Thursday, January 31, 2013
PRINCESS ANNE, MD – (Feb. 1, 2013) – Dr. Ronald A. Nykiel is UMES’ new provost and vice president for academic affairs. He will join the university’s administrative team Feb. 5, President Juliette B. Bell announced to the campus this week.
With over 20 years of senior management experience and a like number of years in higher education, Nykiel joins UMES after serving as founding dean of the college of business at Husson University, a private institution of 3,500 students in Bangor, Maine. In addition to a traditional menu of majors, Husson also offers degrees in pharmacy, physical therapy and hospitality and tourism management.
“I am pleased to welcome Dr. Nykiel as part of my senior leadership team. His extensive experience in academia and the corporate world, along with his expertise in strategic planning and marketing will be invaluable as UMES continues to position itself to better serve our students, the region, state and nation.”
An author, business executive and educator, Nykiel holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from the State University of New York, a master’s degree in Spanish from Penn State and a doctorate in management with a focus in organizational and behavioral studies from Walden University.
His business career includes managerial and executive experience with IBM, Xerox and Marriott Corp. He has been an officer of Holiday Corp., Ramada Inc., Nestle’s, the Stouffer Hotel Co. and Grand Met’s Pearle Inc.
Nykiel was a consultant for two presidential commissions, various federal and state entities and numerous corporations.
His academic credentials include serving as vice chancellor for financial affairs and treasurer of the University System of New Hampshire’s board and holding the Conrad N. Hilton Distinguished Chair at the University of Houston, where he is credited with founding the Hospitality Industry Hall of Fame. He also served as chairman of the Hospitality Industry Diversity Institute.
Nykiel is an accomplished speaker who has addressed many corporate and association groups and has lectured at the Harvard Graduate School of Business and other universities on such subjects as corporate strategy, marketing, consumer behavior, brand management, service excellence and executive development.
He is also the author of more than a dozen books on advertising, marketing, consumer behavior and service excellence and has contributed numerous articles to a variety of publications, including serving as publisher of the Hospitality Business Review.
Bill Robinson,director, UMES public relations, (410) 621-2355
