Stevenson Appoints Dr. Zamira Simkins Dean of the Brown School of Business and Leadership

Stevenson University has named Dr. Zamira Simkins the new Dean of the Howard S. Brown School of Business and Leadership, effective December 15. Dr. Simkins has served as Interim Dean since July 2024.

Dr. Simkins has more than 20 years of experience in higher education and business. She first joined Stevenson as an adjunct faculty member from 2007 to 2011, before becoming a full-time faculty member in 2016. Since then, Dr. Simkins has held multiple academic leadership roles, including Department Chair for Business Administration and Interim Graduate Program Director and Department Chair for Information Systems. Prior to joining Stevenson University, Dr. Simkins served as Co-Director of the School of Business and Economics at the University of Wisconsin–Superior.

During her time at Stevenson, Dr. Simkins has overseen multiple accreditation processes, including the Brown School’s International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) program accreditations and most recently the National Security Agency (NSA) Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense designation for the bachelor’s and master’s programs in Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics.

“Dr. Simkins has provided exceptional leadership across the Brown School of Business and Leadership’s undergraduate and graduate programs,” said Merrie Durmowicz, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost. “Her unwavering commitment to academic excellence, and student success is a true asset to Stevenson. I am grateful for her leadership, and confident she will continue to advance our students’ academic and career success.”

In addition to her leadership roles, Dr. Simkins has published and presented research extensively over the last two decades. She has taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses in finance, economics, and business analytics, and secured research grants while contributing to interdisciplinary scholarship. Dr. Simkins received her Ph.D. in Economics from American University and her M.A. in International Affairs and Administration from Missouri State University.

Founded in 1947, Stevenson University today serves more than 3,700 students on our 200-acre campus in Owings Mills, Maryland; online through Stevenson University Online; and through our doctoral program in Clinical Psychology. Stevenson is driven by a commitment to meet students where they are and to help them get where they want to be by providing exceptional experiences in and out of the classroom; a close-knit, supportive community; and career connections that prepare them for success in their professional lives. Learn more about Stevenson at www.stevenson.edu.

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