Moez Limayem has been named the new dean for the USF College of Business. Here are five things to know about the man who succeeds Robert Forsythe, who served as dean since 2006.
1. Limayem brings a "world" of experience with him. He was born in Tunisia, has lived on four continents and speaks at least a portion of six languages. He received his MBA and PhD in business administration from the University of Minnesota, where he also began his teaching career. He's taught or served in administrative positions at Laval University in Canada, City University of Hong Kong and Lausanne University in Switzerland.
2. His last job before joining USF was at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, where he was the associate dean for research and graduate programs, the executive director of the Information Technology Research Institute and the Radio Frequency Identification Center, and the Bradberry Chair in Information Systems. Limayem was responsible for all the graduate business programs and executive education programs and also supervised 11 outreach and research centers.
3. Limayem believes that his international experience will help prepare USF Business students for a global workforce.
"Global literacy is so fundamental to our students now, and employers, when they hire our students, they expect them to operate in this global environment, so that is very important and I am hoping my experience in this area, having started programs in different places, would help,” Limayem says.
4. He wants to take the foundation Forsythe helped build and make the USF College of Business one of the country's leading business schools.
“For students, it means the college of choice, a college where they have the best possible educational experience, where they can get the best possible job," Limayem says. "Leading business school for researcher and faculty and academic world means it’s a place where we don’t just consume knowledge, but it’s a place where we also contribute to science and contribute to knowledge. Leading business school for the business community means a place where they can come to have the best possible graduates.”
5. Limayem says USF is a perfect place, not just for him, but for his family as well. His wife, Dr. Alya Limayem, will join the Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology as a research assistant professor later this year.
As for his two young children, Kareem (born in Hong Kong) and Sarah (born in Arkansas), Limayem says, "They're already (USF) Bulls, they have all the gear, the t-shirts and the hats, they're very excited!"
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