Speaker Bio

Dr. Mary Gowan is in her seventh year as the dean of the Mike Cottrell College of Business at the University of North Georgia. She received her Ph.D. in business administration, with an emphasis in human resources management and secondary focus in operations management, from the University of Georgia. She also has a master’s degree in counseling from Appalachian State University and an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Southwest Baptist University. Her interdisciplinary background in humanities, education, and business provides her with a unique perspective on workforce development across various industries and sectors. Most recently, Dr. Gowan chaired a UNG cross-disciplinary team focused on identifying how UNG can supercharge workforce development in the areas of business, education, agriculture, and heathcare.

Previously, Dr. Gowan served as a dean of the school of business at James Madison and at Elon University, and associate dean for undergraduate programs at the George Washington University. She has held faculty appointments in Florida, Texas, and North Carolina, and served as a visiting professor in Finland and taught in an Executive MBA program at LG Electronics in South Korea. Her research has focused on career issues and work transitions. In addition to authoring a human resource management textbook, she has provided human resource, leadership development, and organizational development consulting and executive education programs for numerous public, private, and non-profit organizations, including Lockheed Martin, Harris Teeter, Marriott Vacations, the City of El Paso and the city of Charlotte, NC.

Her extensive volunteer experience includes serving as a board member for professional and community-based non-profit organizations and serving as an accreditation reviewer for AACSB in the U.S., South America, and the Middle East. Her board appointments have included serving as chair of the Board of Governors for Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society, the honor society for AACSB accredited schools of business, and the Society for Human Resource Management Foundation. Prior to receiving her doctorate, she was a student affairs professional for seven years, working in the areas of residence life and career services. Mary has received numerous awards in recognition of her teaching, scholarship, and service, and her research has been published in leading journals in management.