Debora Dragseth, Ph.D., is Dickinson State University’s third named professor, accepting the new position of Baker Boy Professor of Leadership in the School of Business and Entrepreneurship.
“It’s an honor to be associated with a company that is as revered as Baker Boy,” stated Dragseth. “It’s one of the top employers in Dickinson and is managed by an amazing group of people that I am proud to be associated with. Baker Boy really cares about the growth in the region, entrepreneurship in the community, and so does our school, so I think it’s a perfect blend.”
On the part of the company or individual(s) for whom the position is named, the commitment is financial.
“We ask donors to establish a fund for a position and the university helps place a person in the role that fits the criteria of the donor,” mentioned Ty Orton, Executive Director of the DSU Heritage Foundation. “The dollars are used for salaries and will have a positive impact upon the budget of DSU.”
On the professor’s part, that commitment includes supporting the endower. In her role as the Baker Boy Professor of Leadership, Dragseth will work with the company to provide leadership training for its staff.
The named positions do differ from endowed positions, which are long-term positions created by an endowment that pays for the position in perpetuity.
Stacy Cordery, Ph.D., who now teaches at Iowa State University, was DSU’s first endowed chair, the Dennis & Vaune Johnson Endowed Chair for Theodore Roosevelt Honors Leadership Studies.
The named professorship is a five-year commitment for both parties. Both named and endowed positions are honorary distinctions as well.
About Debora Dragseth
Dragseth is a tenured business professor who has been teaching at DSU since 1989. During her time at DSU, she has served as the director of the university’s Theodore Roosevelt Honors Leadership Program, Chair of the Department of Business and Management, Provost/Vice President of the university, president of the Council of College Faculties, and faculty representative on the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education. She has received numerous other awards and distinctions, including DSU’s Distinguished Teacher of the Year, the Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce’s Teacher of the Year, and the university’s Innovative Teacher of the Year.