Long-Time Business Dean Named Interim President of The University of Alabama

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Dr. J. Barry Mason, dean of the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration at The University of Alabama since 1988, has been named interim president of the University. His appointment, unanimously approved today by the UA Board of Trustees, is effective with the departure of President Andrew Sorensen, who will leave shortly to become president of The University of South Carolina.

“Dr. Mason is an accomplished scholar and experienced administrator who is eminently qualified to lead this University,” said Dr. Malcolm Portera, chancellor of The University of Alabama System.

“The history of The University of Alabama is marked by a legacy of distinguished presidential leadership. Today Barry Mason joins those ranks. We are deeply appreciative of his willingness to serve as interim president,” Portera said.

A faculty member in UA’s business school for more than 30 years, Mason served as chair of the department of management and marketing before being named dean 14 years ago. He is the author or co-author of eight college texts, 10 research monographs and 100 published refereed journal articles in such publications as the Harvard Business Review, the University of Chicago’s Journal of Business, the Journal of Marketing and the Journal of Marketing Research.

Among his most recent honors, Mason received the Wayne A. Lemburg Award for Distinguished Service from the American Marketing Association; was named a Distinguished Alumnus by his alma mater, the Louisiana Tech University College of Administration and Business; and was recognized in Marketing Educator as one of the top 100 most productive marketing scholars in the last 20 years. He is a former chairman of the board of the 40,000-member American Marketing Association.

Under Mason’s leadership, the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration has been recognized repeatedly for offering a high-quality, cost-effective education. The business school’s undergraduate program has been consistently ranked in the top 50 by U.S. News and World Report. It is also rated among the top five percent in the nation by the Gourman Report.

Mason earned his bachelor’s degree at Louisiana Tech and his master’s and doctoral degrees at UA.

Portera said the search for a permanent president is expected to begin in late summer. At that time, a search advisory committee will be formed to assist in identifying and recruiting a pool of national candidates for the position. During a news conference following the announcement today, Mason indicated he would not be a candidate for the presidency on a permanent basis.