The Marriott School at Brigham Young University announced the appointment of Kristie Seawright as director of the Center for International Business Education Research (CIBER).
Seawright will replace Stan Fawcett, who served as director of the center for two years. Fawcett was recently awarded the Donald L. Staheli Professorship in International Management and will continue teaching full time. Seawright will assume the responsibility at the beginning of the spring term.
“We are pleased to have a woman of Kristie’s talent, intelligence and commitment accept this assignment,” said Ned C. Hill, dean of the Marriott School. “Kristie is energetically involved in teaching international courses, researching international issues and leading students on business-related study abroad experiences.”
Seawright, an assistant professor of business management, is gaining recognition for her research on international quality management and entrepreneurship in developing nations. For more than six years she has conducted on-site research and teaching visits in Russia, comparing the skills of successful entrepreneurs in Russia with the skills of entrepreneurs in Mexico, portions of the United States and developing Southeast Asian countries.
“I’m very committed to helping our students refine their international business skills,” Seawright said. “It is very rewarding to watch students visit developing countries and apply the business principles they have learned in an international business environment. These visits change their lives. I want to ensure that our students are prepared with international expertise to make the US competitive in the global business environment.”
Seawright has taught at the Marriott School since 1994. Prior to joining the Marriott School faculty, she earned a PhD in operations management, an MBA and a BS in accountancy from the University of Utah.
The Marriott School’s CIBER is run jointly with the University of Utah, the only joint CIBER of the27 funded by the US Department of Education. CIBER is designed to promote the competitiveness of US businesses through an integrated international curriculum, outreach programs and faculty and student international research.
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Writer: Peter Carr (801) 378-1512