Source: Yar Ebadi, 785-532-7227, ebadi@k-state.edu;
and April Mason, 785-532-6224, masona@k-state.edu
Pronouncer: Yar rhymes with Jar and Ebadi is EE-BOD-EE
Photo available. Contact media@k-state.edu or 785-532-2535.
News release prepared by: Beth Bohn, 785-532-2535, bbohn@k-state.edu

Friday, Sept. 10, 2010

DEAN OF COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION STEPPING DOWN IN 2011

MANHATTAN -- The longtime dean of Kansas State University's College of Business Administration will step down from his post at the end of June 2011.

Yar Ebadi, who is in his 15th year as dean of the college, will take a sabbatical at the end of the academic year and then return to teach management classes.

"The College of Business Administration has made exceptional progress in the last 14 years, and I believe the college is well positioned to continue moving toward higher levels of academic excellence," Ebadi said. "It is from this position of strength that I have decided to conclude my service as dean at the end of the school year and return to the classroom."

"I respect Dean Ebadi's decision to go back to the classroom after years of visionary leadership as dean. He will be missed from that role, however," said April Mason, K-State provost and senior vice president. "Dean Ebadi will leave the college in a very strong position for the next stage in its leadership history. We also are so very fortunate that he will again enhance our students' learning experience with his teaching."

Ebadi was named dean of the College of Business Administration in 1996 after serving as interim dean in 1995. He was the college's associate dean from 1992 to 1995 and head of the department management from 1988 to 1992. He also has held the Robin Hagens Maupin Chair in Business since 1992. Prior to coming to K-State in 1983, Ebadi served in various faculty positions at Kabul University in Afghanistan and Indiana University.

Under Ebadi's leadership, the college's enrollment has increased by more than 40 percent and student scholarships have more than quadrupled. The college has raised private funds to establish several faculty endowed chairs and fellowships, which have been filled by professors with national and international credentials in teaching and scholarship.

The college also has received national recognition during Ebadi's tenure, including being listed for the first time among BusinessWeek's top undergraduate business programs for 2010, and having the college's master of business administration program ranked among the Global 100 best in the Aspen Institute's Beyond Grey Pinstripes biennial survey and alternative rankings in fall 2009. Such recognitions are vital in helping K-State become recognized nationally as a top 50 public research university by 2025, Mason said.

In addition, Ebadi helped guide the college's successful reaccreditation bids in 1998 and 2008 from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the premier business accrediting agency in the world. He is a member of the association, serving on its pre-accreditation committee and as a peer review team chair and member in the accreditation process for numerous business schools nationally and internationally.

"The progress made by the College of Business Administration would not have been possible without the commitment and dedication of our exceptional faculty and staff," Ebadi said. "I want to thank them all for their contributions in the college's many successful endeavors, and the significant roles they have all played in helping the college to fulfill its mission and provide the highest quality business education possible to our students."

Mason said a national search will be conducted during the 2010-2011 academic year to find Ebadi's successor.

Ebadi is active in numerous academic, professional and university organizations. He is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Gamma Sigma, Sigma Iota Epsilon, Tau Beta Pi and Pi Tau Sigma honoraries. His professional memberships include the Academy of Management and the Decision Sciences Institute. Since 2007 he has served as a member of the editorial review board of the International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management.

He received the College of Business Administration's Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 1987 and served as president of the Midwest Business Deans Association in 2001-2002.

Ebadi has served on numerous committees, including the Commerce Bank-Manhattan board of directors, the University Strategic Committee, the Council of Academic Deans and several major search committees. Ebadi also is an active member of Rotary and the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce.

Ebadi earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Kabul University through a partnership with the Georgia Institute of Technology. He completed his first two years at Kabul and his final two years at Georgia Tech. He received his master of business administration in production and operations management and his doctorate in management, both from Indiana University. He also received additional professional certifications from the University of Minnesota and from Harvard University.