Fairfield University's Dolan School of Business dean to deliver convocation address

Fairfield University's Dolan School of Business dean to deliver convocation address

Image: Bellarmine The power and promise of an open mind will be the subject of Fairfield University's fall convocation address, to be delivered by Donald E. Gibson, Ph.D., professor and dean of the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, on Tuesday, September 3, at 5:15 p.m. on the Bellarmine Lawn. Dr. Gibson's address is entitled "The Power of One Pen, One Book, One Teacher, One Mind," part of an event to usher in the new academic year and welcome the Class of 2017. The rain date for the ceremony is Thursday, September 12.

Convocation is particularly geared to the incoming freshman class, who received two short readings for reflection in anticipation of the event. One was Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai's speech to the United Nations in which she made an impassioned plea for education for all, not long after surviving being shot in the head by the Taliban. The other reading was Paolo Freire's essay, "On the Banking Concept of Education," in which the author insisted that learning, reading and writing are essential to freedom.

The readings intend to set a context for Dr. Gibson's address that will be an appeal to freshmen to remain open to weighing all the ideas posed to them inside and outside the classroom. It will also serve as an opportunity to introduce some to Ignatian Pedagogy, and the wonderful mission of finding your passions and calling.

"Fairfield's task is not simply to train students to be good at something, business or communication or nursing or engineering skills," said Dr. Gibson, who researches anger and aggression in workplace conflict. "We seek to develop students who are good people. That requires an open, inquiring mind."

Dr. Gibson has been deeply involved in the life of Fairfield University for the past twelve years, serving on the faculty and chairing the Management Department, engaging in mission and identity work, and being as an ambassador for the University in the business and civic community. Following a national search in 2012, Dr. Gibson was selected to serve as dean of the Dolan School, following a two-year term as interim dean.

His research focuses on organizational role models, anger and aggression in workplace conflict, and emotions in organizations, and he has taught in the areas of management, business leadership and human resource management. He has published in numerous peer reviewed professional journals and authored the book, "Managing Anger in the Workplace." Dr. Gibson received his MBA and Ph.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles, and was an assistant professor at the Yale School of Management from 1995 to 2001. Prior to attending UCLA, he worked in the entertainment industry, managing a post-production team for Lorimar Productions in Los Angeles.

Posted On: 08-29-2013 11:08 AM

Volume: 46 Number: 29