August 28, 2008 – (ATLANTA) – The J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University today named Lars Mathiassen as academic director and Maury Kalnitz as director of the college's newest academic offering, the Executive Doctorate in Business, which will begin classes in fall 2009.

Robinson's Executive Doctorate is one of only a few such programs in the world. Unlike other doctoral programs, the Executive Doctorate is targeted at senior executives who already hold an MBA or other advanced degree, are working full-time, and want to bring the knowledge they gain to bear on problems and issues within their organization. The program is designed to enable executives to understand the research process and to apply research in solving actual business problems.

Comprising three years of academic work, the executive format program will include once-a-month residencies in Atlanta, running from Thursday through Saturday. Robinson's Executive Doctorate in Business will provide its graduates with the knowledge and acumen needed to identify, understand and tackle the complex and interdisciplinary issues that characterize current and emerging global management. The degree curriculum is composed of course-based activities and research projects, with an increasing focus on the latter as students progress through the program, culminating in writing and defending a thesis.

Mathiassen, a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, is professor of Computer Information Systems at Robinson and co-founder of its Center for Process Innovation. Throughout his career, Mathiassen has frequently collaborated with industry on research to develop and improve information services, business processes and organizational change initiatives.

Kalnitz, a graduate of Robinson's Executive MBA program as well as its former director, served as the first managing director of the Executive MBA Council, an international organization for schools that offer Executive MBA programs.

"Lars and Maury are uniquely qualified to develop and deliver an executive doctorate program that is equal parts rigor and relevance," said H. Fenwick Huss, dean of Robinson College. "By combining Maury's understanding of executive education with Lars' experience applying academic research methodology to contemporary business problems, we will provide a program that will benefit both our students and the companies with whom they work."

Three members of Robinson College faculty will work closely with Mathiassen and Kalnitz on the development and implementation of the Executive Doctorate program:

• Arun Rai, Regents' Professor and Harkins Chair in Information Systems, Department of Computer Information Systems, co-founder of the Center for Process Innovation
• Karen D. Loch, professor and director, Global Partners MBA Program, Institute of International Business
• Vikas Agarwal, associate professor, Department of Finance