Steven Salbu

Steven Salbu, who began a new era on July 1 as dean of the College of Management occupying the Stephen P. Zelnak chair, has been drawing on a variety of perspectives in preparation for the job.

He replaces Terry Blum in the post. She stepped down from the position to create the Interdisciplinary Institute of Leadership and Entrepreneurship at Georgia Tech.

Salbu, who was director of the business ethics program at the University of Texas, has met with alumni around the country. He attended two Georgia Tech Club meetings in May — Dallas and Houston.

In the months leading up to his official start as dean, he held meetings with faculty, students, staff, alumni and the business community in order to map out his growth strategy for the College of Management.

"I'm getting as many perspectives as I can," said Salbu, who formerly held the job as associate dean for graduate programs at the McCombs School of Business. Among his biggest successes there, he counts increasing international opportunities for students and faculty, improving responsiveness to student concerns and optimizing the quality and curricula of the school's MBA programs.

Salbu joined the elite ranks of University Distinguished Teaching Professors in 1999 and was named the Bobbie and Coulter R. Sublett Centennial Endowed Professor in 2000.

Salbu, who was director of the business ethics program at the University of Texas, believes that all business schools need to devote more attention to moral principles, especially in the wake of scandals at corporate giants like Enron and WorldCom.

"We have an obligation to bring ethical issues into the class discussions we have with students on all subjects," Salbu said. "If we incorporate ethics into the analysis while they are in school, they will build on that training to do the same when they enter the workplace."

The College of Management has tremendous potential, he said.

"I thought this school could really be brought to the next level of excellence and prestige," he said. "The faculty, students, staff and alumni of the College of Management are a remarkably talented community of scholars and professionals. They are highly motivated."