by Laura Dudnick
The first woman to lead the University of San Francisco’s School of Management as dean in the school’s 90-year history was appointed earlier this month.
Elizabeth B. Davis, Ph.D., a former CEO, is currently Dean of the College of Business and Professor of Management at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. Her new position, in which she will be the chief academic, fiscal and administrative officer of the School of Management, is effective Aug. 1.
“I am excited to carry forward the strong tradition that USF’s School of Management has established in the heart of a city known for its innovative, entrepreneurial, and global business climate,” Davis said in a statement.
“I’m eager to begin working with an exceptional faculty to deliver a challenging curriculum that prepares students to succeed in today’s marketplaces,” she said.
Prior to New Haven, Davis spent 12 years at George Washington University where she served as an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Organizational Sciences and Communication, and Director of the Women’s Leadership Institute.
Davis previously was CEO and Chief Operating Officer of the National Disease Research Interchange, a non-profit biomedical research and technology firm in Philadelphia. She earned her B.A. from Columbia University and received her Ph.D. from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in Social Systems Sciences.
“As a former CEO of a biotech firm, an accomplished scholar, and successful dean, Dr. Davis will be a great asset to USF,” USF Provost Jennifer Turpin said in a statement. “She brings an abundance of knowledge and a straightforward, upbeat, and inclusive leadership style. She will lead the School of Management to the next level of excellence.”
As dean of the School of Management, Davis will lead and manage the operation of the school, including recruitment of faculty and staff, curriculum development, communications, and budget management. She will oversee approximately 100 full-time faculty members, more than 94 adjunct faculty, 54 staff members, and an operating budget of nearly $26 million.
The USF School of Management began in 1924, and offers undergraduate and graduate programs at USF’s Hilltop and Downtown campuses in San Francisco, branch campuses in Pleasanton, Sacramento, San Jose and Santa Rosa, as well as online. For more information about the School of Management, visit www.usfca.edu/management.