The new dean of the Haworth College of Business will discuss “Business Education: Moving Forward While Meeting Today’s Challenges,” when she takes the podium on Friday, Sept. 24, in the first event of the year’s Keystone Community Bank Breakfast Series.
Dr. Kay M. Palan, who took the reins of the College on July 1, will speak at 8 a.m. The event is free and open to the public and begins with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. followed by the presentation. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (269) 387-6059.
Palan comes to WMU from Iowa State University, where she was associate dean for undergraduate programs in the college of business and associate professor of marketing. She has an extensive background in marketing, the health care industry and managing collegiate entrepreneurial programs.
During her 16-year tenure at ISU, Palan managed and coordinated both an undergraduate minor in entrepreneurial studies and a graduate certificate program in the same field. She undertook a number of marketing-related consulting projects with civic, nonprofit and corporate entities throughout the state. Those projects dealt with marketing strategy, market opportunity analysis, feasibility studies, communication branding strategies, marketing plan development and customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Prior to her positions at ISU, she completed her doctoral degree from Texas Tech University in 1994. Palan earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nursing from Winona State University (Minn.) in 1976 and a Master of Business Administration degree from Minnesota State University – Moorhead (formerly Moorhead State) in 1990.
Palan leads the Haworth College of Business, WMU’s second largest college and the academic home to over 4,500 students studying in six departments. The college is among an elite group of fewer than five percent of business schools worldwide that are accredited by AACSB-International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. It is among a select two percent of business schools worldwide that have additional specialized accreditation for their accountancy programs.
The Keystone Community Bank Breakfast Series is underwritten through the generosity of Keystone Community Bank. The series provides an opportunity for the local community to hear prominent business leaders, WMU faculty, alumni and friends of the Haworth College of Business discuss current business issues and corporate strategies as well as key information regarding the continuing progress of the college.
