PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University has named Eric R. Spangenberg to the new position of associate dean for faculty affairs and research in the College of Business and Economics effective July 1.
Spangenberg is the first appointment by the college’s incoming dean, Len Jessup, who will assume college leadership also on that date. Spangenberg was Jessup’s choice from a pool of nominations for the associate dean position solicited from the college’s faculty and staff.
“Eric is a respected researcher and teacher, has made outstanding contributions to the college and university in terms of service. He has exactly the right values one would want in an associate dean and is in complete agreement with the goal of helping bring the college up to the next level as one of the best in the nation,” said Jessup.
In his new position, Spangenberg will be responsible for annual appraisals of faculty, promotion and tenure review and improvements to the college’s performance appraisal system, among other duties.
“One of Eric’s first assignments will be to help to lead the college’s efforts toward reaffirmation of accreditation,” Jessup said. Jessup, Spangenberg and Chris Paxson, CBE associate dean for undergraduate education, will work with faculty task force teams on various aspects of the accreditation process beginning immediately.
“I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for our college,” said Spangenberg. “I will endeavor to fulfill the optimistic expectations of those nominating me and supporting my appointment.”
Graduating from Kelso High School in 1978, Spangenberg earned his associate of arts degree at Lower Columbia College and his bachelor’s degree at WSU majoring in business administration with a minor in economics. He earned his MBA at Portland State University and his doctoral degree in marketing, with a minor in social psychology, from the University of Washington. He returned to Pullman in 1990 as an assistant professor of marketing. He became an associate professor in 1997.
He said he intends to continue to pursue his commitment to research and publishing — something he will expect in his new role from all CBE professors. “Although we serve our various constituencies through quality instruction and service, I see scholarly research activity as a necessary condition for any faculty member intending to contribute positively to the mission of our college.”
His streams of inquiry include the normative relevance and theoretical underpinnings of self-prophecy as an influence technique for encouraging socially desirable behaviors, measurement of “unobservable constructs,” consumer skepticism toward advertising, assessing consumer reactions to new Internet businesses, and environmental psychology.
Spangenberg is an award-winning teacher and his publications include more than 20 refereed journal articles and book chapters and an equal number of refereed conference proceedings. In fall 2001, he was taped by the British Broadcasting Corp. for a documentary series on retail environments and consumer responses — research he conducted with David Sprott, WSU marketing assistant professor, and graduate students. The series was aired on the BBC-2 in Great Britain and Europe, and on The Learning Channel in the United States. Spangenberg’s research has also been featured on CBS, in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and several other major news outlets worldwide.
He was recently elected to vice chair of the WSU Faculty Senate and is also chair of the WSU Faculty Affairs Committee. He has served on numerous university and college committees and has served as faculty adviser to doctoral students and several student organizations. The new administrator has actively recruited baseball and football student athletes and other undergraduates to the business college.
Spangenberg and his wife, Judy, are active in the Pullman community, their church and sports programs with their children: Katie (13), Kerri (11), Kevin (9) and Kyle (7).
