• Connecting the business school to the business community: “A business school cannot be a business school without connection in the business world.”

• Applied research: “[Conduct] research that applies real problems in our community, the real problems of our city, the real problems of our region and do the analysis to help them make decisions.”

• Leading by example: “If I’m your dean, I believe I’m your dean to help you be successful. By helping you be successful, I’m helping the program and the school be successful. In order to do that, I need to be a positive role model, and I have to lead by example.”

• Relationships with faculty: “I try to get to know my faculty in particular. If I know what the strengths of my faculty are and what their expertise is in, so if I’m out in the corporate world, we can get them hooked up with the appropriate people,” he said. “It will improve their teaching and improve their research.”