Business First

New dean already knows his way around Holman Hall

Brian J. Reithel, who has 14 years of experience as a teacher and leader at Ole Miss, has been named dean of the School of Business Administration.

The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning approved his appointment beginning April 1, 2005. Reithel, 42, a professor of management information systems, moves from his post as interim dean of the business school, a position he held since July 2003. He came to UM in 1991 as an assistant professor of management information systems.

“Dr. Reithel has a distinguished career in teaching, research and as an administrator,” says Chancellor Robert Khayat. “He played a key role in the success of the Commitment to Excellence Campaign that included the construction of Holman Hall. He was a member of the team that planned the installation of state-of-the-art information technology equipment for the business school. During his term as interim dean he has provided strong leadership, and we are delighted that he has accepted our invitation to serve as dean.”

The first interim director of UM’s Lott Leadership Institute and the co-director of the university’s phenomenal Commitment to Excellence Campaign, which drew more than $525.9 million in gifts and pledges, Reithel becomes the 10th dean to lead the UM business school, which first opened its doors in 1917. The school reached a record high enrollment last fall with more than 3,000 students, approximately one-fourth of the main campus’ student body in Oxford.

“I’m deeply honored to be part of the leadership team of this amazing business school” says Reithel. “With the support of our outstanding faculty, I’m confident that we will continue to move the school forward by providing outstanding opportunities for our business students and offering valuable support through research and service to the business community.”

Reithel heads a school on the rise. Through the 1990s, the UM business school built a new complex and revamped its curriculum to integrate the latest computer and information technology into a contemporary program that emphasizes practical application. The school has an annual budget of about $8 million and 52 full-time faculty members.

Reithel is credited with providing leadership that has helped make UM’s MIS program one of the best in the Southeast. As an associate professor in 2002-03, he chaired the Department of Management Information Systems and Productions/Operation Management as part of the reorganization of the business school. He was the leader of that faculty group as the MIS/POM area coordinator from 1998-2002.

As associate vice chancellor of university relations (2001-02), Reithel helped guide UM’s comprehensive strategic planning effort and partnered with Dr. Gloria Kellum, vice chancellor for university relations, in overseeing the completion of UM’s Ford Center for the Performing Arts, a $25 million, 90,000-square-foot facility. As co-chair of the university’s Sesquicentennial Celebration (1995-1998), he was instrumental in advancing the goals of the effort through expansive community outreach.

Reithel, a New Mexico native, received his doctoral and master’s degrees from Texas Tech University and his bachelor’s degree in business from Eastern New Mexico University.

He was named 2005 Mississippian of the Year by the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP), one of the oldest and largest associations for IT professionals. He also previously received the group’s inaugural Faculty Advisor of the Year Award, and he is AITP’s current national president.

“His reputation for excellence is recognized throughout our industry,” says Cindy Niemeyer, president of the Jackson AITP chapter. “The high number of MIS and business school graduates who practice his high standards, both professionally and personally, is a tribute to his mentorship. He continually challenges students to stretch their abilities.”

Reithel also served three years as president of the Foundation for IT Education. His other honors include the School of Business Outstanding Teacher Award, the School of Business Favorite Teacher Award and the prestigious statewide “Top 40 Under 40” emerging business leaders award from the Mississippi Business Journal (2003).