New dean of Eberly College of Business selected

IUP has selected Stephen Ferris to serve as the dean of the Eberly College of Business after conducting a nationwide search.

Ferris will be leaving his current position as dean of the Miller College of Business at Ball State University, located in the state of Indiana. Ferris officially becomes dean on July 1.

Before working at Ball State University, Ferris was dean of the College of Business at the University of Colorado. He also worked at the University of Missouri for 25 years, even serving as the interim dean of the Trulaske College of Business there.

Ferris has also served as director of the Financial Research Institute and has held administrative positions at U of Missouri as senior associate dean for research and graduate studies. He also served chair of their finance department. He started his academic career as a finance professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Many members of the IUP faculty have commended him for his experience and are looking forward to having him on board.

“Dr. Ferris will be a great addition to IUP’s administrative team,” IUP Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Lara Luetkehans said. “He’s a seasoned academic leader with a focus on student success and innovation in academic programming.”

In his work as dean at other schools, Ferris has created new learning programs for students. His programs have focused on leadership training, career mentoring and finding internships for students. He also developed alternative methods to assess faculty and new policies for mentoring when he was creating a strategic plan for college diversity and inclusive excellence initiatives.

According to a press release issued by the university, Ferris also “has experience in the creation of new academic curricula to meet student and employer needs, with an emphasis on the regional workforce development.”

Despite having built most of his academic career in Missouri, Colorado, Indiana and Virginia, Farris is not unfamiliar with western Pennsylvania. Farris was born and raised in Kittanning, just 36 miles northeast of Pittsburgh and 38 minutes from Indiana. He earned his Ph.D. in finance and his MBA, from the University of Pittsburgh, and earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and French from Duquesne University; both of which located in the city of Pittsburgh.

“I am excited about returning home to western Pennsylvania and becoming part of the IUP community,” Ferris said. “I am eager to join President Driscoll and Provost Luetkehans in their vision of creating a transformational experience for our students while meeting the educational needs of the commonwealth.”

Other relevant experience including being the editor of several academic journals including The Journal of Multinational Financial Management and The Finance Review.  He has published many articles in the areas of international business, corporate finance, law and strategic management.

According to a press release issued by IUP, “his articles on logistics and defense strategy have appeared in various security, military, and transportation related publications.”

We at The Penn extend our welcome to Farris and wish him the best of luck at his new position as the dean of the Eberly College of Businesss.