Munir Quddus, Ph.D.
Dr. Munir Quddus has informed me of his decision to leave the dean’s role in the College of Business (COB) and return to the faculty at the end of the fall 2024 semester.
During his 23-year tenure as dean, the COB has experienced unprecedented growth and dynamism. From attaining “initial” AACSB accreditation in 2006, and since then ensuring three successful reaffirmations of accreditation visits, adding two master’s degree programs [i.e., MSA and the EMBA], introducing the “first” online MBA program in Texas, and most recently launching the “first” doctorate (DBA) program in Houston and Texas, offered by an AACSB accredited public institution (2021), the PVAMU COB team has made outstanding progress. Over the years, The COB has moved intentionally with a vision to contribute to society’s well-being through excellence and education. The PVAMU COB is known for community-oriented programs such as the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) supporting small business owners; the Voluntary Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) for low-income households in Prairie View, Waller, and nearby communities, and the Houston Wellness Program. These programs are often conducted in partnership with others and engage business students, staff, and faculty.
Under Dr. Quddus’ leadership, the COB has received substantial funding from foundations, companies, and corporations, some of whom actively recruit students from the PVAMU COB. Examples includes the recent commitments of $1.6 million from BP and Shell to support a new Energy Trading Program; a $750,000 gift from KPMG to support scholarships for the BBA/MS in Accounting 4+1 Program; a gift of $700,000 from the Deloitte Foundation to support Accounting Curriculum and Education, to increase the number of CPAs among the COB accounting graduates; a gift of $500,000 from the Blackstone Charitable Foundation to enhance entrepreneurship initiatives on campus; a gift of $ 1.0 million Chevron to establish the Chevron Leadership Academy to improve the soft skills of students majoring primarily in engineering and business; a $1.5 million grant from the Goldman Sachs Foundation to support faculty research related to their “One Million Black Women” Initiative, on which he serves as one of the Principle Investigators (co-PI) with Dr. M. Price of the Ruth Simmons Center for Race and Justice at PVAMU; and a Title III grant ($1.5 million) which supports the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” with Dr. Quddus as the Principle Investigator (PI).
The College of Business has grown from roughly (35) full-time faculty members in 2001 to more than (50) fifty full-time faculty and a dozen staff members during Dr. Quddus’ tenure. The enrollment grew from roughly 800 to over 1,600, making the COB the second-largest College on the PVAMU campus. The COB’s societal impact is reflected in the increasing number of “Centers” designed to serve the local communities and residents of Greater Houston through leadership training, entrepreneurship, small businesses assistance, healthcare, and wellness, and, of course, in preparing the next generation of business leaders, and entrepreneurs.
Dr. Quddus believes his most significant impact may lie in the dynamic team (i.e., faculty, staff, administrators) he has helped assemble in the COB. He stated, “None of this would have been possible without excellent teamwork, mutual respect, and a collective sense of mission. I remain optimistic about the future of this historic institution of higher learning and the College of Business. Our work has been transformative. I am grateful for being part of the COB team.”
Please join me in thanking Dr. Munir Quddus for his twenty-three years of outstanding academic leadership. We wish him well in all his future endeavors and look forward to his continued contributions to Prairie View A&M University as an endowed faculty member in the COB. A national search for the next Dean of the College of Business will commence during the fall 2024 semester.
Michael L. McFrazier, Interim Provost and Sr. Vice President for Academic Affairs