Barbara Ritter has been named dean of the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration at Coastal Carolina University. She has served as interim dean of the college since June 2013.

The dean serves as the chief administrative officer of the college with responsibility for budget, personnel matters, fundraising and guidance of the college's educational offerings. The dean also oversees the college's leadership and community outreach programs, including the Wall Fellows program, the Center for Community and Economic Development, the Clay Brittain Jr. Center for Resort Tourism, and the Wall Center for Excellence.

During her tenure as interim dean, Ritter has spearheaded innovative curriculum initiatives and increased internship opportunities for business students. She led the recent establishment of a new program, the Community and Business Engagement Institute (CoBe), that connects talented students with local businesses and organizations for consulting projects.

Ritter joined the CCU faculty in 2004. Her scholarly specialties are in organizational leadership and justice and in business ethics. Prior to being named interim dean, she was chair of the college's Department of Management and Decision Sciences. She has also served as director of CCU's Women's Resource Center and assessment coordinator of the Wall College.

She was named the 2010 Outstanding Chapter Adviser for Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS). During her years as BGS chapter adviser, she led the organization to international prominence. CCU won the BGS's Silver Chapter Award in 2009.

Ritter received CCU's Provost's Award for Exceptional Performance in 2006 and the AVX Award for Best Paper in 2007. Her research has been published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, the Journal of Business Ethics, and Human Relations.

She serves as president of the Management and Education Division of the Academy of Management, and she is on the editorial board of the Organization Management Journal. She volunteers for the Salvation Army, and she has promoted the importance of service learning as part of collegiate education.

Ritter earned a master's degree and a Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology from the University of Akron. She earned a bachelor's degree from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich.