农夫导航

Robert L. Brown is tasked with enhancing the school鈥檚 regional, national stature

农夫导航鈥檚 president, Dr. Joseph J. McGowan, has named Dr. Robert L. Brown professor and new dean of the , challenging him to expand and strengthen the university鈥檚 oldest professional school, already regarded as an elite business program.

Brown 鈥� who holds degrees from universities on three continents, including the University of Cambridge and the London School of Economics and Political Science 鈥� has been an instructor at Bellarmine. He is also an author, has passed the Certified Public Accountant exam, and has been an attorney licensed to practice in Kentucky, California, New York, the District of Columbia, Japan (1991-92), Hong Kong, England and Wales.

鈥淩obert is an extraordinarily qualified business leader and teacher who will accelerate the Rubel school鈥檚 growth as the premier business school in the region and one of the best in the nation,鈥� McGowan. 鈥淗e鈥檒l use his expertise and his extensive connections to help the university train ethical business leaders who will enrich Louisville and the region, in part through social entrepreneurism that鈥檚 rooted in our Catholic education tradition.鈥�

A broad-based search committee including prominent local business leaders, faculty, administrators and six trustees of the University, working with a professional search firm, recommended Brown鈥檚 selection after an international search.

Brown will begin his tenure as dean and professor on June 1, 2015. As dean, he replaces Dr. Daniel Bauer, who announced last year that he planned to return to full-time teaching as a member of the business school鈥檚 faculty after 14 years as dean.

 鈥淭his is a unique opportunity to build on the rich tradition that the university and business school have established over the past 60 years,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淢y charge from President McGowan is to position the Rubel school on an even more rapid and positive trajectory by attracting to Bellarmine and to Louisville even higher numbers of top-level students and faculty, and to help with the fund-raising necessary to provide an even more dynamic educational experience for students who will help create the future with excellent leadership and service.鈥�
  
The business school鈥檚 continued growth is part of the university鈥檚 broad vision for new schools, new and highly relevant academic programming, new buildings that create a 21st century learning environment, and new ways to serve Louisville and Kentucky as the premier independent Catholic university in the South and the leading private university in the Commonwealth and region.

About the business school
The W. Fielding Rubel School of Business offers bachelor degrees in accounting, business administration, economics and finance, along with a master of business administration (with weeknight, weekend and executive tracks) and a master of science in taxation.  

The School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB), which places it among the elite business schools in the nation. Fewer than 15 percent of business schools worldwide have achieved this distinction. Additionally, The Princeton Review has recognized the Rubel school as one of the nation鈥檚 top business schools.

In 2016, the school -- currently located in Horrigan Hall -- will move into new space in , a $25 million, 47,300-square-foot state-of-the-art building now under construction. Centro鈥檚 classrooms will allow the business school鈥檚 students and professors to interact and collaborate in high-tech, flexible spaces.

About Dr. Brown
In addition to serving as an instructor at Bellarmine since 2000, Brown also served as a practicing attorney at Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP, where he concentrated on emerging and international business. 

Brown has a bachelor鈥檚 degree in international studies from the University of Louisville, where he also earned his law degree, a master鈥檚 degree in community development and an MBA. Additionally, he earned a master鈥檚 degree from Jochi University in Tokyo and two Ph.D.s, one from the University of Cambridge and the other from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He holds an advanced accounting certificate from 农夫导航.

Brown is the author of 20 books on transaction-related topics including financing start-ups, purchasing businesses and doing business globally.

In 2010, a Leadership Louisville project .

He has been an officer or has served on the boards of the U.S. Department of Commerce District Export Council鈥檚 National Steering Committee (executive committee member), U.S. State Department National Council for International Visitors/Global Ties (treasurer), American Bar Association鈥檚 International Section (programs officer), Kentucky Council on Economic Education, Kentucky District Export Council (chair) and World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana (program officer and former board chair). Past board service includes the Crane House (former president), Jefferson Community and Technical College, Japan/America Society of Kentucky (former chair), Venture Connectors (former president and chair) and World Trade Center Kentucky (former chair).

Brown and his wife, Dianne, have four children, Matthew, Brittany, and Bellarmine alumni Emma and Phil. 


The W. Fielding Rubel School of Business will move into new space in Bellarmine Centro when the building is completed in 2016.