Meet the Deans of the LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business

Eli Jones
Dean
E. J. Ourso College of Business

Eli Jones is the dean of the E. J. Ourso College, the E. J. Ourso Distinguished Professor of Business, and has been employed by the University since 2008. He earned his bachelor's in journalism from Texas A&M University in 1982, his MBA from Texas A&M University in 1986, and his PhD in marketing from Texas A&M University in 1997. Jones previously spent 11 years at the University of Houston, advancing from assistant professor to full professor with tenure. Prior to his academic career, he worked in sales and management at Fortune 100 companies Quaker Oats, Nabisco, and Frito-Lay. At the University level, Jones is a member of the Deans Oversight Council for the LSU Press and is the vice-chair of the Louisiana Business & Technology Center's Advisory Board.

Jones' research interests include sales and sales management, and he has won various teaching and other awards, including the 2009 Best Paper Award from the Academy of Marketing Science, which he co-authored, and the 2009 Texas A&M University Outstanding Doctoral Alumnus Award. He has authored or co-authored three books and nearly 40 peer-reviewed articles, delivered or co-delivered more than 30 refereed conference proceedings and presentations, and has been awarded several competitive research grants. In addition to his service to his profession and academic discipline, which includes being elected to the American Marketing Association Academic Council, Jones serves the community through various appointments, including as a member of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber's Board of Directors. Jones oversees the E. J. Ourso College of Business Dean's Advisory Council and serves on its Louisiana Business Building Oversight Committee.

Helmut Schneider
Associate Dean
Research and Economic Development

Helmut Schneider is the associate dean for Research and Economic Development for the E. J. Ourso College, chair of the Department of Information Systems & Decision Sciences, the Ourso Family Distinguished Professor of Information Systems, and director of the Highway Safety Research Group. He has been the chair of ISDS since 1994, and employed by the University since 1985. Schneider earned his master's in mathematics from the Technical University of Darmstadt in 1974 and his PhD from the Free University of Berlin in 1978. He taught statistics at the latter from 1978 to 1983.

Schneider's research interests include operations management, risk analysis in information systems development, and risk analysis of traffic crashes. He is a board member of Quality Management Journal, has authored two books, and published more than 50 articles in revered journals. Additionally, Schneider is a member of several professional organizations, including the Association for Information Systems, the Information Systems Audit and Control Association, the American Statistical Association, and the American Society for Quality. Schneider serves on the Endowment Committee of the LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business Dean's Advisory Council.

Edward Watson
Associate Dean
Graduate Programs

Edward "Ed" Watson is the associate dean for Graduate Programs for the E. J. Ourso College, director of the LSU Flores MBA Program, and the E. J. Ourso Professor of Business Analysis in the Department of Information Systems & Decision Sciences where he has been a faculty member since 1994. He earned his bachelor's in industrial engineering and operations research from Syracuse University in 1984, his master's in industrial engineering and operations research from Pennsylvania State University in 1987, and his PhD in industrial and manufacturing systems engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1994. At the University level, Watson serves on the Faculty Senate International Committee and the provost's International Task Force. He previously taught in the MBA programs at Temple University, University of Kansas, and the University of Iowa, as well as in the School of Engineering at Pennsylvania State University.

Watson's teaching and research interests include global operations and supply chain management, technology management, and information technology-enabled business transformation. He has held positions at SAP, Systems Modeling Corporation, ATT, General Motors, and has consulted on numerous productivity related projects for many major companies. Additionally, Watson serves on the Globalization Committee of the LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business Dean's Advisory Council.

Richard White
Associate Dean
Academic Affairs

Richard White Jr. is the associate dean for Academic Affairs for the E. J. Ourso College and a Marjory B. Ourso Center for Excellence in Teaching Professor in the Public Administration Institute. White, who has been a faculty member since 1998, earned his bachelor's in political science from Old Dominion College, his MBA from Purdue University, his PhD in public administration from Penn State University, and was a National Security Research Fellow at Harvard University.

At the University level, White serves on the Program Review Council and previously served on the Faculty Senate. His teaching interests include public administration theory, state and local government, and organizational behavior. His research interests include leadership and ethics and are the subject of more than two dozen scholarly articles. An accomplished political biographer, he is the author of Roosevelt the Reformer: Theodore Roosevelt as Civil Service Commissioner (2003); Kingfish: The Reign of Huey P. Long (2006); and Will Rogers: A Political Life (2011). White received the E. J. Ourso College of Business 2000-2001 Excellence in Teaching Award. Prior to his academic career, he was a senior officer in the United States Coast Guard.White serves on the Recruitment and Placement Committee of the LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business Dean's Advisory Council.

Christopher Denstel
Associate Dean
Financial Services

Christopher "Chris" Denstel is the assistant dean of Financial Services for the E. J. Ourso College, an instructor in LSU's Department of Accounting, and has been employed by the University since 2003. He earned his bachelor's in management from LSU in 1988, his bachelor's in accounting from LSU in 1997, and his master's in accounting from LSU in 2002. Denstel previously worked as the college's business manager, SMG as an accounting manager, and for Exxon. He is a CPA in Louisiana.

Aside from his University duties, Denstel has been a personal income tax preparer, financial statement preparer, and bookkeeper for small businesses since 1997. He has authored articles, offering tax tips for the general public. Denstel serves on the Endowment Committee of the LSU E. J. Ourso College Dean's Advisory Council.

Ashley Junek
Associate Dean
Academic Programs

Ashley Junek is the assistant dean for Academic Programs for the E. J. Ourso College, teaches "Introduction to the Study of Business" to upperclassmen admitted to the college, and has been employed by the University since 1997. She earned her bachelor's in psychology from Southeastern Louisiana University in 1994, her master's in education with a concentration in agency counseling from LSU in 1996, and her PhD in education research & leadership with a concentration in higher education from LSU in 2007. Junek previously worked for 10 years in LSU's College of Basic Sciences as an academic counselor. At the University level, Junek is the chair of the LSU Advisor Awareness Day Committee.

Junek holds a professional license in mental health counseling and is a member of the National Academic Advising Association. In 2003, she served as a panelist at the Southeastern Association of Advisors for the Health Professions Conference and was a presenter at the Association for the Study of Higher Education National Conference in 2007. Junek serves on the Recruitment and Plalcement Committee of the LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business Dean's Advisory Council.