President Robert Bell

Bob Bell became the university's eighth president when he took office on July 1, 2000.

Here are highlights from Bell's academic, education, service and family background.

Career at TTU

Joined the TTU faculty in 1976 as chairman of the Department of Management and Marketing after serving as associate professor and director of the Graduate Program in Personnel and Business Psychology at the University of North Florida.

Named assistant dean and associate dean before being named dean and professor of management in the College of Business Administration in 1991.

In 1992, appointed by the Governor as a charter member of the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Quality Award.

Delegate for the State of Tennessee to the White House Conference on North American Free Trade Agreement, Washington, D.C., 1994.

Member, Economic Development Commission, Tennessee Board of Regents, 1994-1997.

Since 1995, served four terms on the Board of Examiners, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

Member of the Tennessee Quality Award Panel of Judges, 1994-present.

Served as economic development consultant for the Nation of Mauritius and Chairman of the Panel of Judges, Mauritius National Quality Award (funded by the World Bank) in 1996 and 1997.

In 1998, recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce for outstanding service to the nation as a quality examiner.

Chair, Global Competitiveness Council, Tennessee Association of Business, 1998-2000
Member, Task Force on Government-Health Care-Industry Partnerships, Tennessee Higher Education Commission, 1998-2000.

Served as president, Southern Business Administration Association (a 17-state association of college deans and directors), 1999-2000.

Member, Board of Directors and Chair of Finance Committee, Ohio Valley Athletic Conference, 2000-present.

Member, Candidacy Committee, AACSB, The International Association for Management Education.

Chair, Engineering Review Task Force, Tennessee Higher Education and Tennessee Board of Regents, 2002-2003.

President, Tennessee College Association, 2003-2004.

Member, AASCU Committee on Economic and Work Force Development, 2003-2006.

Chair, Teaching and Learning Vision Task Force, Tennessee Board of Regents, 2004.

Peer Reviewer, AACSB-The International Association for Management Education.

Served as Officer, North American Case Research Association.

Served in an advisory and consultant capacity to numerous organizations throughout the region, state and nation.

Academic Background

University of Florida, Business Administration, Ph.D. in 1972, master's degree in 1970, bachelor's degree in 1969.

Brevard Community College, associate's degree in 1966.

Co-authored Managing Productivity and Change (Southwestern Publishing Co., 1991, and Nelson-Australia, 1995).

Has published or presented more than 90 articles, cases and scholarly papers.

Received the 1998 Everdale Prize for Outstanding Journalistic Achievement from the American Production and Inventory Control Society.

Service Background

Chairman, Upper Cumberland District, Boy Scouts of America

Member, Executive Committee, Middle Tennessee Council, Boy Scouts of America

Chair, Cookeville Industrial Development Board

Member, Cookeville Evening Lions Club

Board of Directors, Cookeville Rotary Club

Member, Board of Directors, Bryan Symphony Orchestra, Cookeville, TN

Past Chairman, Board of Directors, Cookeville/Putnam County Chamber of Commerce

Past Chair, Task Force on Governmental Improvement, Putnam County Commission

Former Member, Private Industry Council, Upper Cumberland Human Resources Agency

Former Member, Board of Directors, Habitat for Humanity

Past President, Board of Directors, Putnam County Family YMCA

Served as chairman, Church Council, First United Methodist Church-Cookeville

Past Chairman of the Administrative Board and Building Committee

Earned “Cross and Flame” award from Tennessee Conference of United Methodist
Church for work in youth/scouting ministries

Family

Born in St. Francisville, Illinois; hometown Cocoa, Florida

Bell and his wife, Gloria Granthum Bell, have three children: David Thomas of Ormond Beach, Florida, Heather Koslin of Cookeville, and John Robert Bell of Cookeville. They also have three grandchildren: Kelsey and David Thomas and Isabelle Delaney Koslin.