Two Professors Honoured by UNB

There have been so many beneficial changes in the business administration program over the past few years, and a lot of these changes can be accredited to two professors, Dr. Martin Wielemaker, and Dr. Abdur Rahim.

Both Dr. Wielemaker and Dr. Rahim are recipients of the 2008-2009 University of New Brunswick Merit Award. They have both distinguished themselves in more than one area, and made notable contributions to the faculty.

The UNB Merit Award is awarded annually by the university to recognize and encourage individuals who make outstanding contributions in the course of their work for the university. It is awarded to members of the faculty who have demonstrated exceptional research, scholarly or creative accomplishments that have resulted in the publication of articles and/or books, and have created for them a national or international reputation as an expert in their field. It is also awarded to faculty who make exceptional contributions to the dissemination of knowledge in their fields through the art of teaching, demonstrated by their significant innovations in teaching methods and publication of articles or books that advance effective teaching.

Dr. Wielemaker is an Associate Professor in the areas of competitive strategy and entrepreneurship, and he has also served as the chairperson of our Graduate Curriculum Committee for the past two years. In his citation, Dr. Daniel Coleman, dean of the faculty of business administration, noted that Dr. Wielemaker “has by far had the most significant influence on the FBA’s programming of any faculty member over the last several years. Not only is he one of the faculty’s most dedicated instructors, he was also the leader of  a process which resulted in the most radical and innovative redesign of the MBA program since its inception at UNB in 1985”.

It is thanks to Dr. Wielemaker that the MBA program now offers the professional development and corporate governance courses. It is also Dr. Wielemaker’s work that led to the formation of the entrepreneurship thematic area group, the Activator program, the International Business and Entrepreneurship Centre’s (IBEC) business plan competition, and the development of Concentrations in Entrepreneurship for both BBA and MBA students.

Dr. Rahim is a professor and a recognized world expert in Total Quality Management. He has delivered numerous invited talks around the world that have dealt with inventory control or quality management issues. In his citation, Dr. Coleman stated that Dr. Rahim “has produced over 70 refereed journal articles or book chapters, 11 of which have been published in the past three years. His scholarship is widely recognized, yielding almost 400 citations of his work—moreover, it is clear that the importance of his work is gaining recognition of late, as over 140 of these citations have occurred since 2006”.

Dr. Rahim teaches many courses at the BBA and MBA levels, and has always been a highly rated professor among students. He is also an active supervisor of graduate students, and has supervised many student projects that have resulted in publications.

Both Dr. Wielemaker and Dr. Rahim have made outstanding contributions to the faculty of business administration. As Dr. Coleman notes, they are both “very deserving of a merit award”.