Pat Cleveland Heads Business School's Undergraduate Programs

College Park, MD - August 4, 1998 - Dr. Pat Cleveland has been appointed assistant dean for undergraduate programs at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, College Park. For the past six years, she was the assistant dean for student academic services at the University of Hawaii's College of Business.

"I am excited to join the dynamic team of the Robert H. Smith School of Business at a time when organizations are being transformed by the use of database management systems, group decision support technologies, and other innovations," says Cleveland. "The Smith School is dedicated to ensuring that its programs are in sync with the complex demands of today's, and tomorrow's, technology-rich workplace."

Cleveland adds: "Our undergraduate program staff is wonderful, and I look forward to working with our students to help them reach their personal and professional goals. I know it will be rewarding and fun to build on the natural enthusiasm that undergraduates bring to their study of business and the world."

Cleveland brings a strong background in teaching and academic administration. Her research interests include organizational change, particularly the implementation of new information systems in organizations. During her tenure at Hawaii, she expanded those interests to focus on utilizing group decision support systems to develop a college-wide database management system for tracking students and alumni. She also taught Organizational Behavior in the MBA core and developed the business college's Outreach MBA delivered via interactive television.

Before joining the University of Hawaii, Cleveland held administrative and faculty positions at other institutions. She served as director of academic and regulatory affairs for Bowling Green State University's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. She also is a former director of undergraduate advising in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Kansas. In addition, she has served on the faculties of Ft. Lewis College in Colorado and Ottawa University in Kansas. Cleveland has a Ph.D. and M.A., both in sociology, from the University of Kansas.

The undergraduate program of the Smith School of Business has earned an outstanding national reputation. In its most recent survey, U.S. News & World Report ranks the program 20th nationwide in terms of academic quality.

More than 2,000 undergraduates are pursuing business degrees at the Smith School of Business. Available majors include accounting, decision and information sciences, finance, international business, human resource management, logistics and transportation, and marketing. The program also offers an honors program, which provides an exceptional opportunity for students to develop enhanced business skills.

About the Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research for the digital economy. The school offers cross-functional study options in its six academic departments, which include accounting and information assurance; decision and information technologies; finance; logistics, business, and public policy; management and organization; and marketing. More information about the Robert H. Smith School of Business can be found at http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu.