MU Provost Announces Business College Dean

Appointment is effective Sept. 1

May 24th, 2010

COLUMBIA, Mo. ­— University of Missouri Provost Brian Foster announced today the appointment of Joan Gabel as the new dean of the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business. Previously, Gabel served as a Desantis Professor and chair of the Department of Risk Management/Insurance, Real Estate & Business Law at the Florida State University (FSU) College of Business. She also is Director of International Relations for the College of Business at FSU. The appointment is effective Sept. 1.

“We’re very fortunate to have attracted Joan Gabel to serve as our business dean,” Foster said. “Her experience in the field of international business and her background in the legal field will add a unique perspective to our educational atmosphere in Cornell Hall. We’re looking forward to working with her as we continue to prepare students to face the ever-changing dynamics of the business world.”

Gabel joined Florida State University in 2007 after serving on the faculty of the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University for 11 years. At Georgia State, she was interim director of the Institute of International Business and faculty director of the Atlanta Compliance and Ethics Roundtable.  As chair for the Department of Risk Management, Real Estate and Business Law at FSU, Gabel oversaw two undergraduate majors, core courses in both the undergraduate and graduate curriculum, a specialization within the MBA program, and a specialized masters program in risk management. Two of the department’s core areas are ranked nationally and the department houses three separate Centers of Excellence.

Gabel currently teaches legal and ethical business classes on the undergraduate and graduate levels and also leads graduate global business seminars in Chile and Australia. She also has taught in Italy, France and Egypt. Her research interests include corporate governance and employment law issues, and she has been published in The American Business Law Journal and The Journal of Business Ethics.

“I’m honored to join the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business,” Gabel said. “I am humbled to be among such an excellent faculty with a world-class reputation for research and teaching in a student-centered environment. As we move forward, I anticipate facilitating and furthering the strong relationships the college has across campus, in Columbia, throughout the state of Missouri and around the world. The college’s past successes create an ideal environment for us to build upon those relationships so that together, we can continue to attract top students and help them develop into global business leaders and scholars.”

She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Charles M. Hewitt Teaching Award, the Kay Duffy Service Award and the Bunche, Kemper and Holmes-Cardozo Awards for Excellence in Research. Her work also has been placed on the National Law Journal’s “Worth Reading” list. Gabel has served as editor-in-chief of The American Business Law Journal and the Journal of Legal Studies in Business. She received her bachelor’s degree from Haverford College and her juris doctorate from the University of Georgia.

Gabel will replace Bruce Walker, who announced his resignation in October 2009. Walker had been dean of the College of Business since 1990.