Kidder Named Dean of the College of Business

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University has named Dr. Deborah Kidder as dean of the College of Business. Kidder brings more than 30 years' experience to KU and will begin her role Monday, June 29.

Kidder most recently served as the dean of the Turner College of Business and Technology at Columbus State University from 2021-25. During her tenure, she successfully connected students, faculty and staff with the local community, through industry partnerships and engagement with the local school system and nonprofits. Under her leadership, the college pursued several initiatives designed to meet the needs of the 21st-century workforce, such as a rapid workforce development program in cybersecurity, as well as redesigning graduate courses to meet the needs of working adults and with a special focus on one of their community partners, Fort Benning.

"Dr. Kidder has extensive experience as a faculty member and administrator," said Dr. Lorin Basden Arnold, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. "Her most recent tenure as a dean, as well as her work as an associate dean and AACSB accreditation coordinator, will prove beneficial at KU. I look forward to having her as a member of our academic leadership team."

Prior to her role at Columbus State, Kidder held several key administrative positions at the University of Hartford’s Barney School of Business, including associate dean, accreditation coordinator and chair of the Department of Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Her academic career also includes faculty appointments at Towson University and the University of Connecticut.

Kidder is a widely published scholar with a focus on workplace fairness and conflict management. Her research has appeared in numerous prestigious journals and she has been cited by her peers more than 5,000 times. She has several years' experience mediating employment discrimination complaints. In 2024, she was part of a team awarded a $550,000 Department of Education grant to develop curricula for the semiconductor manufacturing workforce.

"I am honored and excited to join Kutztown University as the new dean of the College of Business," Kidder said. "KU's strong commitment to student success, experiential learning and community engagement makes this an exceptional place to prepare the next generation of business leaders. I am especially impressed by the university's leadership and vision, and I look forward to working with the College's outstanding faculty, staff, students, alumni and industry partners to build on the College's AACSB-accredited tradition of excellence and to expand opportunities that support innovation, entrepreneurship, career readiness and regional economic impact."

An active member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), Kidder has served on multiple peer review teams for international accreditation and contributed to the AACSB Business School Dean Practice Analysis Task Force. She has been recognized with several honors, including the Oscar and Shoshana Trachtenberg Award for Sustained Service to the University of Hartford.

Kidder earned her Ph.D. in Industrial and Labor Relations from the University of Minnesota and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Swarthmore College.