The Exchange: Dean’s Message June 2024

June 14, 2024
Jeff Guan, interim dean, in front of the Big Red statue

Dear Colleagues and Friends of the UofL College of Business,

The serene and peaceful summer on campus offers a perfect opportunity to reflect on our achievements from the past academic year and to prepare for the upcoming one. I’d like to share some of the highlights from this past year. 

Highlights 

The Finance Department successfully launched our commercial Real Estate Minor program (with generous support from LDG Development).  

The Marketing Department launched two new programs, the Sales Certificate and the Multi-Cultural Marketing Minor.  

Our continuous effort for academic innovation and commitment to excellence has been reflected in the 2024 national rankings of our programs. According to US News & World Report, the College’s Online Undergraduate Business Programs are ranked #17 in the nation; the Online MBA Program ranked #26 for veterans and ranked #42 overall. Our Innovation MBA continues to be ranked in the top 40 (#39) by Princeton Review and #6 in the South.  

The Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence has received nearly $1 million from Yum! Brands to develop and implement executive leadership training for future franchise leaders. 

Our faculty have had an exceptionally productive year of research. Notably, Dr. Manju Ahuja (Information Systems), Dr. Per Fredriksson (Economics), Dr. Jim Fiet (Entrepreneurship), and Dr. Mahesh Gupta (Operations Management) have all been recognized on Stanford University’s Top 2% Most Cited Scientist List for the impact of their research. Additionally, Dr. Isabel Botero is ranked #8 globally in family business research, and our College of Business is ranked #36 in this field. Our annual CLIK conference on consumer behavior, co-sponsored by Doe-Anderson, was another great success. I look forward to sharing many more of our achievements. 

Strategy 

Looking forward, I am happy to report that our strategy to focus on enrollment and student success will continue to pay dividends. New College of Business students and their families in the summer freshmen orientation sessions are among the most engaged we have ever seen. We will continue to provide updates as we move into the fall semester. 

AI in the classroom 

I would like to focus on an important area for the College in the coming year: integration of AI into our business curricula. We have created an AI concentration in our very popular Master of Science in Business Analytics program; the College designed and successfully taught an AI application class in our MBA programs for the first time in the spring. In the fall the Marketing Department will launch a new class called AI in the Marketplace. Plans are underway to revamp our popular Managerial Analytics Graduate Certificate to incorporate more AI content. 

Our faculty are also incorporating AI into their classes. For example, Dr. Kathy Gosser is planning to have her students use AI to create a negotiation strategy in her Negotiation class.  

The College has established an AI Lab where students will work on real business AI projects for local businesses. Recent evidence suggests adoption of AI has increased dramatically and has started to show value. I am glad to say a clear strategy for AI adoption is emerging for us and we are adopting AI before it becomes an expectation.  

Proud of our students

Technology has always been an integral part of our business curricula. I believe business school is where business and technology collide. Therefore, it is appropriate for me to close the letter with the great news that yet again a College of Business student, Allison Nichols, is this year’s Kentucky Champion in the Microsoft Specialist Competition. She represented Kentucky in the national competition in Orlando in June and placed 10th in the nation. Allie, we are very proud of you! 

Have a great summer. 

Jeff Guan, PhD, Interim Dean
College of Business, University of Louisville

About the UofL College of Business:

Founded in 1953, the UofL College of Business fosters intellectual and economic vitality in our city, region, and the global business landscape. Our academic programs, research, community outreach initiatives, and commitment to student success inspire lives and businesses to flourish through entrepreneurship, innovation, critical thinking, diversity, and the power of people.

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