Alum of the Month

September 2012

September 2012
Steve Salbu

B.A. ’77

Q & A:

  • What was your favorite class?
    My favorite class was Personality Theory, with Psychology Professor Beth Raymond.
  • What was your first job after graduating from Hofstra, and what was the most valuable thing you learned there?
    I was a bill collector. The most valuable thing I learned there was that I did not want to be a bill collector.
  • What is your field of specialty, and how did you come to work in the industry?
    I’m a professor and college administrator. I received my law degree from William and Mary and my Ph.D. from the Wharton School, and became a scholar of business law and ethics. I’m currently dean of the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business.
  • What advice would you give current Hofstra students?
    Work hard, play hard, and don’t take yourself too seriously.
  • In one word, how would you describe Hofstra?
    Driven.
  • How has your degree from Hofstra helped you?
    Psychology at Hofstra was a terrific major. I still retain so much of what I learned there about human behavior.
  • What is your favorite part of your job?
    Working with alumni and students.
  • What is the single most rewarding/exciting experience in your career thus far?
    Watching Georgia Tech’s highly regarded business school move into the top-tier.
Steve Salbu

Steve Salbu (B.A. ’77) joined Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business as dean in July 2006. His years of experience within the higher education field as well as his extensive knowledge of business ethics and law has helped Georgia Tech’s business school climb the ranks to become one of the nation’s top-tier schools. Recently, Steve committed to a second term as dean. After he joined Georgia Tech, the Scheller College of Business defined its mission to become the world's preeminent business school for management and technology. "The College is uniquely positioned to teach students to capitalize on the business opportunities made possible by emerging technologies and succeed in an increasingly global economy," Steve says. Capitalizing on the Scheller College of Business's strengths has required substantial growth in the size of the faculty. During Steve’s tenure, the size of the tenure-track faculty has grown from the low 50s to over 80. "This thoughtful expansion has been necessary to ensure that our students continue learning from the best," he says. "Our increased faculty size enables us to initiate innovative interdisciplinary programs that differentiate us from traditional business schools."

After earning a master's degree from Dartmouth College (liberal studies), a law degree from the College of William and Mary, and master's and doctoral degrees from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (organization and strategy), Steve served as associate dean for graduate programs at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas. He also served as director of the McCombs School Business Ethics Program and editor-in-chief of the American Business Law Journal. He has served as a visiting professor at a number of U.S. business schools, including the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, and Indiana University. He has also taught extensively at international business schools and law schools, including London Business School, Rotterdam School of Management, IMADEC University in Vienna, the University of Edinburgh (joint business law program with the University of Texas), ITESM in Mexico City (joint E.M.B.A. program with the University of Texas), the University of Melbourne Law School (as Honorary Senior Fellow), Copenhagen Business School, INCAE in Costa Rica, Helsinki School of Economics, Instituto de Empresa in Madrid, and the Melbourne Business School (as the inaugural Gourlay Visiting Endowed Professor of Business Ethics). In addition, Steve has been a business consultant since the 1980s, working with many clients in a variety of areas, including business ethics, strategy, regulatory issues, medical ethics, and FDA regulatory policy.

Previously an editorial board member of Business Ethics Quarterly, Steve has published extensively in the areas of business ethics and law. His articles have appeared in such journals as the American Business Law Journal, Business Ethics Quarterly, Business and Society Review, Boston University Law Review, Case Western Reserve Law Review, Chicago Journal of International Law, Columbia Business Law Review, Columbia Journal of Transnational Law, Cornell International Law Journal, Florida Law Review, Harvard Journal of Law and Technology, Harvard Journal on Legislation, Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, Hastings Law Journal, Indiana Law Journal, Journal of Business Ethics, Law and Policy in International Business, Michigan Journal of International Law, Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business, Rutgers Law Review, Securities Law Review, Tulane Law Review, University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Business Law, Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, Washington Law Review, Washington University Law Quarterly, Washington and Lee Law Review, Yale Journal on Regulation, and Yale Journal of International Law.