Tenured faculty member Jake Messersmith, department chair and associate professor of management, ’01, is the new chair of the Department of Management at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business.

"Jake brings strong administrative experience to the position he gained as the executive director of the College of Business Graduate Programs. During his time in the role, graduate enrollment increased by more than 30% over three years, and he helped garner or maintain exceptional rankings for the online MBA program," said Kathy Farrell, James Jr. and Susan Stuart Endowed Dean and professor of finance.

Messersmith's goals include growing and expanding upon the department's strengths. It offers three undergraduate majors including management, international business and business administration. It also oversees the entrepreneurship minor, two online graduate certificates and a Ph.D. in Business with a specialization in management. Its faculty lead the Center for Entrepreneurship and maintain the standards to be one of 37 Society for Human Resource Management-aligned programs in the U.S.

"I hope to grow and expand our relationships with external partners to underscore further our capabilities in entrepreneurship, strategic leadership, organizational behavior, international business and human resource management. I intend to work to serve the strategic objectives of the College of Business by empowering faculty and doctoral students to conduct and publish rigorous research while providing relevant education to our stakeholders at all levels — from our undergraduate students in Lincoln to our online MBA students across the world and the many who take part in the executive and professional development offered by our faculty. We have much to be proud of in the Department of Management, and I’m excited to continue to build upon this foundation," he said.

Messersmith received the college's Faculty Service Award in 2022, recognizing his sustained significant contributions through service to the university, college, department, community or profession. A nominator noted how he takes on additional tasks and leadership roles to benefit the college and its community, including delivering nearly 25 executive education programs and serving on several college and university committees. Messersmith also serves on the editorial boards of six journals and committees for the Academy of Management, the main professional organization in the field.

An expert on human capital management issues within the strategic human resource management domain, his research has been published in such journals as Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science, Journal of Management, Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, Journal of Management Studies, Human Resource Management and the International Journal of Human Resource Management.

Messersmith assumed the leadership position in October after the abrupt passing of Jonathan P. O'Brien, who led the department since 2019.

“It’s an honor to serve the Department of Management in this capacity. Jon O’Brien was a kind and trusted voice in our department, and we will forever appreciate his service, dedication and mentorship. I look to continue Jon’s legacy of investing in faculty growth and development," said Messersmith.

As a department chair, Messersmith will also serve on the dean's management team along with five other academic department chairs at Nebraska Business — Richard DeFusco, Finance; Jimmy Downes, Accountancy; Jennifer Ryan, Supply Chain Management and Analytics; Ravi Sohi, Marketing; and Eric Thompson, Economics.