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Gopalan steps in as interim dean for School of Business

By Chelsea Burwell

On October 9, 2013

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Suresh Gopalan, interim dean for the School of Business. wssu.edu

Following the recent resignation of Jessica Bailey, associate professor Suresh Gopalan has stepped in as interim dean for the School of Business and Economics.

Gopalan agreed to serve as interim dean, after Bailey's resignation was announced via email Sept. 11. According to the letter sent by Chancellor Donald J. Reaves, Bailey's resignation was due to her decision to pursue "long-standing professional interests." Bailey served as dean for the SBE since 2006 and will continue to work as a faculty member in the department of management and marketing, according to the letter.

Gopalan has been a faculty member at Winston-Salem State since 2004. Prior to joining the Ram family as an associate professor of management, Gopalan served as the director of the Master of Business Administration program at Columbus State University in Columbus, Ga. and department chair of management and marketing at West Texas A&M University in Canyon.

Gopalan is no stranger to administrative roles at WSSU. In 2010, he became associate dean of the SBE. He was also the director of the MBA program, department chair of management and marketing and assistant dean for graduate programs.

He has 23 years of teaching experience.

"I think every place you learn a lot, but Winston has been very memorable, not just professionally but personally for my family as well," he said.

During his tenure as interim dean, Gopalan said he wants to maintain the strength of the SBE.

"No matter how long I'm in this position, I would like to leave the school in a good, strong position for whoever is coming after me, which means that our students are doing well, the organizations are doing well and we have a good relationship with our students," he said.

The new interim dean also said that reaffirming the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation is a primary goal over the next two years.

When asked about what he anticipates graduates of the SBE to walk away with, Gopalan said he hopes for students to change the face of the economy.

"I want our students to have the skills to work in a global economy and be confident," he said.

Gopalan's teaching area is international business and cross-cultural management. He said that students departing to serve after leaving the SBE at WSSU should be "globally knowledgable and flexible."

Regarding North Carolina's economy, he said, "North Carolina is transitioning and we need to be on top of what's happening. 'Are we preparing our students for this new future?' I think this is the question that everyone should be asking."

Gopalan said, "It's an exciting time to be a Ram," and he looks forward to fulfilling his new position.