Meet the Dean of FCBE

Dr. Bobby Garrett has been named dean of the Fogelman College of Business & Economics at the University of Memphis, effective August 1, 2023.

Garrett is the Brown & Williamson Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Louisville, associate dean for Faculty Affairs and the director of the Forcht Center for Entrepreneurship. In his nine-plus years at Louisville, he grew rapidly through a series of constantly changing administrative roles.

“The University of Memphis is excited to hire Dr. Bobby Garrett as dean of the Fogelman College of Business & Economics,” said UofM President Bill Hardgrave. “The credentials, wide array of expertise in many different areas and leadership that Bobby possesses will be extremely beneficial to not only the Fogelman College but also to the University of Memphis as a whole.

“Bobby grew up in the Mid-South and is very familiar with the City of Memphis and will be a tremendous fit for our University, faculty, staff and students. As the UofM continues to ascend, Bobby will do the same while continuing to grow the Fogelman College of Business into one of the top schools in the nation.”

At Louisville, Garrett was assistant professor of Entrepreneurship (2013-16); associate professor of Entrepreneurship (2016-18); Entrepreneurship Undergraduate Minor Coordinator (2016-19); Brown & Williamson associate professor of Entrepreneurship (2018-21); department chair, Entrepreneurship (2019-21); Director, PhD program in Entrepreneurship & Innovation (2019-21); director, Forcht Center for Entrepreneurship (2019-present); department chair, Management & Entrepreneurship (2021-22); Brown & Williamson Professor of Entrepreneurship (2021-present); interim associate dean for Graduate Programs (2022-present); and associate dean for Faculty Affairs (2022-present).

“Together, the City of Memphis and the University of Memphis represent a uniquely attractive opportunity for me to join the Fogelman College of Business & Economics,” said Garrett. “In terms of regional competitiveness, high-quality students, excellent faculty and exciting campus leadership, we are poised to accelerate and continue the upwards trajectory of the FCBE. I’m thrilled to join this team, and I see great things coming for the community, campus and the College.”

From 2008-13, Garrett taught at Oregon State University where he was named Family Business Researcher of the Year. He was the assistant professor of Management-Entrepreneurship (2008-13) and discipline director, Strategy & Entrepreneurship (2012-13).

Garrett’s primary research focus is Corporate Entrepreneurship, and his articles on the topic of internal corporate venturing have appeared in elite Entrepreneurship journals including Journal of Business Venturing, Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice and Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal.

He was a visiting professor at Aarhus University in Denmark in the summers of 2012 and 2015-18. He has 22 refereed publications and nine book chapters and conference proceedings.

Garrett earned his PhD in Strategic Management & Entrepreneurship from Indiana University, his Master of Science in Business Administration from Indiana University and his Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude, in Chemical Engineering from the University of Mississippi.