Gary L. Miller, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs and Research, announced that Wichita State University will conduct campus interviews with five candidates for the position of dean of the W. Frank Barton School of Business.
The previous dean, John Beehler, left the university last summer to become the business dean at Northern Kentucky University.
![Gary Miller](https://www.wichita.edu/about/wsunews/archive/images/186/Gary_Miller_mug.jpg.jpg)
Gary Miller
“It is a testament to the fine faculty and programs of the Barton School that we attracted such a strong pool of candidates for the position of dean,” said Miller. “Dr. Peter Cohen, dean of the College of Health Professions, and the search committee did an outstanding job of carefully reviewing the credentials of the applicants to select these five for a campus interview. I am extremely excited about our opportunity to recruit an exceptional dean.”
Miller plans to hire the new dean in late spring.
The candidates and their campus visit dates are:
• Scott D. Johnson, Dean, College of Business, Minnesota State University at Mankato: April 20 – April 22.
• Robert E. Pitts, Dean, School of Business and Economics, College of Charleston: April 23 – 25.
• Ravi Nath, Director of the Joe Ricketts Center and the Jack and Joan McGraw Endowed Chair in IT Management, College of Business Administration, Creighton University: April 27 – 29.
• Chuck Williams, Dean, Eberhardt School of Business, University of the Pacific: April 30 – May 2.
• Douglas A. Hensler, Dean and Sid Craig Endowed Chair; Craig School of Business, California State University at Fresno: May 4-6.
The search committee, which includes faculty and staff and a number of individuals from the local business community, selected the finalists from a group of nine candidates who flew to Wichita for an interview at the Airport Hilton or who visited with the group by phone.
“The committee and I believe that these five candidates have significant potential as the next leader of the Barton School,” said Miller. “The campus interview will give our faculty and the community a chance to explore their experience and vision and it will give the candidates a chance to take a look at us.”