UNH Today

Luciana Echazú has joined the University of New Hampshire Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics as the new associate dean for undergraduate education. She will be an associate professor in the department of economics.

Echazú most recently was associate dean of undergraduate programs and operations and associate professor of economics and financial studies at Clarkson University’s David D. Reh School of Business, an R2 stem-focused private university in upstate New York.

“In addition to her broad administrative experience professor Echazú is an outstanding teacher, a strong researcher and a dedicated leader and contributor in service to her university,” Dean Deborah Merrill-Sands said. “We are so fortunate to have her join our Paul community. She will contribute important areas of disciplinary expertise to the economics department, support Paul College in continuing to innovate experiential learning, and provide strong leadership for our undergraduate programs.”

“I am thrilled to join such an amazing community of faculty and staff at the Paul College of Business and Economics,” Echazú said. “I am looking forward to applying my skills and providing leadership to further develop undergraduate programs within a dynamic college of this size and prestige. I am excited to engage with students as we continue to develop the college as a recognized leader in experiential education. I also am looking forward to working with faculty to strengthen the college’s focus on global and cross-cultural aspects of business, business ethics and analytics and quantitative decision-making.”

Originally from Argentina, Echazú joined Clarkson in 2007. She has an expansive research agenda that focuses on game theory, law and economics, industrial organization, development economics, international trade, and behavioral microeconomics. Echazú’s peer reviewed work has been published in top-tier journals including Health Economics, Journal of Public Economics and International Review of Law and Economics.

Over the years she has been honored with more than a dozen awards and fellowships in recognition of her teaching, leadership and service including the David D. Reh School of Business Service Award 2018, Distinguished Teaching Award 2017, MBA Faculty Member of the Year 2012, Commendable Leadership Award 2012, and Respect Award 2012.

Echazú became associate dean of undergraduate programs at Clarkson in 2018. Among her accomplishments she redesigned the organizational structure of the school, brought the global supply chain management program back into the top 20 ranking of U.S. News & World Report, led the recent five-year AACSB continuous improvement accreditation review that resulted in a successful reaccreditation, and was instrumental in the launch of a new major in mathematical economics.

Echazú earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in economics from the University of Memphis, her MBA from East Carolina University, and her B.A. from the Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Echazú is taking over the position from associate professor of economics Neil Niman, who served successfully as associate dean for six years. He is taking on a new role as faculty director of Paul College’s innovative BiP (Business in Practice) program designed to engage industry experts and provide students real world skills through powerful experiential learning opportunities.

During his tenure, Niman provided leadership for several key innovations that have enhanced the quality of undergraduate academic programs and student experience: the FIRE (First Year Innovation and Research Experience); a significant redesign of ADMIN 400 in the business administration program; a collaboration with the philosophy department to co-teach a redesigned business ethics course; support to the redesign of the hotel and hospitality management program; revisions of the Paul honors program; and, most recently, the launch of BiP.

Niman also provided important leadership in mobilizing the college to prepare for a successful AACSB 5th year review in 2018-19. During his tenure as associate dean, Paul College’s undergraduate business program was ranked for the first time and has placed in the top 60 or 70 nationally.