John Olienyk will focus on college operations to allow Dean Ajay Menon to focus more externally on the college's strategic direction. Olienyk, who joined the business faculty in 1982, began his new position July 1.

"John has a longstanding commitment to our college," Menon said. "He has a broad-based reputation across our campus and college for integrity and hard work and unparalleled excellence in the classroom."

Prior to joining the college, Olienyk served for two years on the faculty at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., and worked in the investment banking industry. In addition to his undergraduate teaching responsibilities, he has been teaching in the executive MBA program in Denver and in the distance MBA program. His primary areas of research interest are international finance and financial markets, and his research has been published in international finance journals.

For the past six years, he has participated in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Faculty Exchange Program, lecturing at universities and conducting seminars and workshops on the market system in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Olienyk has also taught in MBA programs in Grenoble, France, and Moscow, Russia, and he has twice served as a faculty member for the University of Pittsburgh's Semester at Sea.

He has served as chairman of the board of directors for Norlarco Credit Union since 1991.

He was named the McWhinney Enterprises Faculty Fellow in 2004, and his many awards include the Board of Governors Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award in 1998 and the Alumni Association's Best Teacher Award in 2002. He is a two-time recipient of the university's Jack E. Cermak Advising Award.

Olienyk earned his doctoral degree in economics at Colorado State in 1974 and his bachelor's and master's degrees from North Dakota State University.