Carmen Cotei Appointed Interim Dean of Barney School of Business

April 20, 2023

Submitted By: Office of Marketing and Communication

Carmen Cotei has been appointed interim dean of the Barney School of Business, beginning May 1, 2023, and extending through June 30, 2024.

In making the announcement, VP for Academic Affairs and Provost Katherine Black indicated that the early start date for the appointment will allow current dean Steve Mulready to begin transitioning to his new duties as interim president.

“Based on input gathered from faculty, staff, and students on the needs of the Barney School of Business, I believe Dr. Cotei’s exceptional knowledge and experience are well aligned with those needs,” Black says. “I am thrilled that she has accepted this appointment, and I look forward to working with her in this new capacity.”

Cotei joined the Barney School of Business at the University of Hartford in 2004 as an assistant professor of finance. She was tenured and promoted to associate professor, and subsequently to professor.

She has held several administrative roles, including program director for the actuarial science minor; chair of the Economics, Finance, and Insurance Department; and, currently, associate dean for administration and accreditation. In her current role, Cotei oversees the AACSB continuous improvement process, faculty qualifications and sufficiency, assurance of learning, and strategic planning. In addition, she is responsible for college budget planning and finance operations, strategic resource allocation, curriculum innovation, and faculty development. In collaboration with the dean, she has worked on developing external partnerships to increase the number of experiential projects with corporate partners as well as internships and full-time jobs for Barney students.

Cotei earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Bucharest University of Economic Studies and a PhD in financial economics from the University of New Orleans. In her faculty role, she received many awards from the Barney School of Business, including the Exemplary Faculty Award (2022), the Excellence in Service Award (2018 and 2010), and the Excellence in Teaching Award (2008 and 2015). In 2017, the Kauffman Foundation awarded her the best paper award for her work on merger and acquisitions exit strategies for U.S. startup firms.

Committed to leadership development, Cotei participated in the 2021–22 HERS Leadership Institute for Women in Higher Education and the 2023 Fundraising for the Future Program sponsored by the Women in Business Education Network.