A professor with extensive experience in project management and information technology has been named acting dean of the University of Indianapolis School of Business.

Knapp

Karl Knapp joined the UIndy faculty in 2006 and has been serving as an associate professor of business administration. Executive Vice President and Provost Deborah Balogh said his range of skills made him a clear choice to lead the business school as the national search for a permanent dean continues.

“Dr. Knapp is a committed teacher with a demonstrated ability to think innovatively and build relationships on and off campus,” Balogh said. “His business connections and his significant management experience in industry will ensure that our academic programs maintain their relevance to regional workforce needs and economic development.”

Prior to his nine years in academia, Knapp spent 17 years in positions that included manager of information services and Six Sigma expert for Raytheon Technical Services Co. and director of information technology for Indianapolis Life Insurance Co. He also has worked, managed and consulted in strategic planning, organizational development, human resources, and mergers and acquisitions. He is a member of the Institute for Supply Management and the Academy of Management, among other professional associations.

Knapp said he looks forward to playing a leadership role among colleagues who also bring strong business backgrounds to their work.

“I think our faculty’s combination of academic achievement and real-world experience makes us distinctive in this market,” he said. “Indiana is poised for impressive economic growth, and the UIndy School of Business has an important role to play in that process.”

Knapp’s commitment to students is reflected in his selection as UIndy Teacher of the Year in 2010 and Business Professor of the Year in 2009 and 2010, as well as his role as adviser to the UIndy Supply Chain Society and its successful student case competition team.

A resident of Fishers, Knapp holds master’s and doctoral degrees in business administration from Anderson University. He replaces the previous business dean, Associate Professor Sheela Yadav, who is on requested leave and will return to a faculty position.

Dresslar

David Dresslar, executive director of UIndy’s Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning, was invited to to write an opinion column for the latest Indianapolis Business Journal about Indiana’s debate over Common Core education standards.

“Controversy over education policy is normal and healthy for the Indiana General Assembly, but this session’s pointless rancor over Common Core State Standards has only hindered progress in teaching our children and building our communities,” he wrote.

IBJ subscribers can read the full item here.

Sam

Just wrapping up his first year at UIndy, international student Henry Sam has received a $1,000 boost in his quest to become a physician and work for the betterment of his native Ghana.

A biology and chemistry double major with a pre-med concentration, Sam landed the scholarship money by placing second in a national essay contest sponsored by student insurance provider LewerMark. The theme: “How will an international education help me make a difference in the world?”

Sam’s essay notes the disparity in educational opportunities between the U.S. and his home country.

“The availability of state-of-the-art teaching equipment, improved and better teaching methods which I lacked in my juvenile education, has to a great extent given me the impetus to climb the academic ladder to the best of my ability,” he writes.

“The friendship ties and network I enjoy with like-minded students have the potential to help me in my future ambition of seeking to help reform the health sector of my country. Not only have my interactions with students sharpened my English for effective communication, but it has also helped me in dispelling the stereotypes I held previously. I now understand more profoundly, and appreciate more lovingly, the differences that come with different nationalities and cultures … .”

Sam plans to enter medical school, become a surgeon and also obtain a doctorate in genetic engineering. His contest entry was sponsored by Associate Professor Gerald Zimmerman.

“You have to have your own moral compass,” said Smiley, host of the nightly talk show Tavis Smiley on PBS and The Tavis Smiley Show from Public Radio International. “If you can see the world through the prism of those who are disenfranchised, then that moral compass will serve you even better.”

Having grown up in Indiana, Smiley teased university President Robert Manuel – enjoying his first commencement weekend since joining UIndy last year — about being a newcomer to the state. Smiley noted that he had some family in attendance.

“This is the one commencement address I’ve given where someone came to see me,” he said. “My mom is here.”

Faculty members applaud graduates after Saturday’s ceremony.

This year, 428 graduate students and 849 undergraduates were eligible to receive diplomas during commencement exercises Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Ellen Annala, retired president and CEO of the United Way of Central Indiana, addressed the graduate students and their supporters on Friday.

Closing his remarks Saturday, Smiley told the graduates that their academic achievements would give them not only opportunities in life, but also responsibilities to their fellow citizens. He urged them to take leadership roles in fighting for the common good.

“Ask yourself, ‘What is my assignment?’” he said. “You can’t lead people unless you love people. And you can’t save people unless you serve people. That’s my definition of leadership.”

Manuel and Executive Vice President and Provost Deborah Balogh conferred honorary degrees on Smiley and previous UIndy President Beverley Pitts. Manuel also announced the establishment of the Beverley J. Pitts Distinguished Professorship in communication and sports management.

Wrapping up his first year at UIndy, President Robert Manuel (left) congratulates graduates at Saturday’s Undergraduate Commencement.