletics, UCLA’s Anderson School of Business, University of California Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, and UCI’s Merage School of Business. Kaplan also presented at EMBAC Conferences and contributed to many EMBAC initiatives.

Naomi E. Boyd, Ph.D., became dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Business in July.  

Boyd most recently served as associate dean for innovation, outreach, and engagement and as chair, professor, and the Fred T. Tattersall Chair of Finance in the John Chambers College of Business and Economics Department of Finance at West Virginia University.

“Dr. Boyd is a proven leader and a visionary with a strong commitment to academic excellence, transdisciplinary innovation, and student-focused experiential learning,” says Fotis Sotiropoulos, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “Her background, which spans academia, government, and industry, coupled with her impressive record of success in transforming student learning and supporting faculty to excel make her the right person at the right time for VCU and the School of Business.”

Boyd’s research background has focused on structural shifts and innovation in capital markets. She serves as the associate editor of Financial Statistics, as well as on the review board of the American Journal of Business and the editorial advisory boards of the Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance and the journal Managerial Finance. She previously served for eight years as a financial analyst and consultant to the Office of the Chief Economist at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission in Washington.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to engage with the community of Richmond to empower the School of Business to take VCU’s explicit commitment to creativity and harness it to produce the next generation of business leaders who are good corporate citizens, well versed in emerging technologies, with strong entrepreneurial roots,” says Boyd.

Jonathon Halbesleben joined the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) as dean of the Carlos Alvarez College of Business, Bodenstedt Chair, and Tom C. Frost Distinguished University Chair for Business Education in June.

“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Halbesleben to the UTSA academic leadership team,” says provost and senior vice president for academic affairs Kimberly Andrews Espy. “Jonathon has a demonstrated record of collaboration and leading complex educational enterprises that advance the goals of the university, the impact of our faculty, the needs of the regional and local business community, and, most importantly, the aspirations of our students.”

Halbesleben most recently served at the University of Alabama, as dean of the College of Continuing Studies and before that as senior associate dean and Russell Professor of Business Administration in the Culverhouse College of Business at the University of Alabama. 

“As a first-generation college student, I was drawn to UTSA largely because of the university and the college’s deep commitment to serving historically underserved communities,” says Halbesleben. “My passion for leveraging the power of higher education to transform underserved communities fits well with those goals. I am thrilled to join with Alvarez faculty, staff and students to build an internationally recognized college that is ambitious, bold, and dynamic.”

In spring 2021, longtime supporters Carlos and Malú Alvarez committed a $20 million gift to the college. In recognition of this gift, the college was renamed the Carlos Alvarez College of Business, the first named college in UTSA’s history and the first business school in the UT System named for a Hispanic person. In September 2021, Alvarez committed another $2 million to establish the Tom C. Frost Distinguished University Chair for Business Excellence.

In July, Gareth James became dean of the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. James came to Emory from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, where he served as deputy dean, E. Morgan Stanley Chair in Business Administration, and professor of data sciences and operations.

“Dr. James is a demonstrated leader with the vision and experience to elevate the Goizueta Business School to even greater heights of success,” says President Gregory L. Fenves. “The future of business education and scholarship touches all aspects of our lives, the way we work, and how we create opportunities for the future. Dr. James understands that preparing business leaders requires a broad set of skills that are informed by impactful research as well as real-life experiences in a complex, interconnected economy. Atlanta is home to some of the most dynamic and diverse businesses in the nation, and I look forward to seeing Dr. James deepen Emory's partnerships like never before.” 

An active and dynamic leader during his time at the Marshall School of Business, James has most recently served as interim dean (2019-2020), during which he led the school’s COVID-19 response, and deputy dean (2020-2022), a position created to retain him at school-level leadership; he has also served as vice dean of faculty.