A peer-to-peer discussion with the Dean of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

Show notes: On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Charles Whiteman, the Dean of the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University.

They discuss: building buy-in when introducing new strategic plans; the importance of shifting strategic priorities when roadblocks emerge; leveraging the role of budgetary incentives to affect change; coming into the Dean's job during a major university scandal, and much more.

Learn more about Charles Whiteman: directory.smeal.psu.edu/chw17

Charles Whiteman Bio:

The Dean of the Penn State Smeal College of Business oversees all aspects of one of the largest business schools in the nation. Smeal offers highly ranked programs to more than 5,000 students at all levels; supports the research activities of faculty members in six academic departments; is home to a network of leading research centers in business; and features an alumni network of more than 95,000 Smeal graduates around the world.

Whiteman, who has more than 32 years of experience in higher education and business, assumed the leadership position at Smeal in July 2012. Prior to joining Penn State, he was senior associate dean for the Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa, where he was responsible for undergraduate and graduate degree programs; faculty and staff recruitment; promotion and tenure; budgetary operations; college facilities; technology operations; and strategic planning for the business school.

During a career that began as an instructor at Iowa in 1980, Whiteman advanced through the faculty ranks to become a chaired professor and served in a variety of administrative roles including chair of the Department of Economics, director of the Institute for Economic Research, and interim dean.

Whiteman holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Kansas. He has conducted research that has been supported by a number of grants from the National Science Foundation, published dozens of academic papers, written two books, and served as associate editor of several economics journals. He has also advised the state of Iowa's Department of Management on economic issues and served as a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Banks of Kansas City, Atlanta, Cleveland, and Minneapolis.