91调教

Written By: Rachel Putman

The 91调教 - Fort Smith has named Dr. Duncan Pelly dean of the College of Business and Industry, bringing to the university an academic leader with deep international experience in accreditation, entrepreneurship, corporate partnerships, and regional economic development.

Pelly will begin his role August 10. He comes to 91调教 from Fisk University, where he served as co-dean of the School of Natural Sciences, Business, and Mathematics, Cal Turner Endowed Chair of Business Administration, and tenured professor. His leadership has included work supporting faculty research, institutional advancement and administration, student affairs, budgeting, hiring, enrollment, and student retention.  He earned his PhD from the emlyon business school in France and his bachelor鈥檚 degree from the University of Pennsylvania, triple majoring in international relations, French, and German. 

鈥淚 am truly excited to welcome Dr. Duncan Pelly as the next Dean of the College of Business and Industry,鈥� said Dr. Ray Green, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. 鈥淗is energy, collaborative spirit, innovative thinking, and accreditation experience is the perfect formula for continuing to unlock the college鈥檚 potential. I am confident that our students and external partners will benefit greatly from the skills that he brings with him.鈥�

Pelly said he was drawn to 91调教 by its people, its relationship with the Fort Smith region and its ability to respond quickly to industry needs.

鈥淭he thing I鈥檓 most excited about is the people at 91调教,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was so impressed with the quality of the students and the quality of the faculty. It鈥檚 impressive. All the staff, including the cabinet members are so enthusiastic.鈥�

The College of Business and Industry鈥檚 prominent role in supporting the River Valley reflects the kind of university-community partnership Pelly has valued throughout his work.

鈥淲hen it comes to the town and gown relationship, when it comes to the Peak Innovation Center, when it comes to the dedication of faculty,鈥� he said, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e ever seen or even heard of anything quite as unique and quite as special as 91调教. That鈥檚 what really drew me here.鈥�

The college鈥檚 signature academic program, Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, was particularly inspirational. 

鈥淭he manufacturing piece that you have at 91调教, I mean, that was one of the most exciting things about the position,鈥� Pelly said. 鈥淚 have never seen or even heard of anything on this scale before. It just, it took my breath away.鈥�

Funded by nearly $7 million in grant and private support and developed in lockstep with regional employers, the program represents what 91调教 does best as a regional public university 鈥� serving its community.

鈥淎s universities, we have deep obligations to our communities,鈥� Pelly said, 鈥淎nd 91调教 is living that.鈥�

Academic History

Prior to his most recent deanship at Fisk University, Pelly held leadership roles at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas, and California State University, Los Angeles. 

At McMurry, Pelly served as department head of the Johnson School of Business, director of international programs, Shoop Endowed Associate Professor, director of the Center for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, and director of international business programs. He developed exchange partnerships with institutions in Estonia, France and Poland and generated opportunities for domestic and international community engagement, including Women鈥檚 Entrepreneurship Week. 

His experience at both large and small institutions has shaped his approach to leading well.

鈥淚 think in some ways that makes me a great builder of systems, but it also makes me a great trainer of people,鈥� Pelly said. 鈥淚 think a good leader can not only develop systems but can also develop people.鈥�

Accreditation Philosophy

Pelly has also overseen ACBSP, AACSB, ACS and SACSCOC accreditation processes over the course of his academic career.

This work, he said, is central to his leadership approach because it helps institutions develop systems that are documented, repeatable and measurable.

鈥淚f you want to read my mind, look in the accreditation manual,鈥� he said with a laugh.

鈥淚 think of it like football in some ways 鈥� I played football for eight years 鈥� in that the teams that win all the games are not the ones that have the trick plays. They鈥檙e the ones that hit the weights hard in the offseason, that run, and practice, and build a solid foundation.鈥�

Pelly said that kind of preparation allows colleges to understand what is working, identify what needs improvement, and effectively make informed decisions.

鈥淭he key thing that we want to do with any accreditation organization is make sure that what we do is systematic, documented, repeatable, and analyzable,鈥� Pelly said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 important because it allows us to understand what we鈥檙e doing well and what we鈥檙e not doing as well.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 what our friends in the corporate world call data-driven decision-making.鈥�

Scholarly Pursuits 

As his career has moved him into administrative roles, Pelly said it鈥檚 critical for him to remain active as a scholar.

鈥淚 will always write because it鈥檚 an extension of my personality,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 will write 鈥榯il the day I die. Once you start writing, you can鈥檛 stop.鈥�

His passion is reflected in the depth and breadth of his work. With an interdisciplinary research focus spanning management, enterprise, anthropology, literature, and behavior, Pelly is a prolific writer, having authored books and articles on entrepreneurship, storytelling, autoethnography, organizational behavior, international business, and higher education. 

鈥淚 really believe that we need to write in such a way there鈥檚 a benefit to society,鈥� Pelly said. 鈥淭hat requires a slightly different approach to research, but it鈥檚 an approach that I have built up over time and found ways to share it with my colleagues鈥�

鈥淭he whole point of writing is twofold,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ne, it stimulates our imagination as faculty and encourages us to dream bigger. It keeps our minds sharp. The second reason is that so much of what we do as a university is develop intellectual capital through research and share that intellectual capital through teaching.鈥�

He said publication also signals that faculty members are staying engaged with the best available ideas in their disciplines.

鈥淲hen you publish anything, book chapters, journal articles, or whatever it is, that is a mark that you are keeping current with your field,鈥� Pelly said.

International Approach

Pelly, whose own education spanned numerous countries and who has presented research across the globe, said he also hopes to support internationalization at 91调教. 

In previous roles, he developed comprehensive Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects to help his students gain international experience even when they are unable to study abroad.

鈥淵oung people may not have the opportunity to study abroad for a variety of legitimate reasons,鈥� Pelly said. 鈥淏ut we still want to make sure they have an international component to their education.鈥�

Beyond the research itself, he says students learn critical coordination features through these partnerships. 

鈥淗ow do you coordinate Zoom when your colleague is in India?鈥� he said. 鈥淲ell, you鈥檝e got to think about the time changes. And different cultures and societies have very different ways of working.鈥� 

From navigating things like Daylight Savings Time to cultural norms around procrastination the experiences deepen students鈥� preparedness for the global workforce. 

鈥淭hings like this are also really cool for faculty because you meet new international friends, you have the opportunity to make new research partners, it鈥檚 just a wonderful experience overall.鈥�

He said international partnerships will be especially useful at 91调教 because of the university鈥檚 connections with global corporations headquartered in Fort Smith, and the new Foreign Military Sales mission.