Dr. Michael Lane and Dr. Bob Willenbrink joined Missouri Western this fall. Dr. Lane is the dean of the Craig School of Business, and Dr. Willenbrink is the founding dean of the School of Fine Arts.
Dr. Lane had been a professor of accounting at Emporia State University in Kansas and began his duties Aug. 15, 2013. He succeeds Carol Roever, who was serving as interim dean.
“It is a great opportunity to lead an exceptional business program,” he said. “The School is positioned well to do good things in the future.”
“Dr. Lane brings a wealth of administrative leadership experience to this position,” said Dr. Jeanne Daffron, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “He has a strong track record of building collaborative relationships both on campus and in the community, and I’m thrilled he joined the Missouri Western family.”
Dr. Lane, who had served as president of Emporia State for five years before stepping down in 2011 and returning to a faculty position, said he was impressed with the entrepreneurship opportunities for business students and alumni. “Those opportunities serve graduates well long after they leave Missouri Western.”
However, he noted that the entrepreneurship program was just one focus of the CSB. He wants to ensure that all students in the CSB receive a high quality education and obtain good careers. His vision includes increasing the number of business majors, expanding the entrepreneurship program, earning AACSB International re-accreditation (the original was in 2010) and encouraging more alumni to get involved. “They bring value by telling us what we’ve done well and how we can improve. Alumni can also help us recruit future students.”
In his free time, he says he enjoys golf, travel and entertaining. Dr. Lane said he has also been a member of several choruses.
Dr. Willenbrink, who had been serving as chair of the department of theatre and dance at Missouri State University in Springfield, was named dean in August 2013. He oversees the new School of Fine Arts, which consists of 25 full-time faculty members and nearly 500 students and offers a range of undergraduate programs in art, music, theatre, cinema and dance, including a Master of Applied Arts program in Digital Arts.
“I can’t think of a professional opportunity that I have had in my life that was so appealing,” Dr. Willenbrink said. “The quality of the faculty and the quality of work that I saw when I visited campus was really inspiring. This is the perfect incubator for the promotion and development of the arts.”
The new dean said he plans to listen to people campuswide and in the community, and develop a long-range strategic plan for the SFA. “As the founding dean, you are able to take from all constituents and develop a plan that will provide the best quality education for our students.”
His interest in the arts began on the high school theatre stage, but he also plays the guitar. “The arts provide entertainment and innovative ways to think and take creative approaches,” he said. “The arts are essential for leading a full and complete life.”
Dr. Willenbrink had been a professor and department head at Missouri State since 2009. In addition to the normal academic duties, he has served as producer of Tent Theatre, a professional summer theatre company in Springfield.
“Dr. Willenbrink has the combination of creative and administrative experience that I hoped we could find when we began the search for a founding dean of the School of Fine Arts,” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. “I am confident he will provide outstanding leadership for this new chapter in the history of the arts at Missouri Western.”