Fuller chosen as new dean of Isenberg School

June 11, 2009

Read Mark Fuller's Biography and curriculum vitae in pdf format.

Mark A. Fuller, professor and chair of the department of information systems at Washington State University, has been named dean of the Isenberg School of Management.

Fuller's appointment, which is effective Aug. 1, was announced June 11 by Chancellor Robert C. Holub. "Mark Fuller is a proven academic leader who understands the challenges and demands facing today's business schools. His outstanding teaching and research credentials combined with his entrepreneurial spirit will continue the Isenberg School's commitment to innovation and enhance its national stature," said Holub.

"I am truly honored to have been selected as the next dean for the Isenberg School of Management," said Fuller. "With its excellent faculty and outstanding national reputation, I believe the Isenberg School is poised to reach new heights, and I'm excited to be a part of those efforts."

Along with his appointment as dean and professor in finance and operations management, Fuller will be the first recipient of the Dean Thomas O'Brien Endowed Chair in the Isenberg School, which was funded by alumni as part of an effort to help recruit a dynamic new leader for the school. A joint effort of the school's Business Advisory Council and development office, the Campaign for Isenberg Leadership has raised $2.5 million in gifts and pledges for the chair. Resources from the endowment will provide Fuller with the opportunity to fund new initiatives and to make strategic investments to strengthen the school, as well as fund a portion of the dean's salary.

The dean's position at the Isenberg School has been filled on an interim basis since Thomas O'Brien stepped down after 19 years in 2006. Søren Bisgaard served as interim dean from 2006-07, when the current interim dean, D. Anthony Butterfield, was appointed.

Fuller joined the College of Business at Washington State University (WSU) in 2000 as an associate professor. He was appointed chair of the department of information systems in 2003 and was promoted to professor in 2006, when he was also named the Philip L. Kays Distinguished Professor of Management Information Systems. Last year, Fuller was appointed director for professional business programs, a post responsible for launching new revenue-generating programs for the college.

Fuller's department at WSU was recently ranked ninth in the nation for research productivity in a select group of information systems journals, according to a report published in Communications of the Association for Information Systems. He has also represented his college in discussions with Seattle area business leaders on research and development opportunities. Current development activities include assisting in fundraising for a new, interdisciplinary, state-of-the-art Center for Behavior Business Research associated with the College of Business; establishing scholarships for undergraduates and Ph.D. students, and creating revenue-generating continuing education programs.

An expert in distance education, he managed WSU's online program in management information systems, a program that generated revenue for his department and college and served as a model for other online efforts.

Fuller also taught at Baylor University from 1992 to 2000 and held an appointment in 1998 at the Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration in Finland.

Fuller's research focuses on virtual teamwork, technology-supported learning, and trust and efficacy in technology-mediated environments. His work has been published in a number of journals in the field. Fuller is also the co-author of the textbook "Information Systems Project Management," published last year by Prentice Hall.

He is the recipient of several teaching and faculty research awards at WSU and Baylor.

Fuller is a graduate of the University of Arizona, where he received his B.S. in biology in 1985, an M.S. in management and policy in 1987 and his Ph.D. in management information systems in 1993.