UW-Green Bay Names Mathew Dornbush New Dean of Austin E. Cofrin School of Business
Green Bay, Wis. — After a nationwide search, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Provost Greg Davis announced today that UW-Green Bay has named Matt Dornbush, Ph.D. as dean of the Austin E. Cofrin School of Business. The biologist, researcher, administrator and most recently interim dean, is just the second dean in the business school’s history.
“Matt’s incredible contributions as an interim dean, following on a strong foundation in his current role as associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and director of graduate studies, are impressive and set the stage for a successful tenure in leading our business school,” Davis shared.
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Dornbush was named interim dean in August 2018, after the retirement of the school’s inaugural dean, Douglas Hensler. Prior to that role, Dornbush served as associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and director of Graduate Studies since 2015, and was a member of the faculty in Natural and Applied Sciences since 2005.
“I have been given a truly special professional opportunity with this position; I’ve been asked to lead an emerging organization seated within a very rich sea,” Dornbush said. “The Austin E. Cofrin School of Business is only a few years old, our offices are filled with talented, dedicated faculty, we have a growing graduate and undergraduate student body composed of hardworking students engrained with the entrepreneurial spirit that has made Northeast Wisconsin such a great place to live and work. When you couple these internal assets with the rich business environments in all four of our campus locations in Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Marinette, and of course, Green Bay, and our emerging partnerships with organizations like TitleTown Tech, it’s clear that for those students seeking a high impact, experiential business education, the Austin E. Cofrin School of Business is the place to be. I couldn’t be more excited about what lies ahead for this School, our students, our faculty, and the communities we serve.”
According to Davis, Dornbush played a key role in reinvigorating and leading the Univerisity’s Graduate Studies program. Four years ago, the campus was on the verge of losing its Carnegie classification as a master’s degree-granting institution because of low enrollment. Today, UW-Green Bay annually awards close to 200 master’s degrees and is on cusp of being recognized as a “large” master’s granting institution.
“Matt has a record of mission-focused, forward-looking leadership at every position he’s held at
UW-Green Bay, including the interim dean position in the Austin E Cofrin School of Business,” added Chancellor Gary L. Miller. “As a distinguished biologist, he is a unique fit for this position, but he has proven to be capable in creating collaborations all over the University with the School of Business. The University and the region’s business community are set up for long-term success with Dean Matt Dornbush.”
Dornbush received his B.A. from Augustana College (Rock Island, Ill.), and his M.S. and Ph.D. from Iowa State University (Ames, Iowa) before joining UW-Green Bay in 2005. Dornbush brings a strong record of scholarly production, with more than $1 million dollars in external grant awards, numerous publications and more than 670 citations to his scholarly writings. In his role as associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and director of graduate studies, he had responsibility for budgeting, extramural granting, faculty professional development and graduate programing. He has had significant community engagement responsibilities throughout his time as associate vice chancellor.
The dean of the Austin E. Cofrin School of Business provides academic and administrative leadership for and oversight over all School of Business programs. The Austin E. Cofrin School of Business is a community of teachers, scholars and learners dedicated to advancing the economic prosperity and entrepreneurial spirit of Northeast Wisconsin through partnership, impactful research, and quality educational programing. Dornbush is expected to lead the Austin E. Cofrin School of Business through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation process and an internal reorganization. The School is expected to grow significantly as its academic programs and scholarship align with key economic and business sectors of Northeast Wisconsin. The dean will develop a vigorous program of external networking with business including establishing partnerships to connect the Cofrin School of Business to the local and regional economy.
About the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a comprehensive public institution offering undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs to nearly 8,000 students with campus locations in Green Bay, Marinette, Manitowoc and Sheboygan. Established in 1965 on the border of Green Bay, the University and its campuses are centers of cultural enrichment, innovation and learning. The Green Bay campus is home to one of the Midwest’s most prolific performing arts centers, a nationally recognized 4,000-seat student recreation center, D-I athletics, an award-winning nine-hole golf course and a five-mile recreational trail and arboretum, which is free and open to the public. This four-campus University transforms lives and communities through student-focused teaching and research, innovative learning opportunities, powerful connections and a problem-solving approach to education. UW-Green Bay’s main campus is centrally located, close to both the Door County resort area and the dynamic economies of Northeast Wisconsin, the Fox Valley region and the I-43 corridor. UW-Green Bay offers in-demand programs in science, engineering and technology; business; health, education and social welfare; and arts, humanities and social sciences. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.
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