A former business professor will level up to an administrative role in July, according to an announcement made by Provost Avi Mukherjee.
Ben Eng, associate professor of marketing and entrepreneurship, will become the interim dean of the Lewis College of Business/Brad D. Smith School of Business and Innovation.
Eng is replacing Dean Don Capener, who has been in the role since 2023, following a leadership role at Utah Valley University. Capener is stepping down to “increase flexibility and grow his strategy consulting activity,” but his work on campus is not done yet.
“He will be joining our faculty and continuing to enrich our institution with his expertise,” Mukherjee said in the announcement. “Dr. Eng brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to his new position,” Mukherjee said. “Dr. Eng’s commitment to academic excellence has earned him prestigious teaching awards and recognition for his influential work in design thinking.”
Mukherjee also noted Eng has found himself in numerous roles at Marshall: professor, assistant provost and director of the iCenter – saying Eng’s most recent endeavor will enrich his skills as dean.
“His concurrent role as assistant provost for academic engagement and innovation since 2022 further strengthens his preparedness as a leader for the Lewis College of Business during this transitional period,” he said.
Eng said that while his new role will call him to take a break from the provost and director positions, he will still teach students in the classroom.
“For the Fall semester, I’d committed to teaching two courses before I was named Interim Dean. Because they’re both new preps and are very unique courses, it’d be a hardship for another faculty member to pick up those courses for me,” he said. “As for the innovation work that I’ve been doing across campus, I’ll be stepping away from both the Executive Director of the iCenter and Assistant Provost roles.”
The leadership change comes just months after the new Brad D. Smith School of Business and Innovation opened up on Huntington’s 4th Avenue.
Eng will begin operating as the school’s dean on July 12. He said his first priority is caring for the school.
“As an Interim Dean, my primary responsibility is to be a caretaker of the College of Business so that we continue to have smooth operations,” he said.
During Eng’s newfound leadership, Marshall is set to search for the school’s permanent dean, with hopes of filling the position by the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year.
Eng said he is most looking forward to serving the Marshall and Huntington communities even further.
“I’m looking forward to working together, as a team, with the students, faculty, staff, Board of Advisors, and the local business community to innovate new and exciting ways to create and spread business knowledge that brings prosperity to our students, to West Virginia, and beyond,” he said.
