Corey Phelps, former dean of the Michael F. Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma and professor of entrepreneurship, has been named the next John and Karen Arnold Dean of the Smeal College of Business at Pennsylvania State University.
Phelps will succeed Charles Whiteman, who will retire at the end of June 2024, and will report to interim executive vice president and dean Tracy Langkilde, effective July 15.
“We are pleased to have a leader like Corey join our talented team at the Smeal College of Business,” said Lankilde. release“With his proven experience as the dean of a major state business school, Corey has the vision and ability to build on the strong foundation that Dean Whiteman has built at Smeal College over the years. Corey values community, has inspiring ideas for collaborative initiatives and is committed to excellence in research and teaching. We look forward to even greater success for Smeal College under Corey’s leadership.”
Prior to his work at Oklahoma, Mr. Phelps served as Associate Dean of Executive Education and Associate Professor of Strategy and Organization at the Desautels School of Management at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Prior to his work at McGill, Mr. Phelps worked on the faculty of both HEC in Paris and the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington. He earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees from San Diego State University and his PhD and Master of Business Administration from the Stern School of Business at New York University.
Phelps has lived and worked in the United States, France, and Canada and has taught and consulted in over 30 countries worldwide. His research has been published in top management journals at the intersection of strategy, entrepreneurship, and innovation, and he co-authored a book in 2018.
As a member of Penn State’s Academic Leadership Council and the Academic Deans’ Council, Phelps will help advance university-wide goals, including implementing Penn State’s modern budget model.
“I am very excited to take over from Chuck Whiteman and build on the momentum and foundation he has built at Smeal College,” Phelps said. “Smeal College stood out to me in every way. It has a very strong foundation of programs, centers, facilities, relationships and reputation. There is great momentum on many fronts and an energy to excel.”
