New dean chosen to lead UHV business school
The University of Houston-Victoria School of Business Administration soon will welcome a new dean who has more than 30 years of experience in business and higher education.
Ken Colwell, a professor and dean of the School of Business at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Conn., will take the reins July 15 as dean of the UHV School of Business Administration.
“I’m thrilled to join UHV at such an exciting time in its history,” Colwell said. “President Glenn is assembling an outstanding team, including the new provost, Chance Glenn, to further his ambitious vision to grow the university for the benefit of students. The School of Business Administration is well positioned to help further this vision through traditional, online and graduate programs in Victoria and Katy.”
Colwell holds a doctoral degree in strategic management and entrepreneurship from the University of Oregon in Eugene, Ore., a Master of Business Administration in management from San Francisco State University, and a Bachelor of Science in biology from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.
He has worked in different positions including as a financial analyst for Roy F. Weston Inc. and an account executive for Dean Witter Reynolds. He also worked at Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. in several positions, including registered representative, branch supervisor, manager, senior project manager and director.
Before his current position as dean of the business school at Central Connecticut State University, Colwell was an associate professor and dean of the School of Business, Public Administration and Information Sciences at Long Island University Brooklyn from 2013 to 2015. He also was an assistant professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at the Drexel University LeBow College of Business and Baiada Center for Entrepreneurship in Philadelphia from 2003 to 2009.
“Ken Colwell will be an excellent addition to the UHV School of Business Administration,” UHV President Bob Glenn said. “He is an experienced leader who understands the importance of meeting our students’ needs, in addition to developing community partnerships and offering real-world learning opportunities. I look forward to working with him to continue to build on the business school’s long-standing record of success.”
In addition to his business and academic leadership experience, Colwell also has published research articles and given presentations at conferences, panels and symposia. His most recent project is “The Quick Start Guide to Starting a Business: The Simplified Beginner’s Guide to Launching a Successful Venture, Turning Your Vision Into Reality, and Achieving Your Entrepreneurial Dream,” which recently was published by ClydeBank Media.
He is active in many community organizations, including the New Britain Chamber of Commerce, the Metro Hartford Alliance and the West Hartford Rotary Club. He also sits on the Statewide CT Next Tech Talent Advisory Board and on the advisory boards for the business academies at several area high schools.
“Throughout my academic career, I have been a strong advocate of innovative educational programs that help students develop the skills required for success in their lives and careers,” he said. “Joining a university that shares these goals is extremely appealing to me. For these reasons and more, I am particularly excited to join UHV at this exciting time in its history.”
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
