New business dean eyes expansion

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Dr. Sara Freedman has taken office as the 17th dean of the William S. Spears School of Business. One of her first priorities is to invite participation in developing future plans, including expanding the school’s current building.

“I am delighted and honored to be at Oklahoma State University and one of the nation’s leading business schools,” Freedman said. “I look forward to working closely with our outstanding faculty and students to take the Spears School of Business to even greater levels of accomplishment. In particular, I am excited about the opportunity we have to improve facilities.

“It’s obvious that we need additional space to advance our objectives. I want people who care about the Spears School to help decide the specific goals we need to meet with the building expansion and decide what design will help us best attain them both now and for the future.

“Ultimately, the goal will be to get solid input so the architect can provide something we can embrace to meet our practical needs and aesthetic desires.”

The dean expects to name a diverse task force of faculty, students, staff, and alumni to address the expansion plans for the four-story building, which was originally constructed in 1966. Years later, an additional wing was added to increase classroom space.

Freedman listed strategic planning and getting to know faculty, students and alumni, among other top items on her list of immediate priorities for her new position. She officially became dean of the Spears School at OSU in late July after serving in the same position for eight years at Mississippi State University. Before MSU, she served three years as business dean at the University of Houston.  

Freedman received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Boston University and her Ph.D. in organizational behavior from the College of Business Administration at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.