Dr. Assad A. Tavakoli, Dean of the Fayetteville State University School of Business and Economics since 2007, has been appointed as the W. T. Brown Distinguished Professor of Economics in the School of Business and Economics (SBE), effective August 1, 2015.
Since joining FSU as an Assistant Professor in 1983, Dr. Tavakoli has made numerous contributions to the School. He guided the efforts of the FSU School of Business to obtain its initial accreditation and reaffirmation with the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Only one-third of schools of business in the world are so accredited. One of his most significant contributions was his leadership of the MBA degree program for which he served as director for 20 years, 1987-2007. He was instrumental in the program’s launch and progression that have resulted in the MBA program being recognized in recent years as one of the top 100 online programs in the nation and in the top 5 in North Carolina. The School of Business under his leadership was recently ranked by the Social Sciences Research Network (SSRN) as 58th in the country.
Under Dr. Tavakoli’s leadership, the School has significantly increased both fundraising and externally funded research. In addition, he is a well-recognized scholar who has published 36 articles in international and national refereed journals and proceedings in business.
Describing Dean Tavakoli as “a driving force of FSU’s progress for more than three decades,” Chancellor James A. Anderson said, “FSU’s School of Business has achieved national acclaim due to the concerted efforts of the dean’s leadership, commitment, and unswerving passion for excellence.”
“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Dr. Tavakoli,” stated Dr. Jon Young, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. “After such an illustrious career and years of service, we are delighted that he will remain an asset to the university and community as the W. T. Brown Distinguished Professor of Economics.”
Dr. Young also stated that Dr. Pamela Jackson, Associate Dean of the School of Business and Economics, will serve as Interim Dean while the university conducts a search to fill the position on a permanent basis. In her role as Assistant/Associate Dean for eight years, Dr. Jackson has led the School’s accreditation and assessment initiatives and its economic transformation and community outreach efforts. She has also been Principal or Co-Principal Investigator on six funded grant proposals.
FSU is a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina and the second-oldest public institution of higher education in the state. FSU offers nearly 60 degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. With more than 6,000 students, Fayetteville State University is among the most diverse institutions in the nation.
For more information, call (910) 672-1474.