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Washington-Hubbard appointed Dean of the College of Business & Communication at Brenau University

From the website of Brenau University

The Brenau University Provost’s Office announced on Monday, March 7, Shatrela Washington-Hubbard, Ph.D., will be the Swinton A. Griffith III Dean of the College of Business & Communication, effective immediately. Washington-Hubbard previously had served as interim dean since August 2021.

James Eck, Ph.D., provost and vice president of academic affairs at Brenau, praised Washington-Hubbard for her hard work during seven months as interim dean.

“Dr. Washington-Hubbard has spent several months creating synergy and momentum within the College of Business & Communication, and she collaborates effectively across the divisions of the university,” Eck said. “She embraces the challenges related to program growth and integration, and she has spearheaded new initiatives such as an innovative undergraduate major in international hospitality and a new graduate program in digital marketing. She is committed to developing a new advisory board for the college that includes executives who will help to ensure that our graduates are ready to enter the workforce and make a difference from day one.”

Washington-Hubbard, who also has been leading the work to renew accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, said she looks forward to continuing to expand opportunities for Brenau students.

“I am honored that I was selected to serve as the Swinton A. Griffith III Dean of the College of Business & Communication,” Washington-Hubbard said. “Serving as interim dean has allowed me to work with my colleagues on several initiatives to provide our students with rich learning experiences. I look forward to working with my colleagues to move each of these initiatives forward as we work to bring regional and national recognition to the College of Business & Communication.”

She specifically has partnered with The Women’s College at Brenau to increase course offerings, develop interdisciplinary programs and host a professional development week for students.

During her tenure at Brenau, Washington-Hubbard re-established the Society for Human Resource Management academic alignment for the undergraduate and graduate human resource management programs. Additionally, she established Brenau as a recertification provider for SHRM. Her work also led to academic alignment with the Human Resources Certification Institute for the undergraduate and graduate HR programs.

Washington-Hubbard’s presentation, The importance of an entrepreneurial mindset, was selected to represent Region 3 in the Best of Regions presentations at the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs national conference in Miami, Florida.

Before joining Brenau, Washington-Hubbard taught various business courses in the Technical College System of Georgia and served as the director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Development at Georgia Piedmont Technical College. She has also worked as an educator in the Georgia public school system and as a corporate human resources professional.

Washington-Hubbard earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Georgia State University, a master’s in human resources from the University of South Carolina and a Ph.D. in learning, leadership, and organizational development from the University of Georgia. Her research areas include entrepreneurial mindset, leadership development and women’s career development. 

Washington-Hubbard is actively involved in several professional organizations and provides coaching and consulting services for various companies and professionals in leadership development. She has also volunteered for several organizations, including the Atlanta Children’s Shelter, where she facilitated computer training programs for parents seeking employment as they transitioned from homelessness to lifelong stability. Various boards have also benefited from her membership, with her longest tenure being with NGBC Educational & Community Services Inc.