In a press release, WSU announced that Jeremy Oller will be the new dean, effective July 7. Oller is stepping in for Doris Geide-Stevenson, who has served as the Goddard School’s interim dean since July 2022.

Oller currently serves as the dean of the College of Business at the University of Central Oklahoma.

“Under his leadership, UCO’s business college successfully reaffirmed accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business,” according to the release. “The college also implemented a new mission and vision, revitalized the award-winning Broncho Business Leaders mentorship program, created a student-run investment fund, launched the ‘Ready…Set…Work’ career-readiness initiative, and has begun construction on a new student lounge and study space.”

Additionally, Oller has served as chair of the economics department and been a professor of economics.

“Oller earned his bachelor’s degree in economics at UCO before transferring to the University of Oklahoma for his Ph.D. in economics and Juris Doctor,” the release continues. “His research focuses on antitrust policy, energy markets, pedagogy, and taxation policy for alcoholic beverages.”

Oller told the Standard-Examiner on Wednesday that the Weber State opening appeared on his radar almost by accident at a time when he wasn’t even looking for a new job.

“About a year ago, a faculty member I had at Central Oklahoma … ended up going to Weber State and he’s in the supply chain department,” he said. “He had reached out and said, ‘Hey boss, just wanted you to know I know you’re happy, but thought you might want to look at Weber State.'”

A family connection to Weber State made the school even more intriguing.

“My wife went to Weber State for a year,” he said. “Her dad was at Hill Air Force Base, so she was familiar with it. She actually has a Weber State sweatshirt. At that point, I was like, ‘Hey hon, what do you think?’ She said, ‘I think you’d love the area and I think you need to give this one serious consideration.'”

Oller did give the school consideration and liked what he saw.

“This is a dream position, I think, for someone that’s a college of business dean,” he said. “Really, what I value as a dean is giving students a great educational experience. Weber State — when I was there — their faculty were talented, they’re personable, very welcoming and they’re really accessible for students. They really do try to meet students where they are and make it accessible and affordable. As a dean, when you see those things, it’s exciting. It’s a school that I think has no limits on its ceiling because they seem to be doing all the right things.”

He said his goals are to add to this tradition and contribute to building WSU as one of the premier regional schools in the western United States.

“I think the specific things will be enhancing the programs it does have,” he said. “It will be really putting together a school that’s well known for its teaching, and I think it has that ability. It’s very teaching focused. Supporting our faculty to really be innovative and creative in the classroom will be one of my goals.”

Oller said he’d also like to build up stakeholder engagement.

“One thing that I focused on here was getting professionals really to be a part of the college,” he said. “That’s the really good thing about a college of business — a lot of your industry and a lot of the people in the community usually connect really well with a university and can really help support it in terms of their involvement with your students.”