Fordham University has named Anthony R. Davidson, PhD, as the new dean of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies (PCS), the University’s college for adult and nontraditional students.
The appointment of Davidson, dean of the School of Business at Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York, will be effective Aug. 1, according to a June 1 announcement from the Office of the Provost.
Chosen following a national search, Davidson is an award-winning educator who has more than 30 years of experience as a dean, professor, consultant, and entrepreneur. At Manhattanville, he promoted lifelong learning by building connections among education at all levels, from undergraduate to postgraduate and professional, and also developed rigorous, cross-disciplinary, globally focused online and on-site curriculums that are attuned to market demands, the provost’s office said.
“We are delighted to welcome a leader of vision who draws upon a distinctive combination of experience as a dean, professor, and innovator to advance academic excellence and opportunity for all students,” said Stephen Freedman, PhD, provost of the University.
Among his initiatives at Manhattanville, Davidson created and launched the Women’s Leadership Institute, launched a certificate program in nonprofit management in conjunction with industry leaders, forged exchange agreements with other area colleges, and collaborated with the schools of education and arts and sciences to develop joint- and dual-degree programs.
Davidson earned both his bachelor’s degree in marketing, magna cum laude, and his MBA in business policy and finance from Bernard M. Baruch College of the City of New York, and earned a doctorate in management and systems science from Cass Business School of the City University of London. He co-founded the New York public relations and advertising firm Perfect Impression in 1980 and began his academic career five years later as an adjunct instructor in management and business policy at Baruch College.
From 1990 to 2000, Davidson served as a professor at a number of New York-area universities, teaching management at Hofstra University and at Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, management and business strategy at Adelphi University, and management and information systems at Yeshiva University.
He then went to work for New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies for 11 years, serving as assistant dean for graduate programs in business, director of graduate programs in management and systems, and founding dean of the Division of Business from 2007 to 2011. In this role, he led executive and professional-education business and graduate programs; oversaw strategic planning, academic policies and standards, student enrollment, faculty recruitment, and industry liaisons; and increased enrollments both domestically and abroad.
Davidson is author or co-author of many invited presentations and papers on business and higher education issues. He is an advisory board member for the World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare & Higher Education, for the Institute for Risk Management, and for various nonprofits. He also consults for senior management in numerous sectors including technology, healthcare, and education.
“This is a fantastic opportunity, and I am honored and humbled at being selected,” Davidson said. “I’m very much looking forward to working with such distinguished faculty members and deans as strategic partners in developing programs that are consistent with the mission of Fordham, and that provide lifelong learning opportunities for all those the University seeks to serve.”
