MBA program welcomes interim director

Monday, February 25, 2019

Those who know Matt Bowler best would describe him as driven, and those who hardly know him at all would describe him as energetic and passionate. These are the characteristics Bowler is applying to his new role as the interim director of Oklahoma State University’s Master of Business Administration program.

A Tulsa resident, Bowler has been a professor with OSU’s Spears School of Business since 2006, teaching in the management department and focuses his research on organizational behavior, specifically in the area of social network analysis and leadership.

As interim director, he is in charge of the curriculum, marketing and management of the MBA program and is excited to see what he can personally and collaboratively contribute to the program.

“I think a big asset that I bring to this position is that I’ve been in Tulsa for over a decade,” Bowler said. “So, I can see the Stillwater program from the outside.”

His goals for the MBA program focus on curriculum requirements.

“The plan is to grow the program and to have a critical mass of students coming through,” he said. “We are planning to streamline the curriculum, which is being done right now to make it more competitive with other MBA programs as well as other master’s programs.”

As someone who has taught OSU MBA students for more than a decade, Bowler sees an outstanding program with the potential to attract even more prospective students to the Stillwater campus in the future. He cites the strong base of faculty, alumni and students as the heart of the MBA program.

“We have an excellent group of students and faculty who are very strong and committed,” Bowler said. “I think we have a great base to build from, and we also have a very strong alumni advisory board that puts a lot of energy into the program.”

Bowler has a personal goal for his new role that mirrors his straightforward, energetic and no-nonsense personality.  

“My goal is to grow the program, both in numbers and quality,” he said. 

To learn more about the OSU MBA program, visit the website.