The spring of 2025 marks the last semester in which Dr. Chad Carson will serve as the Dean of the Brock School of Business. Carson has served Samford as a dean for four years and hopes to continue his endeavors by returning as a faculty member and connecting on a more one-on-one basis with his students.
Carson began his time at Samford in 2004 as a faculty member and transitioned into administration as an Associate Dean in 2011. His infatuation with Samford came after much research into the Christian mission and faith-based values the university upholds.
When asked about his highlights while being at Samford, Carson responded with the many updates and building transformation that have taken place at Cooney Hall.
“This is our tenth year in Cooney Hall. This building has been transformative for our business school and has seen a tremendous increase in enrollment, since the beginning of construction. Not to mention, the size of our school has almost doubled since we started construction,” Carson said.
After this summer, Provost Dave Cimbora will be on the hunt for an interim dean and eventually conduct an international search for the next Brock School of Business Dean.
In the meantime, Carson will be looking forward to his return to teaching and taking a semester to partake in sabbatical.
According to Carson, stepping down as Dean will allow him to focus more on his calling to teach and interact more with his students.
“I’m not leaving Samford and so I’m going to go back to being a faculty here at Brock and teaching management and entrepreneurship classes on a full-time basis and I’m so excited about that,” said Carson. “It’s just a season in life when I’m ready to serve in a different way. I’ll do a sabbatical in the fall and return for spring in ‘26 and I’m glad to be back in the classroom.”
As Carson’s time as Dean comes to an end, he is extremely grateful for the leadership opportunities and personal growth he was able to accomplish during this role.
“I’m constantly thinking about alumni, current students and future students. Being the Dean is an outward facing, liaison role, so you’re talking with alumni, members of the business community but you’re also interfacing with other leadership on campus,” Carson said. “I’ve had an amazing run as Dean and will be praying for the faculty conducting the search process and whoever the next Dean will be.”
Catherine Smith, a Samford alum who studied marketing, and now works as the Communication Manager for the Brock School of Business, has observed Carson’s dedication over the years.
“I was a student when Dr. Carson was appointed to Dean and it’s been cool to experience from a student perspective the commitment to student success and now being able to graduate, I get to see the innerworkings of the business school,” Smith said. “It’s been amazing to see Samford have a leader that cares about the faculty and staff so much.”
Dr. Chad Carson is set to return in the Spring of 2026 and teach a number of business classes.
Staff Writer
