Title: Dean
Company: University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics
Location: Lexington, Kentucky, United States
Simon J. Sheather, PHD, dean at the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements, and leadership in higher education.
With nearly four decades of experience, Dr. Sheather has established a distinguished career in higher education, specializing in statistics and analytics. He currently excels as the dean of the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics, a role he has held since 2018. In this capacity, he oversees academic programs, manages faculty, supports students, develops strategic plans, and fosters external relationships to ensure the department’s success. His experience includes serving as professor and academic director of the Master of Science analytics program at Texas A&M University from 2013 to 2018 and as professor and department head of the Department of Statistics at Texas A&M University from 2005 to 2014. He also held roles at the University of New South Wales Australian Graduate School of Management, where he served as professor from 1987 to 2005, associate professor and director of the MBA program in 1994, senior lecturer from 1989 to 1993, and lecturer from 1987 to 1988. Additionally, he was a lecturer at the University of Melbourne from 1986 to 1987.
Dr. Sheather has made significant contributions to the field as a fellow of the American Statistical Association and author of “Robust Estimation and Testing,” published in 1990, and through articles to various professional publications. In light of his impressive undertakings, he received the Paul Minton Award for Service to the Statistics Profession in 2024, recognizing outstanding service to the statistics profession, was ranked among the Top 200 Mathematicians Worldwide in 2003, and won the Inaugural Business School Award for Excellence in Research from the University of New South Wales Australian Graduate School of Management in 2003. He also received multiple teaching awards from the University of New South Wales Australian Graduate School of Management in 1991, 1994, 1997, and 2000, and has been ranked in the Top 2% of Mathematical Scientists twice. He laid a solid educational foundation for these successes, pursuing a degree from the University of Melbourne in Australia, where he earned a Bachelor of Science with honors in statistics in 1981, followed by a PhD in statistics from La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, in 1986.
Dr. Sheather takes great pride in his accomplishments as dean, including expanding the student body, initiating new programs, and raising scholarship funds. He is particularly proud of the scholarships he has established and the teaching awards he received from the Australian Graduate School of Management. He attributes his success to the invaluable guidance of a distinguished mentor, whose support helped him secure a visiting position at Penn State and ultimately led to his career in the United States. In the coming years, he aspires to further develop the business school, remain deeply committed to supporting students, and continue making a positive impact on their lives.
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