Ellstrand, Williams Named Associate Deans of Walton College

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Alan Ellstrand and Brent Williams

Dean Matt Waller has completed his leadership team with the naming of an associate dean to lead academic programs and research and one for executive education and outreach in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.

Alan E. Ellstrand, chair of the Department of Management, is the new associate dean of academic programs and research, and Brent D. Williams, chair of the Department of Supply Chain Management, is the new associate dean for executive education and outreach.

Waller, who became dean on May 1, already had named Anne O'Leary-Kelly as senior associate dean, and she led an internal search committee for the two new associate deans.

"I'm invigorated about having Alan and Brent join Anne and me on the Dean's Leadership Team," Waller said. "All of the candidates were highly qualified and each of them would do an outstanding job, but the results of the search committee helped Anne and me make a difficult decision."

Ellstrand holds the Charles C. Fichtner Chair in Management. He received his Ph.D. from Indiana University and has an M.B.A. in strategic management from Northern Illinois University. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Illinois. His major areas of research include corporate governance, top management teams and executive leadership. He has received several awards including the University of Arkansas Alumni Association Award for Teaching and Service, the Walton College Award for Outstanding Service and the Walton College Outstanding All Around Faculty Award. Prior to serving as department chair, Ellstrand was director of M.B.A. programs for the Walton College.

Williams earned a Ph.D. in Business Administration with concentration in supply chain management from the University of Arkansas, a master of transportation and logistics management degree from the Walton College and a B.A. in economics from Lyon College in Batesville. He has held faculty positions at Texas Christian University and Auburn University.  His research focuses on how retail supply chains can develop and redesign planning and execution processes to meet the demands of the changing marketplace. Williams helped develop and implement J.B. Hunt University, a program that includes online, blended and face-to-face programs designed to help J.B. Hunt employees be better supply chain management practitioners.

Additional information about changes in leadership in the Department of Management and the Department of Supply Chain Management will be provided later, Waller said.