Schwager Named College of Business Dean

Dr. Paul Schwager, the new dean of the COB

East Carolina University has named Dr. Paul Schwager as its sixth dean of the College of Business. The appointment was approved by the ECU Board of Trustees during a special meeting today and begins July 1, 2019.

Schwager has served as the college’s interim dean since the summer of 2018, when former dean Dr. Stanley Eakins returned to the faculty as a professor of finance.

Provost Ron Mitchelson said Schwager is the ideal choice to continue growing the university’s College of Business, which is one of the largest in North Carolina and is home to the state’s first named school of entrepreneurship.

“I am so very pleased that Dr. Paul Schwager has accepted this opportunity to lead at ECU. He possesses a rare combination of local intelligence and national identity,” said Mitchelson. “Paul’s deep understanding of, and commitment to, ECU’s mission of student success and regional transformation will serve the institution and the East very well indeed. I see nothing but a bright future for our College of Business under Dr. Schwager’s guidance.”

CarterBaldwin conducted the national search, which included campus visits with three finalists.

“ECU’s business school has enjoyed extraordinary growth over the years and its graduates and their employers often speak to the great work that happens there every day,” said Chancellor Cecil Staton. “Paul Schwager is a highly respected leader on the ECU team, and his track record and well-established leadership skills make me fully confident that he will take this program to an even higher level.”

Schwager joined ECU in 2003 as a faculty member in management information systems. In 2009, he was named assistant dean for assessment, accreditation and curriculum. A year later, Schwager was named associate dean, where he served as the second-rank administrator and member of the COB’s executive leadership team.

During his tenure at ECU, Schwager has leveraged his research that focuses on the strategic use of information technology. He created and enhanced COB’s organizational capabilities as they pertain to strategic planning, resource alignment, e-commerce, internet-mediated relationships and branding. Schwager has served on more than 30 campuswide committees and task forces.

As the new dean, Schwager will also serve as the W. Howard Rooks distinguished professor, which was established to provide additional support for the COB dean.

“With more than 28,000 alumni nationwide, the College of Business has a foundation that is as strong as any college of business in the state,” said Schwager. “I want to engage the COB’s alumni and its supporters so we can continue building on our foundation and guiding tomorrow’s leaders through their college experiences.”

Schwager earned his undergraduate degree in business administration from Palm Beach Atlantic University, his MBA from Florida Atlantic University and his doctorate from Auburn University. He has published more than 30 journal articles and conference proceedings. Professionally, he’s an active member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, where he previously served as chair of the associate deans affinity group. He also is currently chairing AACSB’s volunteer advisory group, an international group that assists with the reviewing and revising of strategies for volunteer engagement, training, deployment and recognition.

ECU’s College of Business enrolls approximately 4,200 business undergraduate and 900 graduate students and has almost 200 faculty and staff members.

“The students and the people of ECU and the College of Business are why I’m here,” said Schwager. “I look forward to working with the entire COB and university to ensure we can make an impact on the individual and eastern North Carolina.”

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About the college: ECU’s College of Business offers a Bachelor of Science in business administration with 10 concentrations and a Bachelor of Science in hospitality management with three concentrations. Graduate programs include a Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science in accounting, Master of Science in sustainable tourism and hospitality and an accelerated Doctor of Medicine and MBA program. Also, 13 graduate certificates are available.

About the university: East Carolina University, or ECU as it’s best known, offers 84 bachelor’s, 71 master’s and 18 doctoral degrees to nearly 29,000 students on its Greenville, North Carolina, campus and through an acclaimed online learning program. The university’s school of medicine is recognized nationally for producing primary care physicians, cardiovascular research, advanced robotic surgery as well as obesity and diabetes breakthroughs. ECU also boasts the largest business school enrollment and largest number of new nurses and education professionals produced by a four-year North Carolina university, in addition to the largest studio art program in the state.

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