Robert E. Holmes, Ph.D., dean of the UAB School of Business and Graduate School of Management, has been appointed the first holder of the Wachovia Endowed Chair in Business Administration by the UA Board of Trustees.

Holmes said he is humbled and honored by the recognition, but stresses the long-term benefits of the endowment.

“More important, in the future it will mean a great deal to UAB and the School of Business,” Holmes said, adding that such an endowment will help the school recruit and retain dean-level leadership and thereby benefit faculty and student recruitment.

Under Holmes’ leadership, the UAB School of Business is consistently ranked among the Top 10 metropolitan business schools in the nation. A rarity among business school deans, Holmes continues to teach – his course is Business 450, Strategic Management: A Seminar with CEOs, with Professor Edward M. Friend III, J.D. The course, for graduating seniors, brings CEOs to classes for discussions of the strategies, challenges and opportunities of the companies.

“It gives students a unique opportunity to interact with people they normally would not meet,” Holmes said.