YPSILANTI, MI - Eastern Michigan University has appointed Kenneth Lord as its new dean of the College of Business, the university announced Friday, April 27.

Lord joins EMU from Cal State Northridge, where he served as dean of the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics from 2013 to 2017 and most recently as accreditation advisor and professor of marketing.

"Dr. Lord has an outstanding background in academic business leadership," said Rhonda Longworth, Eastern Michigan Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs in a news release. "His leadership in strengthening and developing relationships with external constituencies and in accreditation make him an ideal individual to lead our College of Business."

Lord has been in the field of marketing with 30 years of experience. He also served as associate dean of in the Kania School of Management at the University of Scranton (Pa.) from 2006 to 2013. He was a professor of marketing at Mercer University in Macon, Ga. from 1998 to 2006.

Lord received his bachelor's in English and master's in communication from the University of Utah and his doctorate in marketing from Ohio State University.

He takes over for Anne Balazs, who was appointed interim dean in 2017. Balazs will return to her previous position as interim assist vice president of graduate studies at Eastern. Former EMU College of Business Dean Michael Tidwell was named President of the University of Texas at Tyler in fall 2016.

Lord will assume the dean post on July 1. His salary will be $218,000.