Dr. Ahmad Tootoonchi has been selected as the dean of the College of Business and Global Affairs, effective June 20.

Tootoonchi is the current dean of the College of Business at Eastern Washington University. He earned his doctorate in leadership and human behavior, and a master’s degree in management and organizational development from U.S. International University.

“Dr. Tootoonchi brings a tremendous amount of experience as an administrator, a faculty member and with the AACSB accrediting organization,” said Dr. Phil Cavalier, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.  “His commitment to building consensus while leading faculty is a hallmark of his career.  I look forward to working with him to enhance further the extraordinary quality of the College of Business and Global Affairs.”

Tootoonchi has served at Eastern Washington University since 2017, after working at Frostburg State University in Maryland for 28 years. During his time at Frostburg State, Tootoonchi served as the chair of the Department of Management, dean of the College of Business and interim provost.

“I am honored to have been named dean of the UT Martin College of Business and Global Affairs. My visit to UT Martin allowed me to meet many of the college’s outstanding faculty and students. I was impressed by the campus mission to educate students and serve the Northwest Tennessee region, and I am eager to move to Martin and join the UTM Skyhawk family.”

Tootoonchi has authored three books on leadership, including “Guiding Principles for Leadership and Professional Success,” “Foundation and Practical Elements of Leadership” and “101 Leadership Tips.” He has also received the President’s Award for Outstanding Service from the International Academy of Business Disciplines three consecutive years.

Dr. Katie High has served as interim dean of the College of Business and Global Affairs since July 2019.

“The search for the dean of the College of Business and Global affairs attracted an extremely high number of qualified applicants who were interested in coming to UT Martin because of our campus mission and culture,” said High. “I have no doubt Dr. Tootoonchi will be able to lead the college to even greater success and will bring invaluable leadership to the entire UT Martin family. We are lucky to have him.”

The AACSB International Board of Directors confirmed Jan. 30 that the University of Tennessee at Martin will maintain AACSB accreditation for all of its business programs for the next five years. Accredited programs include marketing, management, information systems, accounting, economics and finance at the undergraduate level and the Master of Business Administration degree for graduate students.

For more information, contact the College of Business and Global Affairs at 731-881-7227.