Owen Homer Erekson ’74 was selected in March to be the new John V. Roach Dean of the Neeley School of Business. He began his duties in July.

For six years Erekson has been dean of the Bloch School of Business and Public Administration at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he was also the Harzfeld Professor of Economics and Business Policy. Prior to that, he was at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, for 24 years, where he served as associate dean for Academic Affairs, chair of the economics department, director of planning and operations, associate dean for graduate studies and honors coordinator.

Erekson’s areas of specialization include corporate and public policy, environmental economics, economics of education finance and business ethics. He holds a B.A. in economics and political science from TCU and a PhD in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
He has also served on the TCU National Alumni Board.

David Whillock, associate dean of the College of Communication, was promoted to dean in April. He succeeds William Slater, who retired in May. Whillock, who has taught in the Radio-Television-Film department since 1991, developed the college’s international programs in London, Italy, Mexico and Chile and its media convergence initiative.

Prior to TCU, Whillock was an assistant professor in the communication department at the University of Alabama-Huntsville. He holds a PhD from the University of Missouri.

He began his career at TCU as an assistant professor and coordinator of the graduate program. He’s also served as curator of the Tandy Film Library, chair of the RTVF department and interim dean.

His professional affiliations include serving as a board member for the Lone Star Film Society and as a member of the education board for the American Film Institute/Dallas International Film Festival. He also served on the executive board for the Van Cliburn Foundation.

“I am very pleased with these two appointments, bringing extensive knowledge and experience to these two dean’s offices,” said Nowell Donovan, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “No doubt they both will continue to enhance their respective colleges’ reputations on a national and international level.”