Cox School of Business

General Information

Vision Statement

The mission of the Edwin L. Cox School of Business is to improve the school’s academic programs and reputation as a top-tier business school by providing a high-quality business education to students and the business community, conducting research that contributes to the understanding of business and management, and participating in the service activities of the University and professional organizations.

History

From its beginning as the Department of Commerce for Southern Methodist University, the Edwin L. Cox School of Business has been educating the country’s business leaders for over 100 years.

Named in 1978 in honor of Dallas businessman Edwin L. Cox, the Cox School’s rich heritage began in 1920 when the SMU Board of Trustees established a Department of Commerce at the request of the Dallas business community. In 1921 the Department of Commerce was renamed the School of Commerce, and in 1941 the Board of Trustees established the School of Commerce as a separate entity within the University. At this point, the School of Commerce became the School of Business Administration, and the Bachelor of Business Administration degree was approved by the trustees. The Cox School also grants two minors in business.

The graduate program at the School of Business Administration began in 1949 with the authorization of a Master of Business Administration program. Both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). The graduate program offers M.B.A; M.S.; M.A./M.B.A.; J.D./M.B.A.; M.A.D./M.B.A.; and M.S./M.B.A. degrees, including degrees offered in joint and dual programs with the other SMU schools. Also, the Cox School offers custom and open enrollment Executive Education certificate programs.

The Cox Executive Board, created in 1965 as the SMU Foundation for Business Administration, consists of about 100 regional and national business executives - many of them SMU Cox alumni - who support and guide Cox School students and initiatives. Also instrumental in supporting the Cox School are its two mentoring programs: the Cox Mentorship Academy for M.B.A. students and the BBA Mentoring Alliance. These two boards match students with more than 350 area business leaders who volunteer their time and expertise.

Cox School Complex

In 1952, ground was broken for the Joseph Wylie Fincher Memorial Building for the School of Business Administration. In 1987, two buildings were added to the Cox School complex: the Cary M. Maguire Building and the Trammell Crow Building. In 2005, the Cox School opened the James M. Collins Executive Education Center.

The Collins Center is home to the region’s premier resources for working professionals and executives and houses the Cox School’s Executive Education programs, Executive M.B.A. program and M.B.A. Global Leadership Program Office (supported by The Norman E. Brinker Global Leadership Endowment Fund), as well as the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking.

A two-year, $140 million renovation and expansion program on the original business school site culminated in the summer of 2024 with the completion of the David B. Miller Business Quadrangle, home to the Edwin L. Cox School of Business. Three existing buildings were renovated into one cohesive space with the addition of four new buildings, a commons area and a courtyard, to increase square footage by 30%. Included in the Cox School is the Duda Family Business Library, which combines many of the features of a traditional university library with the latest in online databases, search tools and access to dedicated business librarians. Cox School students, faculty and staff have access to current business news and financial, industry and market data from premier providers. The Kitt Investing and Trading Center, added to the Business Library in 2011, is a state-of-the-art instructional and research facility designed to integrate financial data and technology into the finance curriculum, enhance innovative faculty research, and teach students practical finance and investment applications. The Ida Family Reading Room provides students with quiet space for research and study. The BBA Library Research Program ensures that students are experienced in finding answers to complex questions and can present their research in an ethical and professional manner. Fostering a collaborative learning environment, the Cox School’s new and improved facilities set the bar for experiential learning with reimagined spaces and state-of-the-art technology. All students who graduate from the Cox School of Business will have substantial research experience in the areas of subject major, senior capstone project, and career preparation.

Administration and Faculty

Faculty Directory

Offices of the Academic Dean

Todd T. Milbourn, Dean and Tolleson Chair in Business Leadership and the Andrew H. Chen Endowed Chair in Financial Investments
Marcus M. Butts, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Research

James S. Linck, Senior Associate Dean for Programs
James N. Bryan, Chief of Staff and Associate Dean for BBA Admissions and Advising
Gary T. Moskowitz, Associate Dean for Strategic Planning and Accreditation
Shelly Heinrich, Senior Assistant Dean for Career Management Center and Graduate Admissions
Radhika Brinkopf, Assistant Dean for Working Professionals MBA Programs
Catherine Collins, Assistant Dean for Administration and Facilities
Steven Denson, Assistant Dean of Student Success
Linda Kao, Assistant Dean for Global Operations
Kevin Knox, Assistant Dean for Alumni and External Relations
Julie Maass, Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Enrollment and Engagement
Deborah Macedonia, Assistant Dean for FT/MS Graduate Admissions
Lacey Jeffrey, Executive Director of Marketing
Anna Martinez, Executive Director for Communications

Lisa Tran, Interim, Senior Assistant Dean for Executive Education

Administration

Elizabeth Aguirre, Executive Assistant to the Dean
Joseph Cahoon, Executive Director of the Folsom Institute for Real Estate
Emily Choi, Executive Director of the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship
Joshua Taylor, Executive Director of Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership
Mark G. Roberts, Research Director in Real Estate and Land Use Economics
Amit Basu, Director of the Data Driven Decision Making Certificate Program
Bruce Bullock, Director of the Maguire Energy Institute
Lindsay Davis, Director of BBA Admissions
Benjamin Dow, Director of Master of Science Management
Edward J. Fox, W. R. and Judy Howell Director of the JCPenney Center for Retail Excellence
Justin Gressel, Director of Master of Science in Business Analytics
Brad Harraman, Director of the Brierley Institute for Customer Engagement
Robert A. Lawson, Director of the Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom
Helmuth Walther Ludwig, Director of the Hart Institute for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
William F. Maxwell, Director of the EnCap Investments & LCM Group Alternative Asset Management Center and The Don Jackson Center for Financial Studies
D. David McIntyre, Director of the Accounting Academic Internship Program
Barbara P. Mohrle, Director of BBA Academic Advising and Records
Jason Rife, Director of Business Presentation Education
Mukunathan Santhanakrishnan, Director of Master of Science in Finance
Xavier Tison, Director of the Master of Science in Energy and Sustainability
Aren Cambre, Academic Director of the MS in AI for Business
David Jacobson, Academic Director of Online MBA and MBAD Degrees
Darius P. Miller, Academic Director Kitt Investing and Trading Center
Gregory Sommers, Academic Director of Master of Science in Accounting
Kumar Venkataraman, Academic Director of the Maguire Energy Institute and Kyle Miller Energy Program
Mary Tays, Senior Financial Business Manager
Yurianna Kim, Coordinator of the Behavioral Laboratory