Dr. Christine Riordan, the new dean at the Daniels College of Business says her goal is to keep Daniels competitive in the educational marketplace.

Riordan replaces interim dean Bruce Hutton who will remain at the school as a professor. She left Texas Christian University where she served for three years as associate dean.

Since her appointment, Riordan has developed a comprehensive development plan for the business school.

“This is an important opportunity for us to define ourselves. We are trying to leverage our current strengths and distinctiveness,” Riordan said.

The strategic plan, which will guide DCB for the next six to 10 years is focused on four goals for the college, to develop high quality programs and curriculum, to leverage the reputation of DU, to transform DCB into a community of choice and to gain financial strength, Riordan said.

Her plans for DCB also include a number of changes, which she believes will benefit both the graduate and undergraduate student body. Students can expect to see new programs in the coming months that will include skill building co-curricular activities, a high-quality market relevant curriculum and improvements to Daniels’ student resources such as career services, according to Riordan.

“We are also working on making Daniels a community of choice. There will be more activities like our BBQ on the quad this fall. We want to engage students into the college, creating a culture of community,” Riordan said.

Riordan said she is also prepared to tackle the challenges facing the school.

“In the past few years increased capacity has put a strain on resources within the college. It is one of the biggest issues we are looking at how to address.”

Riordan led several programming projects when at TCU. She helped create a new energy institute, initiated a new student leadership programs office, and engineered an executive education program.

Riordan holds an MBA as well as a Ph.D in organizational behavior from Georgia State University. She has been published in several respected business journals.

Before taking the position at TCU Riordan was director of the Institute for Leadership Advancement, provided executive coaching for several large corporations and served as president of the Southern Management Association.

Riordan believes success in the business world begins in college.

“I advise students to begin exploring their opportunities while still on campus. College is an opportunity to create a network and also learn as much as you can,” she said.