Dean candidates for Towson’s College of Business and Economics give presentations to campus

By Victoria Rivera, Contributing Writer and Natasha Salganik, Contributing Writer

Towson University held open forums for its four College of Business and Economics dean candidates in mid March. Each presented on their qualifications and plans for Towson’s business college should they be chosen and responded to questions from attendees.

Towson will announce the selected candidate to campus in an email after the search committee makes its selection. 

Somnath Bhattacharya, PhD:

Somnath Bhattacharya is the current dean for the College of Business and Management at University of Illinois Springfield. Before becoming dean in 2019 he also served as dean of the School of Business at St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida for four years and has taught at several universities.

“My experience and background are well suited to the CBE and by that I mean that most of the things that I’m going to be talking about, I already do at my current college of business,” Bhattacharya said. “Here in Baltimore and then with proximity to DC and with proximity to Philadelphia, I believe that I can take some of those ideas and ramp them up.”

At the University of Illinois Bhattacharya made internships mandatory for his students.

“You know, the internships open doors, open opportunities for them that they otherwise never would have discovered,” Bhattacharya said.

Bhattacharya also mentioned possibly working with schools abroad, implementing dual degree programs, ramping up certificates and sending students to competitions. It’s part of a larger goal to get students into the surrounding Baltimore area and ultimately around the globe.

Prabakar Kothandaraman, PhD:

Prabakar Kothandaraman has spent the last six years serving as dean at the School of Business at the State University of New York at Oswego, also known as SUNY. 

At SUNY Oswego, Kothandaraman oversaw the university’s MBA cohort, created an executive fellowship at the university with the intent of retaining faculty of color and created a center for expanding student-run projects. He also served as the executive director of the Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales.

“I don’t believe in sitting in my office and expecting miracles to happen, I go to the field,” Kothandaraman said.

If he became dean, Kothandaraman said he would prioritize research advancement, student success and community integration at the CBE.

Kothandaraman said that he appreciates Towson’s commitment to centering the needs of the students.  

“You meet the students where they are, and you do a great a job—that’s reflected in the numbers like retention and four-year graduation rates and six-year graduation rates,” Kothandaraman said. “I think Towson has found a sweet spot and that really excites me.”

Stephen Standifird, PhD:

Stephen Standifird previously served as the president of Bradley University for four years. Before his time at Bradley he was dean at the Lacy School of Business and taught strategic management at the University of San Diego.

During his presentation to mostly faculty and staff, he said his biggest priority is students. He talked about a model called the Upside Down Org Chart, which emphasizes placing those whom an organization serves at the top of the organization’s priorities. 

“We should be thinking every meeting about, ‘what are we doing to maximize the experience for our students?’” Standifird said. “And a lot of that is just going to be making sure that it always remains a priority in our conversations.”

Standifird put emphasis on stepping outside of his office to make decisions with the community, rather than for the community. He was drawn to Towson for the student success rates, academic mix and a desire to improve certificate programs. 

“Students who traditionally came from underrepresented groups are increasingly showing up in the student population,” Standifird said. “I get excited about being a part of that.”

Michelle Trawick, PhD:

Michelle Trawick served as the dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Nebraska Omaha, also known as UNO for nearly five years while teaching economics.

While at UNO, Trawick oversaw an increase in enrollment at the College of Business Administration and created a taskforce for inclusion.

Trawick also worked at Western Kentucky University for 20 years, making her way up from teaching to becoming associate dean for Faculty and Administration. She also temporarily served as associate provost for Faculty and Academic Excellence.

Trawick’s roles have shaped her leadership style and her decision to apply to Towson. 

“I am driven and I am diligent,” Trawick said. “I am still pursuing these roles because of my passion, and I am committed to getting the job done.”

Trawick applied for Towson’s dean position because of the college’s alignment with quality and developing professionals, not just graduates.

“I am a values-based leader,” Trawick said. “There are several of those values that [Towson] hits. So, I applied for this job.”

Related