The University of Findlay - Sears Announced as New College of Business Dean

The University of Findlay announces Dr. Paul A. Sears as the new dean of the College of Business.

“I am very impressed with the professional quality of Findlay’s programs,” said Sears.

Sears will provide direction to both the graduate and undergraduate academic programs within the College of Business. The University offers nine undergraduate business degrees and one graduate degree in business administration.

“Dr. Sears brings a record of successful leadership using approaches that complement those in current use in UF’s College of Business. The strengths of two business schools should merge together now in a winning combination,” said Dr. Daniel May, vice president for academic affairs.

Prior to coming to UF, Sears most recently served for nine years as the dean of the Dauch College of Business and Economics at Ashland University where, in addition to other duties, he was responsible for the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and the Small Business Development Center for Region Six of the State of Ohio. He has also worked for Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, as a professor, director of the M.B.A. program and holder of the endowed Herzog Chair in Free Enterprise. In addition, Sears served as business division chairperson at Lake Erie College, Painesville, Ohio.

Sears received his doctorate in organizational behavior from Case Western Reserve University. He also holds bachelor’s degrees from both Lake Erie College and Yale University and master’s degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of London.

Sears’ research has appeared in many publications. He has published papers on topics such as leadership, education, management, business curriculum and entrepreneurship. Sears has traveled extensively and has been invited to China, Turkey and San Juan to present his research and teach on those topics.

Active within his community, Sears served as a director of Catholic Charities Services Corporation for the Cleveland Diocese and as chairman of the board of governors for the Institute for Human Investment and Economic Growth. He also served on the advisory council for Catholic Charities Services of Ashland/Wayne counties and on the St. Peter’s Parish finance committee.

Sears has been active in professional organizations, as well, including the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), where he most recently served as a commissioner on the baccalaureate/graduate degree accreditation commission, and in prior years as chairman of the ACBSP council of regional presidents, chair of the ACBSP business-industry relations task force, president and president elect for ACBSP Great Lakes Region 4 and many other posts within the organization.