Memorial’s business school is about more than business.
Dr. Travor Brown (BA’90), new interim dean at the Faculty of Business Administration, says the broad scope of the faculty’s programs, research and community engagement is a big factor in why he was interested in taking on the leadership role.
“The faculty speaks to me,” he said. “We have always looked at all types of organizations and truly focused on the breadth of organizations and types of players, whether that’s for-profit, social enterprise or broader public sector. The diversity of the type of organizations that we put our graduates into and do research with, as well as the comprehensiveness of the programs, is what attracted me to this role.”
Diverse academic and professional background
Dr. Brown began his new role on Sept. 1 following the departure of Dr. Isabelle Dostaler, who held the position from 2017-22.
A member of the business faculty for the past 23 years as a professor of labour relations and human resources, Dr. Brown has previously served as the faculty’s associate dean (research) and enjoyed stints as director of the master of employment relations, master of science and PhD programs.
He’s a former president of the national Administrative Sciences Association of Canada and has been appointed to the provincial roster of arbitrators.
His background in human resources and labour relations, plus professional experience in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors, are assets coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic as businesses, managers, employees and organizations adjust to the new world of work, he says.
“We’re going through what is arguably been the biggest transformation in decades for businesses and organizations. Having someone who understands people and organizations makes sense during this time of transition.”
Moving forward post-pandemic
The impact of the pandemic also means that the business faculty has to adjust in preparing graduates to succeed in the ever-changing global workforce.
“Our goal is to help businesses and organizations contribute to prosperity not only here in Newfoundland and Labrador, but also in communities across the globe.”
Dr. Brown says he intends to focus on engaging in meaningful ways with community and stakeholders to ensure that we continue to meet these needs.
“We have seen sudden shifts in technology, entrepreneurship, supply chains and markets, plus challenges related to where and how we work and more,” he said. “These are all areas where we can play an important role in teaching and research to ensure our graduates succeed. Our goal is to help businesses and organizations contribute to prosperity not only here in Newfoundland and Labrador, but also in communities across the globe.”
In addition to a bachelor of arts (1990) from Memorial, Dr. Brown holds a master of industrial relations (1992) and PhD (1999) from the University of Toronto. He spent time teaching in Toronto before joining Memorial.
He has also been a visiting scholar at Ulster University in Northern Ireland and the University of Otago in New Zealand.
Dr. Brown has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed journal articles, a textbook and more than 80 conference presentations. He has also received regular funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Much of his research examines issues concerning goal setting and training effectiveness with special focus on management and leadership development. He worked in the telecommunications industry prior to completing his PhD.
