Message From The Dean

It is fitting that the theme of this issue centers on leadership and
leaders, given that The University of Texas at Dallas School of Management
has been named one of the leaders, worldwide, in research productivity in
the respected publication OR/MS Today. A study in a recent issue of OR/MS
Today ranks our school sixth worldwide in research productivity during the
last six years in the key areas of operations management and management
information systems. The significance of this ranking cannot be
overstated. It offers proof that, for the first time, The UTD School of
Management is competitive with other top schools. This ranking becomes
even more significant when comparing our leading position in the last six
years to our ranking in the six-year period before that - number 43. The
leap we made, from 43rd to 6th, in a short period shows that we are making
excellent progress toward our goal of being one of the leading public
business schools in the nation.

The growing strength of our top-ranked operations management and
management information systems faculties enhances our school's position,
especially when adding it to our faculty strength in marketing science and
managerial accounting. Last fall, we further bolstered the ranks of our
operations management faculty with the addition of senior scholar Dr.
Kathryn Stecke. We also strengthened our organizations, strategy and
international management faculty with the addition of three more senior
scholars, Dr. Gregory Dess, Dr. Sumit Majumdar and Dr. Jane Salk.

We continue to work to update and improve our programs. This year, we are
redesigning the curriculum for our MBA program to focus on not only
equipping our students with timeless business skills and proficiencies but
also allowing them to master the latest in management tools and
technologies. This continued attention to our programs is necessary to
fulfill our mission of creating excellence in our academic programs along
with conducting leading edge research in management.

I take great pleasure in reporting that the construction of our new
building is progressing on schedule and approaching completion. We expect
to move into our new 204,000-square-foot facility this summer so that we
can begin classes there in the fall of 2003. The building - whose features
include video-conferencing facilities, an executive education center,
meeting rooms, office space and 29 state-of-the-art classrooms - will
allow our entire school to be housed under one roof for the first time. It
will also help us accommodate our continuing growth in enrollment, which
averaged more than 8 percent for both this year's spring and fall
semesters.

Even as the completion of the $38-million building presents us with many
opportunities, we face the challenge of raising the balance of the $8
million required by the regents of the U.T. System when they funded the
facility. We appreciate the generous support we have received to date for
this important project, and we welcome the continued support of our alumni
and friends.


Best wishes,

Hasan Pirkul

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