NASHVILLE, Tenn. – William Christie, who has served as the dean of
Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management since 2000, will step
down from his position on June 1, Provost and Vice Chancellor for
Academic Affairs Nicholas Zeppos announced. Following a planned
research leave, Christie will return to the faculty as the Frances
Hampton Currey Chair in Finance.
Jim Bradford, associate dean of
corporate relations, will serve as acting dean following Christie’s
departure. Zeppos added that he will soon appoint a search committee.
"I
am deeply grateful to Bill for his dedicated and loyal service to Owen
as dean," Zeppos said. "He has provided excellent leadership to the
Owen School during a turbulent economy that has affected business
education across the country. Vanderbilt has been well served by his
tenure, and we look forward to his continued teaching and scholarship."
Christie
joined the Owen School faculty in 1989 and served as associate dean for
faculty development before his appointment as dean. A nationally
recognized teacher and researcher, he co-authored a study that led to a
fundamental change in the way NASDAQ stocks are traded. In the past
decade Christie also has been recognized repeatedly by Business Week as
one of the top professors in business education and has won numerous
awards at Vanderbilt for teaching excellence. During his tenure as
dean, the Owen School began a number of new initiatives, including a
revised curriculum, enhanced executive education programs and e-Lab,
the country’s first research center devoted to Internet marketing.
An
experienced corporate executive and Vanderbilt Law School graduate,
Bradford previously served as president and CEO of AFG Industries,
Inc., North America’s largest vertically integrated glass manufacturing
and fabrication company. He also served as president and CEO of United
Glass Corporation and practiced law for 11 years. He returned to
Vanderbilt in 2002 as clinical professor of management and was named
associate dean later that year.
"I have great confidence in Jim
to continue driving our goals of building a distinctive and outstanding
school that educates leaders in the setting of a great research
university and, second, to develop strategic initiatives within
Vanderbilt and with the broader business world," Zeppos said.
For
more information about Vanderbilt, please visit the News Service
homepage at www.vanderbilt.edu/News. More information on the Owen
School can be found at www.mba.vanderbilt.edu.
Media contact: Susanne Hicks, (615) 322-NEWS
Susanne.hicks@vanderbilt.edu