Ithaca College

An experienced educator and administrator at one of the nation's leading business schools has been tapped to lead the business program at Ithaca College. Susan West Engelkemeyer, director of the one-year MBA program and an associate professor of management at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, will serve as the new dean of the Ithaca College School of Business.

Since 2002, Engelkemeyer has been responsible for program design and delivery of the one-year MBA program, and has partnered with admissions and career development to enhance the overall process from student recruitment to placement. A member of the Babson faculty since 1990, she has taught courses in operations management and quality management in the integrated undergraduate and MBA programs. From 1992 to 1996 she also served as director of quality, with the responsibility for developing, implementing, and sustaining a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) environment for Babson.

"Susan West Engelkemeyer brings to this key position an ideal blend of experience and expertise in leadership, scholarship, teaching, and service," says Peter Bardaglio, provost and vice president for academic affairs. "Her track record in strategic planning and assessment, along with her extensive knowledge of the national higher education landscape, will serve the school well as it seeks to realize its vision of being ranked among the top 10 percent of the nation's business schools by the end of this decade."

Bob Ullrich, who has served as dean since 1998 and announced last year his plans for retirement, will stay on until Engelkemeyer begins her new position in January.

"I am truly delighted and honored to accept this offer," says Engelkemeyer. "I'm thankful to Bob Ullrich and the faculty for the strong foundation they've built over the past few years, and I'm excited about the opportunities that exist as the School of Business enters a new stage of development. The College's commitment to sustainability can resonate in the school, where the 'triple bottom line' -- people, planet, and profits -- is being woven into the fabric of the curriculum. And the school's new building, which is in the early planning stages, provides another tremendous opportunity to bring to life the environmental and social aspects of sustainability. A passion for the College and aspirations for the future were evident with every stakeholder group I met -- from faculty to students to staff to alumni. That enthusiasm was contagious, and it made me want to be part of the College's future success."

In addition to her Babson position, for the past seven years Engelkemeyer has served as a senior staff member with the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE), a national organization of individuals dedicated to the common cause of improving the quality of higher education. In 2000-01 she led AAHE's strategic planning process, and since 1998 she has directed the AAHE Summer Academy, a team-based, project-centered experience focused on undergraduate change initiatives that enhance student learning.

Engelkemeyer holds a B.A. from Stephens College, M.B.A. from East Carolina University, and Ph.D. in industrial management from Clemson University. Her current research is focused on systemic organizational change and assessment, key performance measures, and knowledge management.

Engelkemeyer spent six years as a senior examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, a program established in 1987 by Congress to recognize U.S. organizations for their achievements in quality and performance and to raise awareness about the importance of quality and performance excellence as a competitive edge. Among other professional affiliations, she serves on the board of directors of GOAL/QPC, a nonprofit organization that fosters quality improvement, and on the editorial review boards of the "Journal of Innovative Management" and "Quality Management Journal."

Contributed by David Maley