UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State is seeking nominations and applicants for the next John and Karen Arnold Dean of the Smeal College of Business.

Charles H. Whiteman, the current dean, announced last November that he will retire at the end of June.

Reporting to Justin Schwartz, executive vice president and provost at Penn State, the dean serves as the principal academic and administrative officer of the college and an institutional leader in advancing the goals of Penn State.

Established in 1953 and named in 1990 in recognition of a gift from Frank P. and Mary Jean Smeal, the college houses six academic departments and a robust portfolio of undergraduate, master and doctoral programs, as well as an extensive variety of graduate certificates and executive education programs. Its more than 350 full-time faculty and staff support over 5,800 undergraduate and 1,910 graduate students. Smeal ranked No. 23 in North America in the University of Texas at Dallas Business School Research Rankings (2017-2022) released in April 2023. In September 2023, U.S. News and World Report ranked Smeal No. 21 nationally for undergraduate education, with five of its specialty disciplines ranked in the top 25 nationally.

With highly ranked and in-demand programs, the college is experiencing significant growth.

The new dean will have the opportunity to have a positive and constructive impact in charting the evolution of Smeal, grounded in a commitment to shared governance. They will lead the creation of a compelling and innovative vision for the future of Smeal, building upon the University's strategic plan, Smeal's strengths and the college’s commitments to extraordinary education, research impact, integrity, diversity and sustainability. Growing Smeal's research excellence and impact and supporting student success must be top priorities. The new dean will also be charged with continuing to build a more equitable and inclusive community while recruiting and retaining a diverse and talented faculty, staff and student body.

The incoming dean will also work with the provost and other University leaders to implement the University's new budget model, which has shifted greater financial responsibility to individual academic units. In partnership with University leadership, the new dean will also build relationships across University Park and the Commonwealth Campuses to promote and expand interdisciplinary education and research. Working closely with college and University development and alumni relations colleagues, the dean will develop, lead and support the college's corporate, alumni and donor relations activities, and ensure high brand awareness and visibility for Smeal.

Penn State is partnering with WittKieffer, an executive firm, for this search. Nominations and applications will be accepted until the position is filled, and interested parties are encouraged to submit applications no later than March 1 for full consideration. Applications should include, as separate documents, a resume and a statement of interest. Application materials should be emailed to PennStateDeanSmeal@wittkieffer.com. Nominations and inquiries can be directed to Suzanne Teer, John Thornburgh and Cathryn Davis at PennStateDeanSmeal@wittkieffer.com.

Applicants will be reviewed by the search committee, chaired by Patrick Mather, dean of the Schreyer Honors College and professor of chemical engineering. Members include:

• Brent W. Ambrose, Jason and Julie Borrelli Faculty Chair in Real Estate and professor; director, Borrelli Institute for Real Estate Studies; director, Smeal College of Business Ph.D. Program
• Saurabh Bansal, professor of supply chain management, Smeal College of Business
• Sean Bennett, integrated master of accounting student; president, Smeal Student Council;  member, Smeal Integrity Advocates
• Kathleen Bieschke, vice provost for faculty affairs and professor of education
• Kimberly Cornaggia, department head and Louis R. & Virginia A. Benzak Professor of Finance, Smeal College of Business
• Jennifer Chang Coupland, clinical professor of marketing, Smeal College of Business
• Kathryn Drager, associate dean for research and graduate education; professor of communications sciences and disorders, College of Health and Human Development
• Donald C. Hambrick, Evan Pugh University Professor and Smeal Chaired Professor of Management, Smeal College of Business
• Wendy Jo Hartsock, associate director of alumni relations, Smeal College of Business
• Pauline Hough, administrative support coordinator, diversity enhancement, Smeal College of Business
• Michelle K. Houser, assistant vice president, University development
• Kyle John Kaplan, clinical associate professor of business law, Smeal College of Business
• Henock Louis, KPMG Professor of Accounting; chair, Department of Accounting, Smeal College of Business
• Chris McKeon, associate director of student records in undergraduate education, Smeal College of Business
• Jennifer Nowicki, doctoral student in supply chain and information systems, Smeal College of Business
• Juliet Pinto, associate professor of journalism and administrative fellow, Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications
• Courtney Szocs, associate professor of marketing, Smeal College of Business
• Stefan Wuyts, professor of marketing; director, Institute for the Study of Business Markets, Smeal College of Business