Virginia Tech has updated its roster of search committee members tasked with overseeing a national search for the next dean of the Pamplin College of Business. Laura Belmonte, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, will continue to chair the search committee and guide the application/nomination, candidate review and interview, campus engagement, and finalist selection processes.

As the head of the Pamplin College of Business, the dean sets the academic tenor, promotes a culture of outstanding innovation and scholarship, and represents its faculty, students, and staff to the university and beyond. The dean also has financial and administrative management responsibility for the college, guides and oversees its annual operating budget, advocates to the central administration for investment in new initiatives, leads its fundraising efforts, and provides effective leadership for the college’s faculty and administrative staff.

The new dean will replace Robert Sumichrast, the Richard E. Sorensen Chair and dean of the Pamplin College of Business since 2013, who announced his retirement effective the end of the 2021-22 academic year. Roberta (Robin) Russell has served as interim dean since July.

The updated list of search committee members is as follows:

  • Laura Belmonte – search committee chair and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Viswanath (Venki) Venkatesh – professor, Business Information Technology
  • Nancy McGehee – professor, Hospitality and Tourism Management
  • Broderick Turner – assistant professor, Marketing
  • Kevin Boyle – professor and incoming department head, Real Estate Management
  • Jin Xu – associate professor, Finance
  • France Belanger – University Distinguished Professor, Accounting and Information Systems
  • Richard (Rick) Hunt – associate professor and director of doctoral studies, Management
  • Quinton Nottingham – associate professor, Business Information Technology
  • Sarah Stein – associate professor, Accounting and Information Systems
  • Raman Kumar – professor, Finance
  • Anna-Katherine (A.K.) Ward – associate professor, Management; faculty senator and college Faculty Association president
  • Coral Rojas – assistant director for Pamplin Outreach, Recruitment, and Pre-Collegiate Programs
  • Linda Christie – director, Center for Business Analytics
  • Bridget Ryan Berman – Pamplin Advisory Board
  • Dana Hansson - director, MBA programs
  • Lance Collins – vice president and executive director, Innovation Campus
  • Charles Phlegar - vice president for Advancement
  • Jessica Linkous - lead administrative manager, Department of Finance, Insurance, and Business Law
  • Phil Xiang – professor and department head, Hospitality and Tourism Management

The search committee will be supported by a staff that includes Ron Fricker, vice provost for Faculty Affairs; Amy Hogan, assistant provost for Leadership Initiatives; and Leslie Sullivan, coordinator for Faculty Affairs.

Virginia Tech is partnering with Heidrick and Struggles executive search firm to assist with the search process and receive nominations and applications for the position. The position description, application/nomination process, and search updates will be posted and available on the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost website.  

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