New assistant deans named

From top: Barry Cross, Christine Coulter and Kate Rowbotham

Three faculty have taken on newly created assistant dean roles. In March, Barry Cross, MBA’96, became assistant dean of professional graduate programs (PGP). He’s working with Wei Wang, PhD’06, associate dean, PGP, on program development and growth.

Cross, who is a Distinguished Faculty Fellow of Operations Strategy, came to Smith in 2006. Before that, he spent 18 years in the automotive and manufacturing sectors. He has developed courses and taught across eight Smith programs. He speaks and consults widely on innovation, execution and operations strategy.

In January, Christine Coulter, Artsci’98, MIR’14, and Kate Rowbotham, MSc’01, Artsci’97, took on new school-wide positions.

Coulter, a Distinguished Faculty Fellow of Organizational Behaviour, is now assistant dean, academic. She’ll oversee academic operations and regulations and manage the academic integrity portfolio.

Coulter joined Smith in 2001 after completing her master’s degree in political science at Western University. She teaches human resources, human capital management and industrial relations in the Commerce and MBA programs. She formerly chaired the Academic Appeals Committee and has held administrative roles at Smith, including director of operations for the Commerce program.

As part of her responsibilities, Rowbotham will chair the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, oversee experiential learning and outcomes and support initiatives to enrich the classroom experience in her role as assistant dean, teaching and learning.

A Distinguished Faculty Fellow of Organizational Behaviour, Rowbotham returned to Smith in 2009 after completing her PhD at the University of Toronto. She has developed and taught courses in human resources, negotiations and diversity and inclusion and won awards for teaching and course design. She has previously volunteered (including service as chair) on Smith’s Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and the Academic Integrity Panel.