The University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors announced Dr. Arturo Rodriguez will lead the ULM College of Business and Social Sciences (CBSS) as Dean, concluding a search that began last fall. His appointment, announced on June 26, 2025, is expected to advance the college’s latest five-year strategic plan.
Originally from Durango, Mexico, Rodriguez came to the United States on a tennis scholarship to Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. There, he earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing and international business in 1998, followed by his Master of Business Administration (MBA) a year later.
Rodriguez gained extensive experience in banking across Colorado and New Mexico before joining ULM. In 2007, he became an Assistant Professor of Finance while earning his Doctor of Management (DM) in Organization Development and Change Management from Colorado Technical University. Rodriguez quickly advanced to Associate Professor before becoming Director of the William D. Hoover School of Accounting, Financial, and Information Services.
Building on his connections at ULM, Rodriguez brings a clear vision for the CBSS, one that prioritizes faculty research and student voices. To implement this vision, he plans to engage closely with every program in the college, from business to social sciences, ensuring no program is overlooked. Recognizing that faculty interact with students daily, Rodriguez emphasized his reliance on their insights, encouraging them to share concerns and ideas that could shape the college’s future.
“I want to learn these programs’ strengths and worries, and how we can–because we are all together in this–serve our students better,” Rodriguez said. “I cannot tell them how to do that, because I am not an expert in all of the fields we have here in the college. I need to rely on them for their expertise.”
The students within the college certainly appear to recognize Rodriguez’s drive. Though they come from various majors, many shared similar sentiments, highlighting his welcoming personality and helpfulness. Aiden Gager, a junior double-majoring in Computer Information Systems (CIS) and Accounting, was one of Rodriguez’s students and highlighted these in his statement.
“There have been several times when I needed help inside and outside the classroom. He guaranteed I got the resources or the contacts necessary to make sure those needs were met,” Gager said. “With Dr. Rodriguez as the new dean, I am excited to see his vision for the CBSS come to fruition.”
Under his guidance, the future of the CBSS looks not only promising, but purposeful.
