Urbany Named Associate Dean of Graduate Programs

Professor Joe Urbany, the new associate dean of graduate programs for the Mendoza College of Business, believes Notre Dame's MBA program offers a particular type of training and a culture that no other well-known business school can match.

"There is something very different about our MBA graduates," says Urbany. "They are well-trained academically. But they stand out it in other ways too. Our graduates - no matter where they are employed - become part of the team very quickly. They are team players who excel in projects that require them to collaborate with others. That's not typical of most MBA graduates. But leaders today must be team players."

"Establishing relationships is a critical element for success in today's competitive business environment. Whether it is team-building, listening to customers, or developing strategic partnerships, our graduates understand how important these relationships are," says Urbany.

Urbany, who has taught marketing at Notre Dame since 1994, is one of the most popular professors in the College. He spent last semester teaching at the University of Notre Dame-Australia in Fremantle, and plans to expand the MBA program's presence on the web.

"The web is all about creating and enhancing community - with our students, our alumni, our prospective students and companies who recruit our graduates," says Urbany. "In this age of information management, it's important for us to use technology in an efficient and effective way. The Internet also provides a big opportunity for e-learning initiatives."

One year after Urbany arrived at Notre Dame, the MBA program had an administrative staff of four. Now, just five years later - and thanks to the efforts of Dean Carolyn Woo, former Assistant Dean Becky Mela and Associate Dean Bill Nichols - that number has expanded to 13. Urbany and his staff want the MBA program to be on the cutting edge of the relevant issues in the business world, while maintaining Notre Dame's reputation as a training ground for leaders