13 June 2006

Longwood appoints Dr. James Cross as interim dean of the College of Business and Economics

Dr. James S. Cross has been appointed interim dean of the College of Business and Economics at Longwood University, effective July 1.

Dr. Cross, a former professor in Longwood’s management information systems program, returns to the university following 12 years of service to Michigan Technological University (MTU) where he was associate dean and professor in the School of Technology.  During his tenure at MTU he also held the position of vice provost of information technology (1994-2004).  From 1986 to 1994, Dr. Cross taught in Longwood’s School of Business and Economics and served seven years as vice president of planning, research and information systems.

“I am pleased to have Dr. Cross returning to Longwood.  His experience, background, and leadership will help the College of Business and Economics move to the next level of excellence,” said Dr. Wayne McWee, vice president for academic affairs.

At MTU Dr. Cross was responsible for planning a new degree program in computer and network administration. He also managed assessment activities for the school. Under his direction, MTU received more than $2.5 million in funding and grants to support research activities.

Additionally, Dr. Cross has extensive experience in the corporate world, where he has served in senior management positions for the Bank of America, Levi-Strauss, Bendix, and IBM.  He is an active member of ACUTA and EDUCAUSE, the two associations of information technology professionals in higher education.  He has more than 30 years of experience in the information technology industry in manufacturing, banking, and higher education.  He is the recipient of numerous honors, awards, and grants, as well as the author of a variety of publications. 

Dr. Cross received his Ph.D. in information science from the University of Pittsburgh, his M.S. in information systems from American University, and his B.A. in mathematics from Talladega College.