Planning to become an accountant, Barron Harvey, '74, '75 & '77, took a Master of Business Administration course in organizational behavior that led to a career in higher education. Deciding to earn his Ph.D. in management at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Harvey became a faculty member at the University of Miami, Georgetown University and Howard University before serving as dean of Howard's School of Business for 26 years.

"I'm so indebted to the Nebraska College of Business for the experience I had and the lifelong friendships that developed. The support I received from faculty and staff was significant, and they became a resource for the rest of my life," said Harvey, who became dean emeritus and associate provost for academic innovation and strategic initiatives in Howard's Office of the Provost in 2020.

Transferring to Nebraska as an undergraduate student in accounting, Harvey noted that his wife, Edith, '76, helped him choose Nebraska. She earned her master's degree in education while Barron continued in the MBA program and met Fred Luthans, professor emeritus of management, who taught the organizational behavior class that piqued his interest in the Ph.D. program.

"After taking Fred Luthans' class, I wanted to learn more about organizational behavior. Dean Ronald Smith at the College of Business also encouraged me to get a Ph.D. and teach. Fred provided advice about my research and career, and I could contact him at any point with questions then and throughout the years as well," Harvey said.

With an undergraduate degree and MBA with a focus in accounting, Harvey had the background to teach accounting as a graduate assistant in his first year in the Nebraska Ph.D. program when all the management positions were taken. In his second year, he taught management.

"Barron emerged as one of those rare students with an aptitude and interest in both accounting and the human side of management represented by my field of organizational behavior. He was an outstanding student and I strongly encouraged him to pursue both fields in his Ph.D. program and in his career,” Luthans said. "We co-authored an article on the use of ‘flextime’ to motivate and retain employees, published in Michigan State University’s journal Business Topics. It received considerable attention at the time and, of course, proved to be the forerunner of today’s hot topic and concern post-pandemic on remote and hybrid work schedules." 

Barron shared how he applied what he learned throughout his career when working with leaders at Nebraska like Luthans; Tom Balke, professor emeritus of accountancy, and Sang Lee, professor emeritus of management.

"When I took my first position at the University of Miami, they were impressed that I had experience in teaching both accounting and management and had taught in both fields. I moved to Georgetown because Ron Smith (Nebraska's former business dean) had moved there and offered me a position. I taught accounting, organizational behavior and organizational theory, and initially, I was able to teach in both areas at Howard University," he said.

Barron became the first endowed professor at Howard’s School of Business, and after seven years, he became the acting dean and then was appointed dean. He was at the helm when The Princeton Review named the school the best opportunity for minority students for 14 years in a row and Bloomberg BusinessWeek ranked Howard in the top five national and international business programs. He served on the board of directors of the accrediting organization AACSB International, as president of the Management Education Alliance and was named by the Secretary of the Department of Commerce as an inaugural member of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Harvey also founded the National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Business Deans Roundtable and received the Washington Business Journal's Minority Business Leader Award.

"I've been very proud of Barron throughout his great career as a professor at elite universities and long-time, highly decorated dean at Howard University. Barron is a strong believer and has delivered in the support of minority education and giving back to his alma mater, the University of Nebraska," Luthans said.

Planning to return to the faculty at Howard after his time as dean, the president and provost asked him to join the Office of the Provost and spearhead a new area for academic innovation and strategic initiatives. The position included online programs and finding resources to make new initiatives possible.

“My portfolio includes creating a Center for Applied Data Analytics and securing a $5 million grant from MasterCard to support that effort," Harvey said. “We also created a master’s degree program and are considering programs for undergraduates. When Dean Kathy Farrell asked me to join her Dean's Advisory Board at Nebraska, I wanted to do so to give back. I gained insight as the College of Business launched a new business analytics major and minor. In many ways, I've gotten more than I've given while serving," he said.

When asked about his future plans while visiting with students at Nebraska as a distinguished business alum, Barron said he would like to teach a consulting class for MBA students. He also wants to travel with Edith, who retired from the Department of Education a few years ago.

"I've been proud to say I'm a Nebraska graduate. My education opened doors for me, and my colleagues recognize that Nebraska provides a stellar education," he said. "My wife and I owe this institution a lot, as it provided a great foundation."