Widener Names Dean of School of Business Administration
Widener University has named Anthony Wheeler, PhD, as dean of the School of Business Administration. He starts on July 1, 2020.
“Dr. Anthony Wheeler brings energy, intelligence and creativity to the task of leading the School of Business Administration through the rapidly changing higher education landscape,” Provost Andrew Workman said. “I look forward to seeing from him what will no doubt be a major contribution to Widener.”
Wheeler comes to Widener as an expert in human resources management and is an experienced leader with strategic planning and budgeting skills.
He is a professor of management and past dean of the College of Business and Public Management at West Chester University. As dean, he oversaw implementation of strategic initiatives, including staffing, performance management, faculty development and engagement, budget development and responsibility, student learning outcomes, academic accreditation (AACSB and NASPAA), and project management. He also served as associate vice provost for enrollment strategy at West Chester.
“I am eager to join the talented faculty and students at Widener University,” Wheeler said. “Widener’s School of Business Administration is a highly-regarded business school in the Philadelphia region. I was truly impressed by the school’s dedication to hands-on learning, enthusiasm for supporting students in their professional journeys, and extensive connections to industry professionals. Widener is preparing undergraduate and graduate students to be leaders in business worldwide.”
Before West Chester, he served as professor of management and associate dean of the College of Business at Bryant University, where he oversaw graduate business programs. Before Bryant, he held the rank of full professor with tenure and served as the Spachman Professor of Human Resources Management at the University of Rhode Island. He served in the university’s College of Business Administration with a joint appointment in the Schmidt Labor Research Center. While there, he directed the full-time MBA program, which focused on strategic innovation.
He also has held assistant professor of management positions at Bradley University and California State University, Sacramento.
Wheeler has impressive and extensive human resources management and change management consulting experiences for non- and for-profit organizations, including government agencies, small manufacturing companies, high tech companies, and Fortune 500 companies.
His widely cited research focuses on employee turnover and retention, employee stress, burnout, engagement, and leadership. He has published in top management, organizational behavior, and human resource management peer-reviewed journals.
He also served as the associate editor of Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology from 2012 to 2015, and since 2012, has served as a co-editor of Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management. He currently serves on the editorial review boards for Journal of Organizational Behavior, Group and Organization Management, Journal of Business Ethics (Teaching Business Ethics), and Leadership and Organizational Development Journal. Wheeler has made several appearances in national and local media.
Wheeler received a PhD and Master of Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Oklahoma, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from University of Maryland at College Park.
