President Names New College of Business Dean

MELBOURNE, FLA.—Florida Institute of Technology President Anthony J. Catanese announced the appointment of Dr. Robert E. Niebuhr as the new dean of the College of Business. Niebuhr’s background includes more than 25 years of academic experience in teaching, research and administration. He has been director of executive MBA programs and department head of Auburn University.

Among his professional roles in industry were national and international engineering and management positions. An expert in the management of technology companies, he holds both engineering and business degrees from the Ohio State University.                 

Most recently and since 2001, Niebuhr was dean of the Tennessee Technological University College of Business in Cookeville. While there, he provided leadership for 75 faculty and staff members and managed a budget of just under $7 million.                

Under Niebuhr’s leadership, the college developed high quality residential academic programs. He also created an on-line MBA program that attained an enrollment of 150 in just four years. The program was ranked seventh in the nation this past year by geteducated.com as a “Best Buy” for online MBA programs. 

“We are very pleased to have Dr. Niebuhr join us as the new dean,” said Catanese. “His prior success and extensive experience in several key areas, such as the management of technology, entrepreneurships, and global business makes him the right choice at the right time for us.”