UNLV President Neal Smatresk announced today that Brent Hathaway will become dean of the university's Lee Business School, effective Oct. 1, 2013. Hathaway has served as dean of the University of Wyoming College of Business since 2004 and previously served as chair of the college's department of management and marketing.

"We are delighted to have Brent Hathaway as dean of the Lee Business School," said John White, UNLV executive vice president and provost. "Brent is a proven leader with a successful record at Wyoming. He also brings to the position significant experience in the corporate world and a strong academic record. This combination of experience, along with his track record of successful leadership, is exactly what the Lee Business School and UNLV need as we work to advance education, research, and economic development in Nevada and Las Vegas."

Hathaway, who in addition to his deanship has been named the Ted and Doris Lee Professor of Business, has published and presented extensively about entrepreneurship, leadership, business sustainability, ethics, and the economy.

At Wyoming, he co-founded the Wyoming Business Leadership Institute to support business growth and expansion within the state. He launched an online executive MBA program and a college career center, and he distinguished the university within the energy sector by adding energy as an emphasis in the college's graduate programs. He also secured more than $50 million in funding for college facility improvements.

"I couldn't be more excited about joining the outstanding faculty, staff, and students at the Lee Business School," said Hathaway. "I look forward to becoming part of the UNLV family and working with my new colleagues to develop and execute a plan that will lead the Lee Business School into a new era of excellence."

Prior to moving into academic leadership, Hathaway held a number of positions in the business sector. He served as vice president of marketing and sales for aerospace services at Honeywell International; director of marketing for agricultural equipment at Case Corporation; and president and general manager at Concord, Inc. Before that, he was principal/director of Prism Consulting, a technology, industrial manufacturing and business services firm.

Hathaway earned a Ph.D. in business administration from the University of Illinois, a master's degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University and a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from Utah State University.

Hathaway succeeds Paul Jarley, who served as dean of the Lee Business School from 2007 to 2012. Percy Poon has served as interim dean since 2012. Poon also served as an associate dean and business professor.

The Lee Business School at UNLV is one of only 178 schools worldwide accredited in business and accounting by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The school offers the only accredited business program in Southern Nevada. Through its research centers and institutes, the school is a respected resource for reliable data on the regional and national economy, the real estate market, and other economic indicators impacting Southern Nevada.