Standing out from the crowd. - Eller College of Management ...

BRIEFINGSExceptional ContributionMcClelland Professor of Accounting Leslie Eldenburg Appointed Vice Dean.NEW FACULTY AT THE ELLER COLLEGEEller College welcomes four new faculty memebers to itsexceptional team of researchers and educators.This year, McClelland Professor ofAccounting Leslie Eldenburg was appointedvice dean of the Eller College, stepping upafter SRP Professor Stan Reynolds completedfour years in the office.“I always think about where I can makethe most contribution,” says Eldenburg.“When I was initially approached about theposition, I hesitated, because I felt I wasmaking a difference at the department level,working with Ph.D.s and mentoring juniorfaculty. But because of my cost accountingbackground, I knew I had a skillset that Icould bring to the vice dean position. Overthe next three years, I think I can make aneven larger contribution than I was makingas a faculty member.”Eldenburg earned her undergraduatedegree in special education and taught for anumber of years after serving in the PeaceCorps in what is now the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo. She stayed at homewith her young son, and eventually returnedto the workforce at Virginia Mason Hospitalin Seattle. She moved into an accountingposition at the hospital after earning herMBA, but found that she missed teaching.So she went back for her Ph.D., and has beenwith the Eller College since 1993.In her new role as vice dean, Eldenburgcites priorities including satisfying recruiterdemand for diverse hires and recognizing thevalue added by hard-working Eller faculty.“People contribute hugely here at Eller, wherewe work under significant resource constraints,”she says.Biomedical Communications photoLeslie EldenburgEldenburg notes that there are interestingparallels between the way that hospitalsand universities are structured today.“I’d describe them as quasi-governmentnon-profit organizations,” she says. “Publicuniversities today are not fully funded bythe state, and are heavily reliant on donorsand tuition.” In some respects, this hybridmodel presents challenges; the public universitymust satisfy government and regulatorystakeholders, as well as the donorswho give so the College can shine. But,says Eldenburg, this structure is not new toEller. “At Eller,” she says, “We’ve alwaysbeen a hybrid because we are true entrepreneursand have been able to be morenimble in our operations.”Building New PartnershipsPaulo Goes joins Eller as department head of top-five MIS program.After a nationwide search, Paulo Goeshas been appointed department head ofthe Eller College’s top-five MIS program.“The research and quality of the programcaught my attention,” he says. “Thedepartment already has a great reputation— the best technical researchers inthe country are here — and I am excitedabout the potential to leverage thatexpertise to build new partnerships.”Goes comes to The University ofArizona from the University ofConnecticut, where he built a collaborativebusiness relationship with GE, thecenterpiece of which is edgelab, abusiness laboratory where Universityof Connecticut faculty and studentswork side-by-side with GE managerson strategic projects. “The partnershipchanged the way I think about academia,”he says. “Information systems ismultidisciplinary; we are the glue thatholds everything together. There isenormous potential for working withcompanies in this capacity, as well aswith other departments in the College.”Goes believes there is potential todevelop similar, mutually beneficialcollaborations between The University ofArizona and corporations throughout theregion. “The existing reputation and thepotential for growth were the first thingsthat drew me in when I considered Eller,”he says. “Then I came for a visit andfound a collegial group of people in thedepartment. That combination of intellectualcapital and collegial atmosphere— it added up to that feeling of just being theright fit.”Goes is originally from Brazil, but has beenin the U.S. for over 20 years. His currentresearch explores online auctions. “I startedoff very technical,” he says. “Then I saw thepotential of working with other industriesduring the Internet boom of the 90s.” Hebegan studying economic systems, measuringdata collected from online auctions tocharacterize buyer behavior and to see howeconomists’ theoretical predictions bear outin the market. His research areas also includeevaluation of emerging technologies andinnovations, e-business, confidentiality andsecurity issues, and database technology andmanagement. He holds M.S. and Ph.D. degreesin computers and information systems fromthe University of Rochester; a B.S. in civilengineering from the Federal Universityof Minas Gerais, Brazil; and an M.S. inproduction engineering from the FederalUniversity of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.“Paulo Goes is an outstanding leader,”says Paul Portney, dean and Halle Chair inLeadership. “He will add to the luster of analready exceptional department.”A FRIEND OF THE FACULTYMIS department head Paulo Goes also holds the title of Salter Professor,established by Peter Salter, president and CEO of Salter Labs.Salter and his wife Nancy funded the Salter Distinguished Professorship inManagement and Technology in 2006, to support a partnership between theEller College and the College of Engineering. His interest grew out of his positiveexperience hiring interns from both colleges at Salter Labs, which he founded in 1975.2ELLER PROGRESS THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONAWWW.ELLER.ARIZONA.EDUFALL 2008 3