Agarwal to Act as Interim Dean of College of Business and Public Administration

Vinod Agarwal, professor of economics and director of Old Dominion University's Economic Forecasting Project, has been named interim dean of ODU's College of Business and Public Administration, effective July 1.

Agarwal replaces Dean Gil Yochum, who is retiring. He will serve a one-year term while a nationwide search is conducted for a permanent dean.

"At any school like Old Dominion University, after you've been on faculty for many years, an appointment like this is a tremendous opportunity to serve," said Agarwal. "My goal is to continue to build on the strengths of the college, and help display our accomplishments.

"We have very fine faculty in the College of Business and Public Administration, and they are doing exciting things. We need to help the local business community know, so we can be a better resource for the community."

Agarwal, who joined the university in 1981, has been one of the principals in the Economic Forecasting Project since its inception in January 1996. The forecasting team, which currently consists of Agarwal and Gary Wagner, professor of economics, prepares and delivers regional and national economic forecasts that are widely respected as an accurate harbinger of the year ahead for the region.

"Dr. Agarwal brings to the interim role a strong combination of recognized scholarship, outreach to the community, and teaching experience at Old Dominion University," said Provost Carol Simpson. "I look forward to working with him to keep the college firmly on its upward trajectory while we conduct an external search for the next dean."

Agarwal will continue to lead the Economic Forecasting Team while serving as interim dean.

He said he is fortunate to be taking over from Yochum, a friend and professional colleague for more than 30 years. "It's definitely much easier to become interim dean in these circumstances. We worked together on the Economic Forecasting Team, and know each other very well," Agarwal said.

As he assumes the interim dean role, Agarwal said part of his responsibility is to better get to know his colleagues in the college outside of the Department of Economics, of which he was chair from 2001 to 2006.

He said with the college and entire university invested in a new entrepreneurial initiative - supported through a donation of $11 million by the Strome Family Foundation, led by Mark and Tammy Strome - it's important to demonstrate how the diverse expertise in the college can be of value to the entire community.

Agarwal earned his doctoral degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1977 and joined ODU as an assistant professor in economics in January 1981. He received his tenure and was promoted to the rank of associate professor effective August 1986. Agarwal was promoted to the rank of full professor effective August 1992.

In addition to his founding role with the Economic Forecasting Project, and chairmanship of the Department of Economics, Agarwal served as a member of the Virginia College Building Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia from July 2004 through June 2012. He was a member of the Governor's Advisory Board of Economists from 2006 to 2010.

Agarwal, a prominent member of the Indian community in Hampton Roads, was part of a group of business professionals who helped create the Hindu Temple of Hampton Roads, located in Chesapeake, and helped create Taste of India, now in its eighth year and co-sponsored by Old Dominion University.