Endowed C hairInstallation
The INSTALLATION of
THOMAS A. HORAN Recipient of the
H. JESS and DONNA COLTON SENECAL DEAN’S CHAIR in the SCHOOL OF BUSINESS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2018 3:00 p.m. Orton Center, University of Redlands
THOMAS A. HORAN H. JESS and DONNA COLTON SENECAL ENDOWED DEAN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
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The INSTALLATION of THOMAS A. HORAN
Dean Thomas A. Horan As dean, Horan has created a strategic approach to advancing the school’s mission and has led a new set of initiatives and programs to enhance student-centeredness and success, embrace corporate and pathway partners, and implement new programs in leadership and spatial analytics. The quality of his leadership has already been recognized, as he played a crucial role in securing the School of Business’s accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) in early 2018. A New England native, he moved to California after finishing his B.A. (Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of Vermont to pursue an M.A. and Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Claremont Graduate University. After completing his Ph.D. in 1988, he spent five years as a senior analyst at the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) in Washington, D.C. and two years as a senior fellow at George Mason University. He returned to Claremont Graduate University in 1995. Over the following 23 years, Dean Horan first rose to full professor, then dean of the School of Information Systems and Technology, followed by dean of the Drucker School of Management.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Horan has made a substantial impact on research and practice. He has directed over $10 million in research and led centers in health informatics and spatial analytics. Dr. Horan has published more than 130 articles and two books, as well as served on over 30 dissertation committees. He has testified before the U.S. Congress, served as a technology consultant for the U.S. Department of Transportation, was a health informatics appointee to the American Health Information Community by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and was twice recognized by the White House for his health and safety innovations using GIS. In the private sector, Dr. Horan has served as researcher and consultant to numerous entities, including Salesforce, Mayo Clinic, Continuum Development, Smart Traveler, Vital Data Technology, and Inland Empire Health Plan. Several of his innovations have affected health care and emergency response practices. Dr. Horan’s relationship with Esri spans 20 years and includes numerous research studies and collaborations in health, technology, supply chain, and economic development. Dr. Horan has also been a visiting scholar at Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Hawaii, and University of Minnesota. Most recently he served as a Visiting Scholar at Hong Kong University’s Centennial College, where helped lead the development of a master’s degree in management as a liberal art.
DEAN’S CHAIR in the SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Coco McKown
A nationally recognized scholar and innovator, Thomas A. Horan, the H. Jess and Donna Senecal Endowed Dean of the School of Business, is leading the University of Redlands into a new era of 21st century business education.
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The Purpose by Thomas A. Horan Why? It’s such a simple question, but a critical one. For the School of Business at the University of Redlands, our defining answer both builds upon the traditions of the past and looks ahead to the future. During the summer of my first year in graduate school (1981), I was offered an internship at the Center for Nonprofit Management in Los Angeles. As an eager student, I was keen to obtain firsthand experience in organizational behavior. But, alas, being the “new kid on the block,” they wanted someone to help them with something completely new: computers. It was the dawn of the “PC” era and nonprofits were interested in getting on board. Of course, they were often not sure why they needed computers, but over time discovered how to use them to be more efficient and productive. In many ways, this internship set me on a twodecade path of research, analysis, teaching, and action. For my master’s thesis, I researched how lobbying firms were using computer programs to influence policy. For my dissertation, I studied how trip-planning software could be used effectively by businesses. These experiences landed me a job as a senior analyst at the U.S. Congress’s General Accounting Office in Washington, D.C., where I was fortunate to work on a major piece of legislation that brought high-tech companies
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The INSTALLATION of THOMAS A. HORAN
to the transportation industry. Upon returning to academia in 1993, I have continued to explore how technology can help businesses and have shared my knowledge with hundreds of students. Throughout these endeavors, the driving question has been: “Why?” Why use or adopt a technology? What gains will be brought? What tradeoffs will be considered? This is not a technology question; this is a business question. As I have shifted my focus to management issues, these basic questions still hold. What is the organization’s purpose? What value does it create? How can the company be organized to best achieve this value? As author Simon Sinek has popularized, one needs to start with why. So then, what is the why of business education and our School of Business? We have recently undertaken a strategic planning exercise to contemplate these fundamental questions. Broadly speaking, we believe that business education demonstrably improves both an organization’s bottom-line and social value. We live in a highly connected era in which businesses do not operate
in isolation but are immersed in relationships with employees, customers, suppliers, and communities. This holistic view of business is grounded in the liberal arts tradition but focused on the practical aspects of business success. Turning to the School of Business, what is our distinctive purpose? We are keenly focused on empowering our students to succeed through what we are calling “21st century business skills.� Survey after survey reveals that employers recruit and promote professionals who can work in diverse situations, drawing upon a host of technical, organizational, and people skills. We are organized to deliver these valued skills. Our centers for spatial business and the Banta Center for Business, Ethics, and Society further distinguish our educational approach in technical and ethical dimensions. This purpose builds on a rich tradition of creating opportunities for working professionals. University of Redlands was on the forefront of professional education when it created what was then called Whitehead College, and, in the ensuing decades, we have graduated more than 30,000 students. We are proud of this tremendous accomplishment and determined to reach ever-greater levels of achievement.
Focusing on the purpose of the school has helped ground me in my own purpose here. I am personally inspired by our mission and the commitment of members of our diverse student body, the great majority of whom are pursuing their degree while working full-time. I am inspired by our dedicated faculty, who carry heavy teaching loads and often travel among campuses. Thus, my responsibility as dean is to work collaboratively with our faculty and staff to foster the best in teaching, research, and public engagement so that our students can achieve their aspirations. I would not be able to set about my course if it were not for the H. Jess and Donna Colton Senecal Endowed Chair. I am deeply indebted to Donna and Jess Senecal for their lifelong dedication to the University, and to Richard and Ginnie Hunsaker, whose generosity brought this chair to fruition in honoring their dear friends. When I met with Donna, I was delighted to hear stories of their longtime support of the University, as well as their close relationship with the Hunsakers. It is an honor to hold this chair, and I sincerely thank them for that honor.
DEAN’S CHAIR in the SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
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RICH & GINNIE HUNSAKER and H. JESS & DONNA COLTON SENECAL
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The INSTALLATION of THOMAS A. HORAN
A Gift Forged inFriendship The H. Jess and Donna Colton Senecal Endowed Dean’s Chair in Business is a gift forged in a friendship that spans more than half a century. Made possible through a generous leadership gift from Rich ’52 and Ginnie Moses ’52 Hunsaker in 2004, the Senecal Chair honors a relationship that began during their undergraduate days at the University of Redlands and flourished throughout their lifetimes. Jess ’52 and Donna Colton ’53 Senecal, who were actively involved in athletics, the student newspaper, and student government during their student days, have demonstrated a strong and deep commitment to their alma mater. Jess, who studied economics and was a member of Kappa Sigma Sigma, served on the University’s Board of Trustees for 33 years, beginning in 1969 when he was president of the alumni association. During his tenure on the Board, he had the distinction of serving as chair, as well as chairing the presidential search committees that recruited U of R Presidents James R. Appleton and Dr. Stuart Dorsey. A senior partner with the firm of Lagerlof Senecal Bradley Gosney & Kruse who accumulated nearly
50 years of experience in business and real estate law, Jess was instrumental in securing significant resources in support of the University. In addition to his work on the National Campaign Committee for the $100 million Centennial Campaign, he served as chair of the A Place for the Sciences Campaign, for which he secured more than $7 million from the John Stauffer Charitable Trust for the creation of the Stauffer Complex for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Studies. For his exemplary dedication, Jess received the University’s Distinguished Service Award in 1997, the 75th Anniversary Medal in 2006, and the Centennial Award in 2007; he was also conferred with an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 2007. Jess passed away on June 6, 2012. Donna earned a degree in education from the University and was a member of Delta Kappa Psi. She has remained active in her community for many years, both as a volunteer and a small business owner. She and Jess established the Jess and Donna Colton Senecal Endowed Scholarship in 2003, and nearly 20 students have benefitted from this award since its inception. Continuing the Senecal legacy at the U of R, their granddaughter, Katie, graduated in 2008 and their grandson, Corbett, graduated in 2011.
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The Arc of Excellence The School of Business provides business educational opportunities to professionals from diverse backgrounds. Over 1,500 students are currently enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs being offered at the seven University of Redlands campuses located across Southern California. The school builds upon a 40-year commitment by the University of Redlands to business education, a commitment that has resulted in approximately 30,000 School of Business alumni. The arrival of a new dean comes at a propitious time for the University. The school is expected to play a key role in the successful implementation of the University’s North Star strategic plan, including numerous activities to support student success, create new educational pathways with companies and community colleges, launch spatial business and leadership programs, and assume a thought leadership role in the region. Since the arrival of Dean Horan in summer 2017, the school has moved briskly to devise a set of strategic initiatives that build upon the University’s strategic plan and provides a directional path to achieving and sustaining excellence in teaching, learning, and research. These efforts are already yielding dividends, as signified by the school receiving accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) earlier this year. As a private institution, the University of Redlands relies upon financial support from individuals and organizations to achieve its goals. One of the most direct ways of supporting the University’s recognized brand of personalized education is through the establishment of endowed professorships and named chairs. To date, the University has created 21 endowed faculty positions (including the H. Jess and Donna Colton Senecal Endowed Dean’s Chair) and five endowed lecture funds. We are grateful for these endowments, which ensure dedicated faculty and visionary leadership in perpetuity. Through Forever Yours: The Campaign for University of Redlands, we welcome all levels of support that will enable the School of Business to succeed in achieving its noble mission for generations to come.
www.foreveryours.redlands.edu
www.redlands.edu