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Dr. Altaf Merchant named Dean of the Milgard School of Business
Dr. Altaf Merchant has been appointed as the Gary E. and James A. Milgard Endowed Dean of the Milgard School of Business (MSB).
Dr. Merchant is a familiar presence in the corridors of MSB. He has been serving on the faculty since his arrival at UW Tacoma in 2008, having been promoted twice to his current rank of Professor. Since 2019, he has served as Interim Dean of the Milgard School.
Altaf has a notable academic record as a pioneer in research on the role of nostalgia in advertising (“Merchant of Nostalgia” UW Tacoma’s story from 2019). He has published more than 28 peer-reviewed articles and made more than 60 scholarly presentations around the world. He is associate editor of the Journal of Advertising Research. He serves on the boards of Tacoma’s Sound Credit Union and the Museum of Glass.
He grew up in Mumbai, India, and immigrated to the U.S. after getting his MBA from the University of Mumbai. He received his Ph.D. from Old Dominion University in Virginia. Before entering academia, Dr. Merchant was a brand/marketing manager for more than a decade, launching products and campaigns internationally in Asia, Europe and Africa for brands such as Lysol, Aquafresh and Sara Lee.
Advisory Administrative Review Committee
- Sharon Fought, Dean, School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership (co-chair)
- Tracy Thompson, Associate Professor, Milgard School of Business (co-chair)
- Mohamed Ali, Professor, School of Engineering and Technology
- Richard Bennion, Milgard Executive Council
- Drew Dunstan, Milgard Undergraduate Student and ASUWT Director of Finance
- Aaron Hastings, Associate Teaching Professor, Milgard School of Business
- Lisa Hoffman, Professor, School of Urban Studies
- Leslie Kinkade, Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement, UW Tacoma
- Larry Kopp, Chair, Milgard Executive Council
- Annemarie Martin, Academic Advisor, Milgard School of Business
- Divya McMillin, Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Global Engagement
- Ston Nguyen, Milgard Graduate Student and President of the MBA Association
- Luna Zhang, Assistant Professor, Milgard School of Business
Milgard Adminstrative Review Committee Charge Letter - September 24, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
UW Tacoma is conducting an administrative review of the current Interim Dean of the Milgard School of Business, Dr. Altaf Merchant, to assess his qualifications for the role of Dean. Thank you for agreeing to serve on this review committee, which will make a recommendation to the Chancellor and me regarding the Dean appointment. As you can see, the committee is composed of outstanding individuals from the University and the community with a wide range of expertise. Dean Sharon Fought and Faculty Council Chair Tracy Thompson have agreed to co-chair the committee.
The process for conducting an administrative review is as follows:
- Review the job description for the Dean position and recommend any amendments.
- Evaluate the qualifications of the current Interim Dean based on his current CV and personal statement, which will include a statement on commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Conduct an interview process that allows stakeholders to share their expectations for the School and allows Dr. Merchant to share his vision for the School. The interview process should include a public presentation and discussion opportunities with key stakeholder groups. While it is UW Tacoma’s preference to conduct interviews in person, the COVID-19 pandemic requires that this interview process will be conducted via Zoom.
- Incorporate feedback from all stakeholders into your deliberations. Academic Affairs will collect feedback from interview participants via its website on behalf of the Committee.
I will discuss the process and the requirements for the position with the Committee at its first meeting. Please note that Washington laws and UW policies require that confidentiality of private information is maintained. UW Tacoma’s Director of Academic Personnel, Casey Byrne, will participate in Committee meetings as process advisor and guide the Committee as to applicable laws, rules, policies and best practices.
At the conclusion of the Committee’s review, the Co-Chairs will provide me with a written summary of the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses and your recommendation regarding his appointment as Dean. Should the current Interim Dean be recommended as Dean, the committee’s feedback will guide the EVCAA’s decision regarding the timing of the Dean’s next required administrative review.
The Co-chairs will be in touch soon with information regarding the committee’s first meeting. Thank you very much for accepting this important assignment.
Sincerely,
Jill Purdy
Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Professor, Milgard School of Business
cc: Casey Byrne, Director of Academic Personnel, UW Tacoma
Cheryl Cameron, Vice Provost for Academic Human Resources
Mark Pagano, Chancellor, UW Tacoma
Documents
Milgard Adminstrative Review Committee Charge Letter
