Robins School narrows search, ranked by BusinessWeek

Following a No. 15 ranking from BusinessWeek magazine, the Robins School of Business has narrowed its search to replace the dean who presided over the school when it achieved its highest ranking in 2009.

The position has been occupied by interim dean Robert M. Schmidt since July 1, 2009, after former dean Jorge Haddock stepped down to become dean of the George Mason University School of Management. During Haddock's final year as dean, BusinessWeek ranked the Robins School as the No. 12 program in the country.

According to provost Steve Allred, the three finalists for the dean's position are Urton Anderson, chairman of the accounting department at the University of Texas; Nancy Bagranoff, dean of the College of Business and Public Administration at Old Dominion University and current President of the American Accounting Association; and John Sawyer, associate provost for professional education at the University of Delaware.

The three finalists will visit campus during late March and early April to meet with faculty, staff and students.

The new dean will oversee a school that has maintained a position inside the top-25 undergraduate program rankings since BusinessWeek first published the list in 2006.

This year's ranking of the Robins School, announced yesterday, includes a third-place ranking for academic quality and ninth-place ranking as an MBA feeder school. The school also received grades of A-plus for teaching quality and facilities.

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Contact staff writer Jimmy Young at jimmy.young@richmond.edu