Dr. Rachel Clapp-Smith has been named the dean of the University of North Georgia’s (UNG) Mike Cottrell College of Business (MCCB), a role she will begin July 21.

Clapp-Smith comes to UNG from Purdue University Northwest, where she serves as the Teddy Jacobi Dean of the College of Business. Prior to her current role, she served as associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs responsible for faculty development and student success, and as director of the Leadership Institute.

Her visit to UNG during the interview process and interactions with students, faculty and staff were helpful in showing her the culture of UNG.

“It’s amazing how connected the university is to the community it serves,” Clapp-Smith said.

She has a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the University of Nebraska and a Master of Business Administration from the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University.

Clapp-Smith looks forward to the brainstorming and collaborative teamwork that will unfold as she joins the team at UNG.

“I enjoy seeing how we can be creative, how we can innovate and how we can provide more value,” Clapp-Smith said.

Clapp-Smith’s research focus is on leadership, and that made the TRUIST Center for Ethical Leadership in the MCCB and the Leadership Foundry strategic big bet particularly appealing.

Read the complete announcement at the University of North Georgia website here.