WSU Selects New Dean for Goddard School of Business
OGDEN, Utah – Weber State University announced the selection of Matthew Mouritsen as dean of the John B. Goddard School of Business & Economics, a role he has filled as interim dean since June 2019.
Mouritsen was selected from a national pool of candidates but is well known to the university, having served as director of the Master of Business Administration program from 2008 to 2019 and as a member of the faculty since 2001. He also earned his Bachelor of Arts in accounting from Weber State.
“Dr. Mouritsen has demonstrated a commitment to teaching that embeds scholarly relevance, innovative thinking and constructive service,” said Brad Mortensen, university president. “He is a talented teacher and a generous colleague, who has the support of students, peers and community business leaders.”
Mouritsen has authored and co-authored a number of articles about building trust and ethics in business and business schools. He believes that educating managers to prioritize ethical behavior and to emphasize long-term profitability over short-term gains is the way to restore consumer trust, particularly in marketing, but also in accounting, information technology, and every other business function. The Goddard School makes ethics a foundational principle in every course taught.
“The Goddard School's faculty and staff have a key role to play in moving the Utah economy forward,” Mouritsen said. “Our role is accomplished individually and collectively as we help students transform themselves through the acquisition of knowledge, skills, abilities and ethics. The engine of Utah’s economy is powered by each of our Goddard graduates.”
Since 2014, Weber State’s MBA enrollment has grown more than 50 percent. Some of that growth is attributable to the strong relationship Mouritsen helped establish with Hill Air Force Base. More than 50 students have been admitted to earn an MBA with an aerospace management graduate certificate. The MBA program’s dedicated staff has also achieved a milestone of more than 30 percent female enrollment.
In 2016, Mouritsen was honored as the Crystal Crest Master Teacher, which is given annually to one Weber State faculty member who has enhanced the learning environment at the university.
During his time as interim dean, Mouritsen led a college-wide strategic initiative to engage the entire college, including advisors, faculty and administrative staff, to discover innovative ways to meet the educational needs of Weber State students and prepare them to fulfill the demands of business.
“I am a firm believer in the strong and unique competitive advantage that Goddard School graduates achieve while attending Weber State,” Mouritsen said. “A large percentage of our students work in their fields, which connects our relevant curriculum with contemporary business practice. Being employed full time (or close to it) while attending school full time allows our students to gain the necessary skills they need to hit-the-ground-running. Our partner employers are very aware of the competitive advantage they gain when hiring Goddard graduates.”
Students in the Goddard School have the opportunity to build strong portfolios. They participate in faculty-led undergraduate research; run $10,000 of sponsored Google Adword campaigns for local non-profit organizations; participate in Outdoor Weber, an outdoor-inspired entrepreneurship competition; build strategic marketing plans for up-and-coming small businesses; and solve supply-chain problems in tandem with partners such as O.C. Tanner.
As the dean, Mouritsen is excited to continue this legacy of forward-thinking and hands-on learning.
Mouritsen holds an MBA and a doctoral degree in business information systems and education from Utah State University.
Mouritsen and his wife have one son, four daughters, and three grandchildren. He participates in trail running, ultramarathons, hiking and coaching youth sports.
He co-founded “Where Wildlife Wander,” a mobile app used to post wildlife photos on an interactive map to indicate where the animal was photographed.
For more information about the John B. Goddard School of Business & Economics, visit weber.edu/goddard.
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Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
Allison Barlow Hess, Public Relations director
801-626-7948 • ahess@weber.edu- Contact:
Allison Barlow Hess, Public Relations director
801-626-7948 • ahess@weber.edu