Future business Dean Robert Duncan hopes to improve the 16th ranked college in the nation - with some teamwork.

Duncan, a professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management, will become dean of the Eli Broad College of Business and Graduate School of Management in January.

To improve the college, which is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report, Duncan said he will take the “we approach” to implementing his goals.

“What we want to do is keep the momentum going,” he said. “I want to spend some time meeting with the faculty, staff, students and alumni.

“I have got some clear ideas of what I would like to do, but I want their input first.”

As Northwestern provost in 1987-1992, Duncan said he saw how a business school can create a useful link to other parts of the university.

Duncan said he was attracted to MSU by the administration’s support of the business college, its existing faculty and the university’s commitment to study abroad programs.

While at Northwestern, Duncan taught classes in Europe and Hong Kong.

“I am looking at how we can incorporate globalization into the curriculum,” he said. “We can create the opportunity for students to get international experience as part of their coursework.”

Duncan also hopes to develop a closer relationship with alumni to benefit current business students.

“They are our eyes on the world,” he said. “We need them to help in recruiting students and placement.”

Technology effects on the business world is another aspect Duncan said he hopes MSU will explore further.

“I want to look at how the Internet changes the way organizations operate,” he said. “We need to get some leading edge research about how organizations need to be redesigned in this new economy.”

Matt Darragh, an accounting freshman, said more technology teaching in the classroom is a good idea.

“That will be the future so we need to meet these needs in order to get jobs,” he said.

Darragh, who transferred to MSU from the University of Massachusetts, said the business college’s high rank attracted him to the university.

He said a new dean will only help because it will bring a new background to the program.

Business Dean Donald Bowersox, who led the search for Duncan, said MSU got the dean it wanted.

“He has a broad and deep experience and has done a lot of different things at a high level institution,” he said.

Bowersox will return to the position he has held for most of his 36 years at MSU - a supply chain management professor.

He became permanent dean in April after the administration asked him to take the position to avoid long-term temporary leadership.

“I was humbled and honored,” Bowersox said. “It is an awesome responsibility. We have had many good deans in the past.”

Duncan said he is excited to move to the East Lansing area, leaving behind the traffic and congestion of Northwestern, which is located just outside of Chicago.

As a big supporter of Big Ten sports, Duncan said he’s ready to cheer for the Spartans when he arrives on campus - he already has basketball tickets.

But Duncan said his primary focus will be to rally the faculty to keep the college among the nation’s best.

“My style is let’s make the place the best it can be,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who gets the credit, it is a team effort.”