Marquette University names new business dean

Northwestern University associate dean named inaugural Keyes Dean


Dr. Linda M. Salchenberger, associate dean of academics in Northwestern University’s School of Continuing Studies, has been named the Keyes Dean of Marquette’s College of Business Administration and the Graduate School of Management, Interim Provost David Shrock announced today.  She is the first female dean of the college and the inaugural Keyes Dean, a deanship endowed by Marquette alumnus and retired Johnson Controls CEO James Keyes. Her appointment is effective Aug. 15.


A senior lecturer in Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, Salchenberger holds an MBA and a Ph.D. in managerial economics and decision sciences from Northwestern. A graduate of Mundelein College, she earned a master’s degree in mathematics from the Illinois Institute of Technology.


Prior to joining Northwestern in 2004, Salchenberger spent the majority of her academic career at Loyola University in Chicago, where she held many faculty and administrative positions, including professor of information systems and serving as associate dean of the School of Business Administration and associate vice president for academic affairs and faculty administration.


“Dr. Salchenberger impressed the search committee and others in the university with the breadth of her experience, her commitment to continued growth for the college and her collaborative approach,” said Shrock, who served as dean of the college from 1999 until his appointment as interim provost in December 2007. “Our national search attracted outstanding applicants, an indication of the reputation the college has achieved and its possibilities for the future.”  


Dr. John Pauly, dean of Marquette’s Diederich College of Communication, who will become provost July 21, praised Salchenberger’s ability to generate external funding, involve the business community and create new programs. “As the college prepares to celebrate its centennial, we have the opportunity to build upon our strong foundation of teaching and research to serve the next generation of students and to partner with Milwaukee area businesses to leverage our research resources to address their needs,” he said.


Salchenberger, who founded the Center for Information Management and Technology at Loyola, has published extensively on the various applications of neural networks, community technology and the role of gender in information technology. She has received millions of dollars in grants to support her research and has engaged the business community and corporate partners in multiple initiatives, including funding technology projects for girls.


In pursuing the deanship, Salchenberger expressed admiration and respect for the Jesuit tradition of scholarship and learning and a desire to strengthen ties and pursue new opportunities with the business community as a way to enhance students’ educational experience and better prepare them for the global environment. “Today’s university is more than just a partner in the economic, cultural and social development of the community; it must be the driver, in congruence with its tradition, history and mission,” she said.


Salchenberger will succeed Dr. Dennis Garrett, associate professor of marketing, who has served as interim dean for the College of Business Administration since January, following the appointment of Shrock as interim provost.


Keyes donated $7.2 million in December 2007 to endow the deanship in the College of Business Administration. A 1962 graduate, he earned his MBA at Northwestern University in 1963. He taught in Marquette’s College of Business Administration before joining Johnson Controls, a global market leader in automotive systems and facility management and control, in 1966 as a system analyst. He served in a variety of executive positions before being named president in 1986 and chairman and chief executive officer in 1993. He retired in December 2003.


Shrock said the endowed deanship will give Salchenberger increased opportunities to attract faculty and create new programs. “It was a magnificent gift that will benefit the college for years to come,” he said. “The endowment gives the new dean greater flexibility to pursue opportunities that will lead to growth of the college.”



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