The State University of New York at Old Westbury has announced that Dr. Shalei Simms has been named dean of its School of Business. Simms had served as the acting dean since summer 2021.
"Over the past more than two years, Dr. Simms has provided tremendous leadership and vision for the School of Business," said Dr. Dorothy Escribano, interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University. "Most notably, she and her colleagues in the School of Business prepared for and executed the application and site visit that resulted last summer in our campus having earned accreditation from AACSB International, the world’s most prestigious accrediting body for schools of business."
As dean, Simms leads a School of Business that serves more than 700 students studying in undergraduate degree programs centered in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance and Marketing, five-year programs in Accounting and Accounting/Taxation, and graduate programs in Accounting, Forensic Accounting, and Taxation.
"The business faculty at SUNY Old Westbury has been preparing students for careers in business for more than 45 years," said Simms. "I am proud to work with my colleagues as we pursue our mission to empower students with the knowledge, skills, and values to think critically, communicate effectively, and act responsibly in the constantly changing landscape of business today."
Prior to her work as dean, Dr. Simms had served the University in a variety of roles, including as director of graduate programs for the School of Business, as a tenured faculty member within the Management, Marketing and Finance Department, as vice-chair of the campus' Faculty Senate and as interim assistant vice president of academic affairs. While serving in Academic Affairs the breadth of her service included oversight responsibilities for educational pipeline initiatives, extramurally funded academic programming and administrative supports for applied learning.
Last year, she was recognized by Long Island Business News with its "Diversity in Business Award" for "actively supporting the growth of diversity and equality in the Long Island community." She currently sits on the board of directors for the Teachers Federal Credit Union, one of the largest credit unions in the country, and is a former member of the Board of Managers of the Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA. She presents her “From Idea to Action” and “Level-up” workshop series to potential small business entrepreneurs and provides individual consulting to small business owners.
Simms holds a Ph.D. from Rutgers University and a B.A. from Wesleyan University. She is a member of the Academy of Management, Management Faculty of Color Association and Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc.
About the SUNY Old Westbury School of Business
The SUNY Old Westbury School of Business is accredited by AACSB International, the largest and longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools worldwide. With degree programs centered in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance and Marketing, the School of Business pursues its mission of empowering students with the knowledge, skills, and values to think critically, communicate effectively, and act responsibly in the constantly changing landscape of business today. Serving more than 700 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs, the School of Business offers rigorous academic training in a small class atmosphere.