Clapp-Smith named business college dean

Dr. Rachel Clapp-Smith has been named the dean of the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Mike Cottrell College of Business (MCCB), a role she will begin July 21.

Clapp-Smith comes to UNG from Purdue University Northwest, where she serves as the Teddy Jacobi Dean of the College of Business. Prior to her current role, she served as associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs responsible for faculty development and student success, and as director of the Leadership Institute. 

Her visit to UNG during the interview process and interactions with students, faculty and staff were helpful in showing her the culture of UNG.

"It's amazing how connected the university is to the community it serves," Clapp-Smith said.

She has a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the University of Nebraska and a Master of Business Administration from the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University. 

Clapp-Smith looks forward to the brainstorming and collaborative teamwork that will unfold as she joins the team at UNG.

"I enjoy seeing how we can be creative, how we can innovate and how we can provide more value," Clapp-Smith said.

Clapp-Smith's research focus is on leadership, and that made the TRUIST Center for Ethical Leadership in the MCCB and the Leadership Foundry strategic big bet particularly appealing.

"Her experience working at a Hispanic-serving Institution, First-Gen Forward designated, will be valuable as we pursue our legacy population moonshots," Dr. Chaudron Gille, UNG provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, said.

Clapp-Smith said she has thrived on finding ways to remove barriers for Hispanic students and those who were the first in their family to attend college. She noticed that it elevated the university by allowing these students to focus on their studies.

"It made us better in how we provide wrap-around services to all of our students so they can have a college experience that is meaningful," Clapp-Smith said.

Prior to academia, Clapp-Smith had a global career in technology, managing multicultural teams. Coming from the business world, where tangible results were critical, Clapp-Smith appreciates the chance to offer the intangible support students need in their academic and career journeys.

"When I think about who our customer is, it's the future self of our current students," Clapp-Smith said. "There's something very meaningful about giving them a strong foundation."