For Immediate Release
Kelley School of Business Dean Daniel C. Smith and Associate Dean for Indianapolis Operations Philip L. Cochran announced today two leadership appointments that will drive the school’s graduate business programs.
Steven L. Jones, associate professor of finance, will serve as the Evening MBA program chair, and Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management Vicki Smith-Daniels will assume a new position as emerging graduate programs chair.
Jones is intimately familiar with the duties and responsibilities of his appointment, as he served as the program’s chair for six years from 2000 to 2005. During his tenure, Jones created the successful Evening MBA Enterprise program to provide MBA students with real-world consulting opportunities in the areas of entrepreneurship, finance and supply chain management.
Moving forward, Jones, who holds a Ph.D. from Purdue University, will concentrate on enhancing and expanding the Evening MBA’s partnerships with small businesses and global corporations alike.
“I developed the Enterprise program because I like the practical aspect of working with companies who can benefit from the experience and knowledge of our students and faculty,” said Jones. “I look forward to engaging new companies and strengthening for our students the valuable link between classroom study and real-world business.”
A health-care supply chain expert, Smith-Daniels joined the Kelley School faculty earlier this year. She spent two decades at Arizona State University, where she served as a department chair, center director and faculty coordinator. As Kelley’s emerging graduate programs chair, Smith-Daniels will explore new opportunities in the graduate education market, including programs to leverage the region’s strengths in health care, life sciences, information technology, supply chain and other emerging business areas.
“Central Indiana has a significant health and life sciences industry, and the Kelley School is well-positioned to offer leading-edge graduate programs to address future business and management challenges in this dynamic industry,” said Smith-Daniels, who received her Ph.D. from Ohio State University.
Kelley’s new structure for graduate business education in Indianapolis addresses a rapidly evolving market for graduate programs and increasing demands for employees with new skills, new knowledge and practical management experience.
“The competitive, global business environment—coupled with today’s complex economic conditions—requires business leaders to find new ways to think creatively about customers, employees and financial models. We believe a renewed focus on our graduate business programs will help our students become even more agile and to anticipate company needs,” said Cochran.
For more information, please contact Brenda Bishop, associate director for communications and marketing, at 317-274-5483 or bbishop@iupui.edu.