Baldwin Chosen as CBEC Dean
University of Wisconsin-Parkside Provost Dr. Fred Ebeid announced the appointment of Dr. Dirk Baldwin as dean of the university's College of Business, Economics, and Computing. Dr. Baldwin previously served as interim dean. He assumed those responsibilities when Dr. Ebeid, former dean of the college, was named interim provost.
"For almost 20 years, Dr. Baldwin has been an enthusiastic and innovative member of the UW-Parkside faculty," Ebeid said. "Throughout his career, he has gladly accepted new responsibilities. He continues to expand and enrich the educational offerings and community connections associated with the college and the university."
Dr. Baldwin earned his undergraduate degree with a major in business administration at the University of Texas at Austin, and a master's of science in business administration and a doctor of philosophy in business administration at Texas Tech University. In the mid-90s, Dr. Baldwin returned to Texas Tech as a visiting professor teaching information systems and quantitative sciences.
In addition to his duties as interim dean, Dr. Baldwin is an associate professor of management information systems (MIS). He teaches classes in database-management systems, project management, enterprise systems and business-process improvement, and frequently uses community-based learning as part of the course curriculum. In 2007 and 2008, he served as faculty director of community-based learning and research for the UW-Parkside Center for Community Partnerships.
Dr. Baldwin's research interests include the design of multiple-view systems and decisions-support systems. He is interested in industry change as a result of information technology, project management, and the use of virtual worlds.
As a consultant, Dr. Baldwin developed database applications and web-based information systems for several organizations including nonprofits, small businesses and large corporations. He is published in journals such as the Journal of MIS and IEEE Transactions on System, Man, and Cybernetics, and has written books on MS Access.
Honored in 2004 for teaching, research and service interactions with the community, he was named Wisconsin Idea Fellow by the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. Dr. Baldwin received the 2008-09 UW-Parkside Community-Engaged Learning and Research Award, and the 2008-09 UW-Parkside Faculty Distinguished Service Award.
"The college is committed to teaching excellence, scholarly research, and public service. At the same time, we maintain a focus of excellence that keeps our students firmly in mind," Baldwin said. "The successful companies and organizations of the future will be those that constantly reinvent themselves and maintain global awareness. For that reason, our students commit to life-long learning, openness to change, innovation, and multicultural understanding.
"As dean of a college that offers highly prepared graduates employability in a variety of exciting and rewarding careers, I am eager to work closely with faculty and staff to ensure that our educational offerings remain relevant and accessible."
During Dr. Baldwin's time as interim dean, the college launched the App Factory and a makerspace supported with a grant from AT&T. The App Factory brings together students and faculty to develop mobile-app technology for regional businesses and organizations. The makerspace is a community work space that encourages collaboration, idea sharing and creativity among students from various academic disciplines with common interests, often in computers, technology and science.
In the Business Department, which is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB), the Executive-in-Residence program connects students with top business leaders each semester. The sales certificate program, one of just two certified by the Sales Education Foundation in Wisconsin and one of 62 worldwide, has given students the opportunity to participate in sales competitions throughout the U.S. In 2013 a team of sales students won the National Team Sales Competition held at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. UW-Parkside students have earned 26 sales-competition awards in the past five years.
The Ralph Jaeschke Solutions for Economic Growth Center worked on more than 80 projects for 70 Midwest clients during the 2013-14 academic year, bringing student and faculty expertise to address marketing, operational and IT challenges for regional businesses and nonprofit organizations.
New partnerships with Gateway Technical College in southeastern Wisconsin and the College of Lake County in northeastern Illinois offer clear pathways for students pursuing a four-year business degree.