Title: Associate Dean
Company: University of Central Missouri
Location: Warrensburg, Missouri, United States
Dr. Matthew Houseworth, PhD, Associate Dean at the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies at the University of Central Missouri, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements, and leadership in Business Education and Technology Management.
Throughout a distinguished career in higher education and business leadership, Dr. Houseworth has demonstrated expertise in technology management, human resource development, industrial training and investment analysis for training programs. He is widely regarded for his ability to deliver comprehensive training and development across a variety of skill sets. Dr. Houseworth’s commitment to extracting knowledge from experience, research and existing expertise has been instrumental in creating efficient products and services while maintaining or improving quality within academic settings.
Since 2024, Dr. Houseworth has served as the associate dean of the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies at his alma mater, the University of Central Missouri. In this multifaceted role, he oversees a college that encompasses a wide range of disciplines, including aviation, criminal justice, Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, human services and social work. Notably, the college operates an airport supporting a large pilot training program for future commercial aviators and manages eight accreditations. Dr. Houseworth’s responsibilities include faculty development and ensuring that teaching excellence remains central to the university’s mission as a regional public institution. He also prioritizes strong research activity among faculty members while fostering service to both students and the broader community.
A faculty member of the university for 20 years, Dr. Houseworth also teaches on campus. He has held the title of associate professor of management since 2021. His tenure-track appointment began in 2012 as an assistant professor of management. During these years, Dr. Houseworth contributed significantly to curriculum development and student engagement initiatives. Additionally, he participates in several committees, including the student engagement committee and the college relations committee.
From 2022 to 2024, Dr. Houseworth was a department chair at the University of Central Missouri. He led multiple departments, including management, marketing, public relations and sport management during this period of organizational restructuring. During 2022, Dr. Houseworth served as an interim assistant dean at the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies. Earlier in his career at the university, Dr. Houseworth excelled as an enrollment services coordinator for what was then known as the school of business administration from 2008 to 2012. As part of his responsibilities, he managed enrollment management functions with a focus on student affairs, recruitment and advising while teaching Introduction to Business to approximately 60 first-year students annually, allowing him to be a key point of contact for prospective students interested in business studies.
Dr. Houseworth’s professional journey began as an admissions representative on campus from 2006 to 2008. In this capacity, he recruited students from across the Midwest region. While working toward his degrees, he worked as a graduate assistant at the University Store in 2006.
A highlight of Dr. Houseworth’s career has been his involvement with Collegiate DECA, which prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management in high schools and colleges worldwide. Serving as the senior advisor over several years stands out as one of his most memorable experiences. Leading hundreds of students through national competitions provided opportunities for first-generation college students from rural communities to excel against larger institutions nationwide. Under Dr. Houseworth’s guidance, many students placed among the top competitors nationally, an achievement that opened doors for their future careers.
Dr. Houseworth’s academic background underpins his expertise in business education and technology management. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis in marketing in 2005 and a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in marketing in 2008 from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri. From there, Dr. Houseworth acquired a Doctor of Philosophy in technology management with concentrations in human resource development and industrial training development from Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 2020.
In addition to his academic credentials, Dr. Houseworth holds several certifications that have furthered his professional growth. In 2018, he completed the People First Leadership Development Program through Blue Tile University. Dr. Houseworth later earned Lean Six Sigma green belt and black belt certifications from the University of Kansas in 2021, which have enhanced his ability to implement process improvements within educational settings.
Dr. Houseworth’s professional affiliations reflect his commitment to continuous improvement and service within his field. He is active with organizations such as the Society for Human Resource Management’s Kansas City chapter and the American Society for Quality. Dr. Houseworth is also committed to civic engagement and is passionate about conservation efforts. Most notably, as a life sponsor who donated $25,000 to Ducks Unlimited, where he serves as a district chair and state chair-elect, he demonstrates dedication to environmental stewardship alongside professional obligations.
An accomplished scholar, Dr. Houseworth’s publications span topics such as employee engagement strategies during organizational change, experiential pedagogy, distance learning preferences, teamwork dynamics and, among others, value chain analysis. Notable works have included ‘The Distance Learning Dilemma: What Do Students Really Want?’ published by the Association for Business Communication in 2012, ‘The Integrative Business Experience: Real Choices and Real Consequences Create Real Thinking’ published by the Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education in 2015, and ‘Saving Employee Engagement: Emergent Strategies in Response to Externally Mandated Change’ published by the International Journal of Business and Management Research in 2021.
Recognizing his career contributions, Dr. Houseworth has received numerous awards. While serving with the Collegiate DECA, he was honored three times as the National Adviser of the Year between 2010 and 2019 and received several state awards recognizing collective efforts with DECA. He also earned a Chairman’s Award of Merit in 2020 and a Family of the Year award for the State of Missouri in 2026. Civically, Dr. Houseworth earned more than five Mallard Flight Awards reflecting ongoing support for conservation initiatives.
Looking ahead, Dr. Houseworth is preparing for future leadership roles within higher education administration with aspirations to serve as a dean at a business school followed by positions within provost offices overseeing academic programs at the university level. His career reflects not only expertise across multiple domains but also an unwavering commitment to service, both within academia and throughout broader communities, guided by principles learned early in life that continue to shape his professional philosophy today.
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