Dean’s Message

Dear Friends,

Peter Drucker—the father of modern management—has been one of my most important teachers these past 30 years although I never met him beyond the pages of his books. His 1954 classic “The Practice of Management” and 1985 “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” were trade books I incorporated into the courses I taught early in my teaching career. When I started administrator roles in 2006, many of his ideas guided me as I put into practice my academic disciplines of management, leadership, and innovation. My time as an administrator became an opportunity to test in action the many theories, practices, and insights I valued. Big Ideas, Real-world Doing.

During these past 12 years as a dean, I learned so much from a wide range of wise people: energetic students; generous business leaders, alumni, and donors; and committed faculty and staff. Utilizing this collective strength allowed us to create and lead an ambitious time of innovation in the College of Business. Over 12 new and relevant signature programs have been launched including the United Prairie Bank Integrated Business Certificate program, the Master of Accounting degree, 100% online Bachelor of Business Administration degree, Business Analytics Certificate, and the Agribusiness and Food Innovation BS degree—and more on their way such as the Professional Sales Certificate and Center for Financial Well Being. Real-world and high-engagement experiences and programs like the Stangler Internship Initiative, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Big Ideas Challenge, the Henze Ag Innovators, Maverick Investment Fund, Student Executive Team, and Introduction to Business Careers (BUS295) are now part of the MavBiz student experience. During the past 12 years, the College of Business grew annually from 1,800 to 2,300 degree seekers, from $100k to $300k in student scholarships, and from a small handful to hundreds of industry partnerships. Literally thousands of hands and minds have joined together to create this level of innovation (see pages 29-35).

It has been one of the greatest honors and privileges of my professional life to serve as the sixth dean of the College of Business. Given the level of talent and vision now found in the College of Business and across the University, along with incoming dean Dr. Seung Bach (see page 6 for his introduction), I am confident of continued success and growth. My path will take me deeper into new areas of innovation such as sustainability and experiential executive education, and I look forward to being of use in new roles, including as a professor in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship. What won’t change will be my love for this PLACE my husband and I call home. It is a place rich with history, opportunities, and stories of people making a positive difference. I hope you enjoy this In Review magazine and are inspired by the Maverick spirit!

With deep gratitude,

Brenda Flannery, Ph.D. Dean, College of Business (2011 – 2023) Professor of Management