Morteza Rahmatian has been appointed dean of the Mihaylo College of Business and Economics for a two-year term, effective July 1, 2018.
“During our recent search process, we reviewed multiple external candidates,” said Kari Knutson-Miller, CSUF provost and vice president for academic affairs. “However, the leader best positioned to achieve our goals of innovation, forward-thinking and philanthropy is Dr. Rahmatian. His previous plan was to return to the classroom full time and pursue his passion for teaching, however, he has agreed to serve in the capacity of dean and is committed to leading the continued development of the college as a nationally renowned choice for business education.”
Rahmatian joined Cal State Fullerton in 1988 as a faculty member in economics. He served two terms as the chair of the Department of Economics and three years as the associate dean for the Mihaylo College of Business and Economics. In this position, he was responsible for faculty development and instruction innovations, graduate programs and academic advising.
He provided leadership and oversaw operations at the Irvine Center from March 2015 to July 2016 and, most recently, has been serving as interim dean of the Mihaylo College of Business and Economics since July 2016. He has served on a wide variety of department, college and university committees, including the Academic Senate Executive Committee.
An expert in environmental economics, Rahmatian was part of a 2006 United Nations team working with environmental protection officials from countries that surround the Caspian Sea. It was just one of several projects he has conducted for the U.N. and/or the World Bank. His research has been published in numerous publications, including the International Journal of Environmental Research, Science and Biology, Journal of Business and Economic Perspective and the Iranian Journal of Public Health.
Rahmatian holds a master’s degree and doctorate in economics from the University of Wyoming.