Thomas Traynor, interim dean of the Wright State University Raj Soin College of Business, has been named the college’s new dean effective Nov. 1.
Traynor was named interim dean in April 2017 after serving as associate dean for graduate studies and executive education. He replaced Joanne Li, who took the position of dean of the College of Business at Florida International University.
Traynor earned a Ph.D. in economics from Purdue University in 1988 and joined Wright State’s faculty as an assistant professor that year and has been professor of economics since 2003. He was the chair of the Department of Economics from 1998 to 2001 and from 2010 to 2016.
As the interim dean, Traynor facilitated the development of a new master’s degree program in marketing analytics, a new graduate certificate in IT management and a new undergraduate certificate in business analytics.
He also oversaw the construction of the college’s New Center for Career Management, which provides a dedicated space for student career preparation. In addition, the B.S.B. with a major in management information systems retained its first-in-Ohio accreditation from the ABET Computing Commission.
The Raj Soin College of Business holds both accreditations awarded by AACSB, in business and accountancy, as well as ABET Computing Commission accreditation in management information systems.
Princeton Review lists the Raj Soin College of Business as a Best Business School, and U.S. News and World Report lists the college as a Best Business School for Undergraduate Business Programs, Online MBA, Online Graduate Business Programs and Best Business Schools for Military Personnel and Veterans. Recently, the college was ranked 21st in the nation among financial planning programs by Wealth Management.