UNews - associate dean of business: faculty development and research

Faculty of Management introduces Ellis as dean

trevor.kenney — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:16:30 +0000

Believing that the foundation of a successful business begins by developing strong interpersonal relationships, Dr. Robert James Ellis is looking forward to taking on his new role as dean of the Faculty of Management at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, an institution rooted in its personal approach.

"I have always found people to be the most interesting aspect of business," says Ellis. "So much of business and so much of administrative work involves building relationships with other people, with students and with faculty members. I've had the opportunity to meet with both students and faculty at the U of L and I was tremendously impressed by how forward looking and enthusiastic they were. The innovative things the faculty are doing, both in their research and in their programs, has me very excited about the future."

Ellis, who is taking over for Dr. Murray Lindsay as he returns to the academic community, comes to the
U of L from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern British Columbia where he has served as Chair for the School of Business since 2005. Prior to that, he served in a variety of roles over the span of 24 years at Wilfrid Laurier ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, including associate dean of business: faculty development and research. Ellis takes up his new position at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge on July 1, 2010.

"Dr. Ellis is known as someone who is a strong recruiter of talented faculty, and is adept at creating an environment that both supports excellence in teaching and innovative research," says Dr. Bill Cade, the U of L's President and Vice-Chancellor. "He has displayed a unique skill of being able to develop relationships with the business community and subsequently integrate those affiliations into the creation of original programming."

With a background in psychology, Ellis gained the notion that he could marry his field of study with the business world by following the lead of his masters' advisor, who held a joint PhD in business and psychology. It led him to focus his research interests on issues related to management and organizational behaviour, leadership skills, group dynamics and motivation.

"I focused on the human side of business rather than on the numbers side," says Ellis. "Topics such as teamwork, motivation, leadership – those were always my areas of interest, and I think that's why I went into administration. I've always been able to work well with people and so much of administrative work is about building relationships with other people."

A father of two, his sons have followed in his footsteps, each gravitating to one aspect of his research personality. One son is set to graduate from UNBC in May with a degree in finance and marketing while the other is completing a psychology degree.

Ellis looks to the U of L as a place of incredible opportunity. He enters the Faculty of Management as it is poised to take up residence in the brand new Markin Hall building.

"Markin Hall will be a wonderful place to study management education, and for management educators, faculty and staff to work together and exchange ideas about how to create new programs and courses for our students," says Ellis.
His current research interests are also uniquely suited to the southern Alberta area.

Keen on creating increased opportunities for students, Ellis is particularly interested in opening the business world to the aboriginal population.

"One of the things I've been thinking about very much is how we can increase access for aboriginal peoples within our business programs," he says. "The number of students pursuing business who are aboriginal is very low all across Canada, and I think it's important to increase their opportunity to study."

Ellis named new Dean of Management

trevor.kenney — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:18:58 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors has appointed Dr. Robert (Bob) James Ellis as the institution's new Dean, Faculty of Management. Ellis follows Dr. Murray Lindsay, who spent the past five years in the position and is returning to the academic community at the U of L.

Originally from Vancouver, BC, Ellis is an accomplished administrator who successfully bolstered business programs at both the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern British Columbia and Wilfrid Laurier ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. With a collaborative and visionary approach, he has a strong track record of attracting accomplished faculty and raising the research profile of the programs with which he has been associated.

With an educational background in psychology, Ellis continues to conduct research in the areas of leadership, teamwork and creativity, and also writes business case studies to capture the issues confronting Canadian organizations. His current research focuses on increasing educational opportunities in society, specifically for aboriginal students in a business environment.

Currently, Ellis is on sabbatical from his role as Chair, School of Business, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern British Columbia, a position he has held since 2005. Prior to that, he served in a variety of roles over the span of 24 years at Wilfrid Laurier ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, including Associate Dean of Business: Faculty Development and Research. Ellis takes up his new position at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge on July 1, 2010.

Ellis says he is looking forward to becoming a part of the U of L and the creative atmosphere he sees within the faculty.

"I'm very excited to be joining the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and becoming Dean of the Faculty of Management," says Ellis. "I've had a lot of administrative experience in my career and my focus has always been to try and increase opportunities for students through the development of new courses or new programs. The faculty here are very innovative and I think at the forefront of management thought and action."

In addition to publishing numerous scientific articles, chapters, and research monographs,

Ellis has served as a visiting professor internationally, both at the Huazhong ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, and at Budapest ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Economic Sciences in Budapest, Hungary. A past winner of the Excellence in Case Writing Award, Case Track, Administrative Sciences Association of Canada Annual Conference, Ellis is a member of the Academy of Management, Administrative Sciences Association of Canada and the North American Case Research Association.

Ellis joins the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, and specifically the Faculty of Management, at a keystone moment, as the U of L readies to open Markin Hall, the new home for the Faculty of Management.

"I think it will be a wonderful place to study management education, and for management educators, faculty and staff to work together and exchange ideas about how to create new programs and courses for our students," says Ellis. "It will also be a place of welcome for our community. Having a great facility provides a springboard for building relationships between colleagues and our community, and for developing innovative teaching and research programs."

Ellis holds a BA with first class honours in psychology from Carleton ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ (1974), an MA in psychology from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Waterloo (1978) and a PhD in psychology from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Waterloo (1981).

UNews - associate dean of business: faculty development and research

Faculty of Management introduces Ellis as dean

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Ellis named new Dean of Management

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