Austen Hunzeker
News Editor
Idaho State University announced earlier this month that Dr. Sam Beldona of Stonehill College in Massachusetts will be the new Dean of the College of Business, beginning March 1.
Former College of Business Dean Dr. Shane Hunt concluded his time at ISU in June after accepting a position as President of Cameron University in Oklahoma. Dr. Alex Bolinger has been acting as interim dean since his departure. In November, ISU announced the finalists for filling the position were Beldona, Bolinger, and Dr. Raj Suri of Drexel University in Philadelphia — all of whom participated in open forums to answer questions and gain feedback from spectators.
According to the university, the decision to offer Beldona the position came after careful consideration of feedback from faculty and staff, as well as a nationwide search.
“Dr. Beldona is a highly experienced and dynamic higher education leader,” ISU Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Adam Bradford said in a statement from the university. “We are thrilled to be welcoming him to Idaho State University and are confident he will continue to advance the remarkable progress that our College of Business has experienced over the last several years.”
Beldona received his Doctorate of Philosophy in Business Administration and his Master of Science in International Business at Temple University in Pennsylvania. Additionally, he received his Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science degrees in physics from Karnatak University in India.
Beldona is currently the Special Advisor to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for Strategic Initiatives at Stonehill College. Previously, he has worked as the Dean of the College of Business at Stonehill College, the Dean of the School of Management at the University of Scranton, and the Dean of the School of Business at Dominican University of California.
Beldona said he was drawn to ISU because of the university’s focus on student success, curriculum innovation, and scholarly research.
“The College of Business staff has led numerous student-centered initiatives to help students transition into the world of work,” Beldona said about ISU. “The strategic vision and plans for ISU clearly show that both ISU and the College of Business are well-positioned for growth and ready to tackle the opportunities and challenges AI presents to higher education. I look forward to joining the faculty, staff, and students on this exciting journey at Idaho State University.”
In addition to hiring Beldona, ISU recently announced the finalists for filling the Graduate School Dean position, which was also an extensive nationwide search – resulting in the announcement of five candidates: Dr. Karen Appleby of ISU, Dr. Andrae Marak of Roosevelt University in Chicago, Dr. Dain LaRoche of the University of New Hampshire, Dr. Darin Hoskisson of Texas A&M University–Kingsville, and Dr. Tracy Collum, current interim Dean of the Graduate School at ISU.
A final decision has yet to be announced.
