Radson Named Dean of Business and Economics

Darrell Radson, head of the Department of Decision Science in Drexel University's LeBow School of Business, in Philadelphia, has agreed to serve as dean of the School of Business and Economics at Michigan Technological University, effective Aug. 1.

Radson, an associate professor, was previously the associate dean of the Boler School of Business at John Carroll University, near Cleveland, Ohio, and was on the business faculty of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee from 1991 to 2003.

He holds PhD and MS degrees in Industrial and Operations Engineering, as well as MA degrees in Statistics and Political Science, from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His BA in Political Science is from Northwestern University, in Evanston, Ill.

Radson's skills offer a particularly good fit for the University, President Glenn D. Mroz said. “Our strategic plan calls for us to educate our students in the business of innovation and to support entrepreneurship and technology transfer," he said. "That will require increased collaboration across academic units, and Darrell’s strengths in these areas will be key as we move toward achieving those goals."

"Darrell has a strong background in both business and engineering and an operations research perspective that links to many areas of high interest at the University," said Provost Lesley Lovett-Doust. "He speaks good 'engineer,' and that’s a significant asset for the business dean at a technological university. I am very pleased that he is planning to develop and launch a strong online MBA program, something our alumni have been requesting for some time. He will also help identify opportunities for growth in graduate study and collaborative research, perhaps through interdisciplinary doctoral programs. The search committee did a great job and have found someone who is an excellent fit for Tech."

She also praised outgoing dean Christa Walck's accomplishments. "Christa has done a wonderful job of building the faculty complement and the resource base for the School of Business and Economics, and her generous and thoughtful contributions to the administration, including her collaborative contribution to the development of the Strategic Hiring search process, are much appreciated," Lovett-Doust said.

Radson received awards for both teaching and research at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and earned the Best Teacher Award for the MBA program at Drexel University. He has published numerous articles in Quality Engineering, Production and Operations Management and other leading research journals.

Among his accomplishments, Radson redesigned the curriculum of Drexel's BS in Commerce and Engineering to better align it with changes in the business and engineering curricula both at Drexel and across the country, particularly by adding an emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship. He developed and co-taught a Six Sigma quality implementation course in the MBA program and began a pilot program to integrate business students into College of Engineering Senior Design teams.

"The future of many engineers is in business, so having a business school within a technological university is a great advantage," said Radson. "Engineers need a solid foundation in business, and business students need a firm technological background as well. The future for our students and our economy is the successful introduction of new technological and innovative products and services into our economy."

"With my background in both fields, I'm excited to be coming to Michigan Tech," he said. "I hope to see the School of Business and Economics integrated in many areas across campus, so the scientists and engineers are better educated in business, and the business students have a better understanding of science and engineering. It’s a win-win situation."

On a personal note, Radson, a Chicago native, said he was happy to be coming back to the Midwest. "My wife grew up in Three Rivers, Mich. I met her in Ann Arbor and lived in Ann Arbor for many years, so I have an affinity toward the state. I’m happy to return to Michigan after being away for such a long time."

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.