Open sessions start Thursday for the dean of Lumpkin College of Business and Technology candidate search.

Three candidates will be brought to campus starting with Stevie Watson, the former dean of business at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin.

Watson’s open session is from 1:30-2:15 p.m. Thursday in the 1895 Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Nick Delener, the interim dean of business at Indiana University East in Richmond, Ind., will visit campus on Jan. 29 with an open session from 1:30-2:15 p.m. in the 1895 Room of the Union.

Austin Cheney, the associate dean of the Lumpkin College of Business and Technology, will have an open session from 1:30-2:15 p.m. Jan. 31 in the 1895 Room of the Union.

Stevie Watson

Watson was the former dean of business at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin from July 2016 until May 2018.

Prior to that, Watson was the chair and an associate professor of marketing in the department of management, marketing and public administration at Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland from 2013 until 2016.

Watson received a Ph.D. in 2006 from Mississippi State University and has published several articles, abstracts and papers, according to Watson’s vita.

Watson is also currently researching consumer response to product recalls and the factors that influence consumer attitudes toward and choice of product brands and categories, which is aimed to be published in the Journal of Consumer Research; and the effects of social dominance orientation on charitable monetary donations, which is aimed to be published in the Journal of Advertising, according to Watson’s vita.

Nick Delener

Delener has been the interim dean of business at Indiana University East in Richmond, Ind., since February 2018.

He has also been the editor-in-chief of the “Journal of Global Business and Technology” since 2005.

According to Delener’s vita, major accomplishments as interim dean

include developing a strategic plan for fiscal years between 2018 and 2023 and facilitating the development of the collaborative BSBA program at the university.

Delener received a Ph.D. in 1987 from City University of New York and, according to his vita, he has several publications including two authored books: “Service Science Research, Strategy and Innovation: Dynamic Knowledge Management Methods” and Strategic Planning and Multinational Trading Blocs.”

Austin Cheney

Cheney has been the associate dean of the Lumpkin College of Business and Technology since August 2018.

Cheney is also the chair of the School of Technology and a professor.

According to his vita, by being associate dean, he “expanded his responsibilities, in addition to School of Technology chair duties, to support college-level activities.”

As associate dean he writes in his vita that he connects faculty members with outside business consulting opportunities; he initiated discussions with the EIU Development and Career Services Offices regarding the pursuit of corporate gifts in the $100,000-$500,000 range to support enhancing the college’s labs; and he helped establish a joint study-abroad initiative to Italy for both the School of Technology and the School of Business.

The Right Fit

Richard England, the chair of the search committee, said ultimately when looking at the candidates, the committee is looking for the right fit for campus.

“(We’re) looking for a clear record of experience that shows that they can do some challenging things that deans have to do (like) managing faculty, in a business school particularly dealing with accreditation, fundraising to some extent, also some helping reorganize curriculum and units,” England said.

England said they are also looking for someone who has a vision that is compatible with what Eastern’s mission is.

He said after the final candidate leaves campus, the search committee will meet one more time to gather final thoughts and evaluations to send to the provost.

Analicia Haynes can be reached at 581-2812 or achaynes@eiu.edu.