For the first time in 17 years, Tulane’s A.B. Freeman School of Business will have a new dean.
Angelo DeNisi, formerly head of the Department of Management at Texas A&M, officially begins his tenure as dean on Friday, July 1. DeNisi replaces James W. McFarland, who served as dean since 1988. McFarland will move to a faculty position within Freeman.
“Angelo DeNisi is a nationally respected scholar with impeccable academic credentials, a strong vision and enormous energy,” said Tulane Provost Lester Lefton “The culture of the A. B. Freeman School of Business is such that it requires an individual of high integrity and the highest academic skills. Angelo not only brings these qualities but he will be just as comfortable in the boardroom as in the classroom.”
DeNisi was the Paul M. and Rosalie Robertson Chair in Business Administration and a University Distinguished Professor at Texas A&M. He also served as director of the Center for Human Resource Management at A&M. DeNisi is a fellow of the Academy of Management and past chair of the Organizational Behavior Division. He has also served as chair of the Human Resources Division, as a member of the Board of Governors and as editor of Academy of Management Review.
“To start my first job as dean at a school with the reputation like A.B. Freeman and at a university like Tulane is - well, it is a great opportunity in a great town,” said DeNisi.
A native of Bronx, New York, DeNisi earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from City University of New York in 1973 and a PhD in industrial/organizational psychology from Purdue University in 1977.
DeNisi began his professional career as an assistant professor at Kent State University. He served as a professor at the University of South Carolina from 1979 through 1989 and as a professor at Rutgers University from 1989 through 1997. He joined the faculty of Texas A&M in 1997 and served as professor of management, and director of the master of science program in human resource management.
A specialist in performance appraisal, expatriate management and work experiences of persons with disabilities, DeNisi has published more than 50 refereed articles in academic journals including Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, Psychological Bulletin, Personnel Psychology, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and Industrial Labor Relations Review.
DeNisi is a fellow of Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the American Psychological Association. He served as president of the society during 1999-2000, and was named winner of its 2005 Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award. He also is a fellow and the vice president-elect of the Academy of Management.
DeNisi is married to Adrienne Colella, who will be joining the Freeman School faculty as an associate professor in the organizational behavior group. They have two children, Jessica, 26, and Rebecca, 19.
