(PDF) (DOC) (JPG)May 17, 2006

(Mahwah) – Dr. Peter Philip Mercer, president of Ramapo College of New Jersey, today announced the appointment of Dr. Lewis M. Chakrin, a Mendham resident and former corporate executive at AT&T, as dean of the College’s Anisfield School of Business.  His appointment becomes effective July 1, subject to approval by Ramapo College’s Board of Trustees.

Chakrin brings vast academic and corporate experience to the position.  He began his career as a researcher with Bell Labs, where he developed quantitative analysis techniques and applied them to business problems.  After 12 years as a basic researcher he embarked on a diverse business career.  He most recently served as executive vice president, corporate strategy and business development, for AT&T Wireless in Redmond, WA.  In that capacity, he was responsible for the overall strategic direction of the company and for all business development activity in support of the strategy.  Prior to that he held numerous other senior positions.

He earned a Ph.D. degree in finance and an M.B.A. from the Stern School of Business, New York University.   He graduated with a master of science degree in operations research from the School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University, and a bachelor of science degree in operations research from the School of Engineering at New York University.

I’m thrilled Dr. Chakrin has agreed to join us in the Anisfield School of Business and I am very much looking forward to working with him,” said President Mercer.

Chakrin has published several articles and holds a patent for a cellular/PCS handset with download capability using a wide-area paging system.    He has served as director on several public boards:  Rogers Wireless Communications, Inc., Netro Corp., LIN TV Corp and Lin Broadcasting Corp.

The newly named dean was a second prize winner (with J.L. Showers) of the Tenth Annual Management Science Achievement Award Competition for the development and implementation of a credit-scoring system for residential telephone customers, and winner of the New York University Money Marketeers Thesis Prize for best thesis in the field of banking and finance.

The selection of the business school dean coincides with new attention focused on Ramapo’s business school.  In April, longtime college supporters Richard and Millicent Anisfield announced they would contribute $2.5 million (in addition to previous gifts totaling more than $500,000) toward the business school to support construction of a new building, an endowed deanship, endowed student scholarships and faculty fellowship awards.   To express appreciation for these contributions, the Ramapo College Board of Trustees named the business school in their honor.  Construction of the new facility has already begun.

The Board of Trustees has taken the initial steps to reinvigorate the school’s curriculum to establish a top-ranked program and seek accreditation by AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business).  AACSB is the premier accrediting organization for business programs on a global basis.  This initiative is a public commitment to raising the quality of business education within the broader liberal arts curriculum at Ramapo College.  New full-time faculty lines, the first in the business school in several years, have been filled with new faculty in economics, marketing and international business who have recently received their Ph.D.s.  All are committed to teaching and have well-defined research agendas.  The School will continue to recruit highly qualified new faculty in order to raise the number of full-time teaching staff.

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About Ramapo College

Ramapo College of New Jersey is the state’s premier public liberal arts college and is committed to academic excellence through interdisciplinary and experiential learning, and international and intercultural understanding. The comprehensive college is situated among the beautiful Ramapo Mountains, is within commuting distance to New York City, was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful College Campuses in America by CondeNast Traveler, and boasts the best on-campus housing in New Jersey per Niche.com. Established in 1969, Ramapo College offers bachelor’s degrees in the arts, business, data science, humanities, social sciences and the sciences, as well as in professional studies, which include business, education, nursing and social work. In addition, the College offers courses leading to teacher certification at the elementary and secondary levels, and offers graduate programs leading to master’s degrees in Accounting, Applied Mathematics, Business Administration, Contemporary Instructional Design, Computer Science, Creative Music Technology, Data Science, Educational Leadership, Nursing, Social Work and Special Education, as well as a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

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