Howard’s School Of Business Turns To One Of Its MBA Alums For The Deanship

Ronald Reagan was President, Sonny Bono became the new mayor of Palm Springs, and the Redskins won the Super Bowl. 1988 was also the year that Anthony D. Wilbon, then a manufacturing engineer for Westinghouse, entered the MBA program at Howard University, graduating two years later in 1990.

Today, three decades later, the 56-year-old Wilbon was named the fourth dean of Howard University’s School of Business. He succeeds Barron H. Harvey, who announced plans to retire from the job last year. Wilbon takes over the job as the business school celebrates its 50th anniversary and recently introduced two new online MBA programs, a more traditional MBA as well as an Executive MBA (see Howard University Launching Two Online MBA Programs).

Wilbon has served in positions of increasing responsibility at Howard’s School of Business since 2011, most recently as associate dean of Academic Affairs and Administration. He completed his MBA at Howard while attempting to climb the corporate ladder in the late 1980s. It was while he was working at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors as a senior information technology analyst from 1994 to 1999 tha he realized that corporate America was not for him and went back to school to complete his Ph.D. at George Washington University to enter academia.

‘I HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN SEEING US EXPAND OUR STRATEGIC POSITION’

“I am honored and privileged to be chosen as the fourth dean of the Howard University School of Business,” said Wilbon in a statement. “We face a world with constantly evolving environmental challenges and higher education must transform itself to incorporate broader collaborations, dynamic curriculum, innovative pedagogy, and more engaging scholarly research. As an alum of Howard’s MBA program, I have a vested interest in seeing us expand our strategic position as we continue to be an important contributor to business education in the global community.

“We are poised to leverage the historical uniqueness of Howard University by expanding our programs through new innovations in management education,” he added. “I look forward to the challenge of leading our faculty, staff and students to greater ascension in thought leadership and societal impact.”

The university’s search committee for the business school dean, announced in October of last year, was chaired by Danielle Holley-Walker, dean of Howard’s School of Law, and comprised of faculty, students, staff, and alumni. The committee was assisted by Dana Cohick, president of the executive search firm RPA, Inc.

BEGAN HIS ACADEMIC CAREER AT MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Born in Flint, Michigan, Wilbon grew up as an avid reader who would ultimately write a novel, The Enigma of Njama, a story set in Washington, D.C., about a young college professor finding himself embattled with a secret sect of highly intelligent African American women.

Prior to joining Howard University in August of 2011, Wilbon was an associate professor at Morgan State University where he also served as principal investigator of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration-funded Environmental Cooperative Science Center in collaboration with Florida A&M University. He also served as a senior information technology analyst with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and a senior management consultant with Booz-Allen and Hamilton, Inc.

The university noted that Wilbon has more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, reports to federal agencies, and technical reports, as well as a published book. As a researcher and principal investigator, he has led teams that have generated several million dollars in research and contract fund. He has also served on numerous departmental, school, university, state, and national committees and organizations, including his current service as associate editor of the Engineering Management Journal.

‘DR. WILBON HAS GAINED THE TRUST & CONFIDENCE OF FACULTY, STUDENTS AND STAFF’

A respected academician, Wilbon completed his bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering at Michigan State University in 1986 and earned his doctor of philosophy degree at George Washington University in 1999 in the management of science, technology and innovation.

The school credited Wilbon for translating the university and school’s strategic framework into an actionable and measurable plan, directing personnel management, overseeing budgets, assisting in fundraising, managing the school’s technology infrastructure during his five and one-half years as associate dean. “In 2018, he successfully coordinated the process for the School of Business AACSB re-accreditation for both the overall School of Business and the Department of Accounting,” according to Howard. “He also led the design and implementation of the Bloomberg Finance Lab, working across project stakeholders, including the alumni sponsor and Bloomberg Corporation, to ensure a successful launch. Wilbon also managed and coordinated the Howard University School of Business Executive Lecture Series, securing CEOs from Fortune 500 corporations, major sports league executives, and leaders of major organizations as speakers, and initiated the Entrepreneurship and Non-Profit Executive Lecture Series.”

The appointment was announced by Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick. “As an administrator in the School of Business,” said Frederick in a statement. “Dr. Wilbon has performed admirably, and gained the trust and confidence of faculty, students, and staff alike. He is a respected educator and academic professional who serves our students and the University with passion. I am confident that he will bring this same commitment to his new role as dean of the School of Business.”

DON’T MISS: HOWARD UNIVERSITY LAUNCHING TWO ONLINE MBA PROGRAMS