Ott appointed interim dean

Steven Ott, director of the Center for Real Estate at UNC Charlotte, has been appointed the interim dean of the Belk College of Business, starting July 1.

UNC Charlotte Provost Joan Lorden announced the appointment to fill a void left by the departure of Dean Claude Lilly, who stepped down this month to accept the position of dean of the College of Business and Behavioral Sciences at Clemson University.

“I look forward to working closely with the Belk College of Business faculty and staff to continue to improve the college and its programs,” said Ott, the John Crosland Sr. Distinguished Professor of Real Estate and Development. “I also have a strong desire to retain and enhance the college’s excellent relationship with the region’s business community.”

At UNC Charlotte, Ott has developed and operates a real estate finance and development concentration at the M.B.A. level.

Ott’s teaching includes real estate finance and development, and his research focuses on topics such as real estate valuation, real estate public policy issues, and real estate development finance and investment. He has consulted with multiple investment banking, real estate advisory and real estate development firms.

“I am confident that Steve will do an exceptional job in his new role as interim dean and will keep the agenda of the Belk College moving forward as we search for a permanent dean,” said Lorden.

Lorden said a national search is being launched to find Lilly’s successor.

“We will seek input from the campus and the business community on the characteristics desired in the new dean and will work aggressively to develop a diverse pool of candidates that meet our criteria,” she said. “I anticipate that we will screen candidates during the fall and winter and have on-campus interviews by early spring with a goal of appointing a new dean by July 2008.”

Ott earned his undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and both his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Under Lilly’s tenure, the Belk College significantly expanded its graduate programs, adding an M.S. in mathematical finance, an M.B.A. concentration and graduate certificate in real estate, a Ph.D. in business administration, and an M.B.A. in sports marketing and management.

In addition, he oversaw expansion of the Belk College’s international programs, which now include M.B.A. programs in Mexico, Taiwan and Hong Kong, and faculty and student exchanges with top universities in Asia and Europe.