After 25 years of service at the Sam M. Walton College of Business, Alan Ellstrand, associate dean for curriculum innovation & teaching effectiveness, is stepping into a new role. He is retiring.
For many years, Ellstrand has overseen faculty research and knows a thing or two about the subject. He shares his insights about faculty research before leaving Walton College.
Q: How has research changed at Walton College?
A: I arrived at the Walton College in 2000, and we were just beginning to raise the profile of research in the College under the leadership of Dean Doyle Williams. Today we have outstanding researchers in all departments and five of our departments (Accounting, Information Systems, Supply Chain Management, Management and Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Venture Innovation) are among the top research departments in their fields.
Research support has also increased over the years with lower teaching assignments and more summer research funding, and our Ph.D. programs have managed to attract top students. The Walton College is well respected for its research productivity in the academic community.
Q: What research trends are you seeing?
A: There is a greater emphasis on securing grant funding for business school research. Over the years, we’ve had some efforts to secure grants, but business schools will likely be doing much more of this in the future.
Even the National Science Foundation, which had traditionally supported science and engineering, is increasingly looking to support business research. Forging partnerships with faculty in engineering and the sciences as well as working with industry partners will support this effort.
Q: Looking into the future, where do you see research headed at Walton?
A: I believe the Walton College will be working more with industry partners. We have a unique business ecosystem in northwest Arkansas with many businesses interested in starting partnerships with the Walton College. At the same time, we will continue to strengthen our overall research profile. Rigorous, relevant research will be more important than ever.
We are at the dawn of the AI age and the implications for all aspects of research will be revolutionary. AI tools eclipse the research community’s ability to use them, and new rules of the game will be needed.
Research productivity will soar with AI, and so will the potential for abuse. It is going to be interesting times.
Q: How does research benefit faculty members and their careers?
A: While we want our faculty to be well rounded, research continues to be the “coin of the realm” for tenured/tenure track faculty and is critical to career progression:
- Research enables faculty to develop partnerships with faculty across the College and around the world.
- Research is the common thread that runs through each discipline’s professional society.
- Working with doctoral students to help shape the researchers of the future is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a faculty member.
Q: Is there any parting wisdom you’d like to share with faculty?
A: As the research environment becomes ever more competitive, faculty should always be shooting for top journals. Good writing is a timeless skill that will always be valued.
Knowing how to effectively use AI will be a critical skill for researchers in the future. And it is always important to step back and enjoy what you are doing.
Academic jobs are awesome—the opportunity to study what you are interested in, shape the lives of others and work with outstanding colleagues is a real blessing.
Ellstrand has helped lead Walton College as an associate dean since 2016. Prior to
this position, Ellstrand was the chair for the Department of Management and was the
director of the Walton MBA program. He also serves as a professor of management in
the Department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Venture Innovation. He received his
Ph.D. from Indiana University, has an MBA degree in Strategic Management from Northern
Illinois University and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University
of Illinois.
