As part of our mission, the Harbert College is committed to attracting, developing, supporting and retaining exceptional faculty and staff. We are developing a portfolio approach to faculty expertise that enables the college to deliver on all areas of our strategy: education, research, and external engagement.

The Harbert College of Business welcomes three new department chairs—Dr. Chris Hopkins (Marketing), Dr. Uzma Raja (Systems and Technology), and Dr. Glenn Richey (Supply Chain Management)—to lead academic and research endeavors for the 2020-21 school year.

Dr. Hopkins, the McLain Family Professor in Marketing at the Harbert College and 2019 Society of Marketing Advances Distinguished Fellow, has published more than 100 articles in publications such as the Journal of Advertising, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Journal of Business Research, and Journal of Business Ethics. He was recently named Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice.

"We want to brand our department in such a way that it adds value to all of our stakeholders – our students, faculty, the Harbert College and its industry partners,” said Hopkins. "One way to do that is to develop a vision and a mission for the department that is tied to expanding our offerings. That deals with the creation of unique certificate programs, long-term investments in centers, and increasing our interface with industry."

Dr. Raja, previously Professor of Management Information Systems and Associate Department Head at the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business, specializes in the research of software evolution and data mining. Her work has been published by IEEE Transactions of Software Engineering, Empirical Software Engineering, Information Technology and Management and the Journal of Health Information Management Systems.

"When somebody hires our graduates, they will rest assured that these individuals will be true professionals," Raja said of students in Harbert College's Information Systems Management and Business Analytics programs. "We will be producing students who are well-rounded, strong technically, and also understand how to work with others and provide solutions that make a difference for the companies they work.”

Dr. Richey, Harbert Eminent Scholar in Supply Chain Management at the Harbert College and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Business Logistics and Research Director in the Center for Supply Chain Innovation, has published more than 80 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Business Horizons, Decision Sciences, International Journal of Logistics Management, and Journal of World Business.

“We will work to support students pursuing executive certificates, a master’s degree, and doctoral education. Our faculty already directly impacts industry thanks to Dr. Brian Gibson’s leadership in the Auburn Center for Supply Chain Innovation," Richey said.

"Plus, we live in a world where students can come to Auburn, connect with us online, or have us come to their company for a specialized program. It is pretty amazing."

The Raymond J. Harbert College of Business at Auburn University is a nationally ranked hub of undergraduate, graduate and continuing business education that is inspiring the next generation of business leaders. Our world-class faculty deliver unparalleled academic rigor in the classroom, while our research-driven scholarship advances thought leadership and best practice in emerging business disciplines. Our alumni, friends, and corporate partners actively support and engage our faculty and students to integrate business theory with practical experience and instill the level of professional proficiency and personal integrity demanded by employers around the globe.

To learn more, visit https://harbert.auburn.edu/