Following a nationwide search, the University of New Orleans has selected Pamela Kennett-Hensel as its new dean of the College of Business Administration. Kennett-Hensel, who had served as interim dean since July 2020, has been a faculty member at the University for more than two decades. She becomes the first woman to lead the college.

“I’m very excited to continue working with Dr. Kennett-Hensel as she assumes the permanent deanship of the College of Business Administration,” said Mahyar Amouzegar, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs. “I am confident that she will elevate the stature and quality of an already outstanding college of business.”

Prior to serving as interim dean, Kennett-Hensel was the chair of the newly created Department of Management and Marketing for six years. She was previously chair of the Department of Marketing and Logistics for four years. Kennett-Hensel is an accomplished scholar and researcher who has published in a number of top business and marketing journals. She served as president of the Marketing Management Association (MMA), a national organization of marketing educators; she is also an MMA Fellow, an honor bestowed upon one individual per year in recognition of dedication to the organization.

As a department chair, Kennett-Hensel oversaw the launch of the Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management and the retooling of the Bachelor of Science in Management and the Bachelor of Science in Marketing with the goal of modernizing the curriculums. Under her leadership, the department also created Marketing Week and Management Week, which bring industry leaders to campus to discuss their experiences and provide networking opportunities for students. She also plays an instrumental role in the college’s maintenance of accreditation process through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

The New Orleans area native earned her Ph.D. in marketing from Georgia State University.