College of Business and Economics Appoints MBA Director

Radford University’s College of Business and Economics (COBE) has appointed Chris Niles as director of its MBA program. Niles comes to Radford from Immaculata University in Philadelphia, Pa., where he was assistant director of academic advisement.  He previously served as assistant dean of student academic support services at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind. He began his duties at Radford University on Aug. 10.

“Our MBA program and COBE will benefit from Chris’ blend of rich academic administration and advising experience,” said COBE Dean Faye Gilbert.

In his new position, Niles oversees the full-time MBA program on the university’s main campus and two cohorts of students in its Roanoke and Radford part-time MBA programs for working professionals.  Currently over 100 students are enrolled in the program, including 25 new MBA candidates who will enter the program this fall.

“RU’s MBA program has a lot of momentum and I am excited about the opportunity to further substantiate each of the different programs," said Niles.

Niles said that an important aspect of the Radford University MBA experience is the optional applied project that each MBA candidate is encouraged to include in their portfolio.  In 2010, students completed almost 30 applied or team projects that were supervised by COBE faculty on behalf of a variety of clients including Volvo GM, Moog Components Group and the city of Roanoke. 

“Our students benefit from applying what they learn in the classroom to real world situations, and this is a meaningful way that Radford serves the corporate and non-profit communities in both the New River and Roanoke valleys,” he said.

Niles has worked at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, where he designed and facilitated experiential leadership programs including the MBA Orientation, the accounting MBA program and its undergraduate honors program.  He also piloted an experiential component for the MBA Orientation at Purdue’s Krannert School of Management.  Niles holds a B.B.A. from the University of Vermont and a M.S. in higher education/student affairs from Indiana University.