OSU Ph.D. in Business Program Attracts Executives From Across the United States

Friday, January 20, 2012

(STILLWATER, Okla. Jan. 20, 2012) – Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business is entering groundbreaking territory as it launches a new and unique program for executive development. The first class of the Ph.D. in Business for Executives* features 19 participants from seven states across the United States who represent 10 industries.

The three-year program kicked off Jan. 13-14 with an orientation session at the Helmerich Research Center on the OSU-Tulsa campus. The 19 participants were welcomed to the program by Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb, Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis, Spears School of Business Dean Larry Crosby, and program directors Ramesh Sharda and Craig Wallace.

“We are pleased to introduce the initial cohort to our first-of-its-kind Ph.D. in Business for Executives,” Crosby said. “The program is designed to bridge between advanced scholarship and the contemporary needs of business and industry, leading to an acceleration of business leadership capabilities for the participants and for the economy.

“It’s exciting to see the caliber of individuals and the variety of industries represented in this group. We believe that making a difference in the future world of business will require executives to stretch their leadership potential, and we are looking forward to seeing what they accomplish as they embark on this journey.”

Executives participating in the program are (listed alphabetically):

•  David Altounian, Chairman and Founder, Motion Computing
•  Scott Anderson, Operations Manager, CRI Feeders of Guymon, LLC
•  Thomas Bennett Jr., Chairman and co-CEO, First Oklahoma Bank
•  Jonathan Butler, President, Quarter Guard Asset Management
•  Richard Castagna, Assistant Vice President, Union Pacific
•  Fred Cleveland, Chief Operating Officer/Senior Vice President Technical Operations, American Eagle Airlines
•  Durand Crosby, Chief Operating Officer, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health
•  Derrick Davis, Advanced Sales Manager/Director of Data Center Virtualization, Cisco Systems
•  Warren Dyer, Chief Executive Officer, Ulterra
•  David Gregor, Chief Operating Officer, Innovative Steel Detailing, Inc.
•  Richard Guthrie, President, GPB Management Consultants, LLC
•  Toby Joplin, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, R.L. Hudson & Company
•  Patricia Jordan, General Manager, Webco Industries
•  George Mayleben, Lt. Col., Inspector General, U.S. Air Force
•  Philip McMahan, President, First National Bank in Altus
•  Dessie Nash, Vice President, Market Investment Director, U.S. Trust
•  Donald Rowlett, Director Regulatory Policy, OGE Energy Corp.
•  James Thomas, Deputy Force Supply Officer, U.S. Navy
•  Thomas Totten, Chief Executive Officer, Nyhart

More than half of the 2012 class includes executives from outside of Oklahoma, including participants from Texas (5), and one each from Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland and Virginia. The class also encompasses a wide variety of industries, including financial services (4), transportation and logistics (3), construction (2), consulting (2), government (2), information technology (2), and one each from agriculture and forestry, energy, manufacturing and wholesale trade.

“We are excited to launch this new genre of executive education programs that blends academic research with organizational experiences at a new level and prepares executives to apply as well as contribute to business research,” said Ramesh Sharda, director of the program. “The Spears School is creating new ground by launching this blended program.”

For more information or to explore how to become a member of the 2013 class, go to the Ph.D. in Business for Executives website: http://phdexec.okstate.edu

Cutline: Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb (center) welcomes the inaugural class of participants in the Ph.D. of Business for Executives, a groundbreaking executive development program only offered by Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business.

 * The official name of the degree program is Ph.D. in Business Administration: Executive Research Option

Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant system that cuts across disciplines to better prepare students for success. Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, OSU improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world. The Spears School of Business is dedicated to the original land-grant vision of integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach. For more information, call 405-744-5064 or visit spears.okstate.edu.

Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant system of interdisciplinary programs that prepares students for success. OSU is America’s Brightest Orange.  Through leadership and service, OSU is preparing students for a bright future and building a brighter world for all.  As Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, OSU improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research, and outreach. OSU has more than 35,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 24,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and around 120 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 240,000 students to serve the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world.