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Name: Donald Baack

Career: Professor of Management at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas

Major: Business Administration

Graduation Year: 1975

Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska

Where he lives now: Joplin, Missouri

Campus activities while at Dana:

Career Achievements:
I am a professor of management at Pittsburg State University in Kansas. I arrived at Pitt State in 1988. I received my master's in business administration degree from Southwest Missouri State University in 1978. I completed my doctoral degree at the University of Nebraska in 1987.
I am also a professional writer. I have completed three college textbooks and am now working on a high school international business textbook scheduled for release in 2006. I finished the Concise Encyclopedia of Advertising last year. I also have written three popular press books, one with Random House, one with Adams Media and one with Citadel Press. The first two are about marriage and romance. The third is about being a parent of a college student. I have also been a re-writer for two other college textbooks (ghost writer, if you will) and have prepared test banks and instructor's manuals for several different books.

Awards:

  • Excellence in Research Award, Pittsburgh State, 1991, 1996
  • Finalist: Golden Apple Teaching Award, 1988, 2004
  • Finalist: Kelce College of Business Teacher Award, 10 times
  • Alpha Psi Omega: National Honorary Theatrical Fraternity
  • Best Paper Award, Southwest Decision Sciences Institute Conference, 1996; Southwest Academy of Management, 2004
  • President of Southwest Academy of Management, 1996
  • Member of Federation of Business Disciplines Board, 1993–1996
  • Consulting Editor, Journal of Managerial Issues, 1996–present

How did Dana help prepare you for your career or graduate school?
A liberal arts education is the best education anyone can hope to enjoy. In my little corner of the world, two skills are vital: communication skills and critical thinking. They want these skills in the business community, and they want these skills in graduate school. My education at Dana included being able to take classes of all types from absolutely excellent teachers. This meant I learned a great deal, sometimes in spite of myself. I also borrow heavily from teaching methods I encountered at Dana in my own career.

What do remember most about your time at Dana?
Dana was, and I'm sure still is, a place where you can learn a great deal in a relaxed and socially vital atmosphere. Since I'm a bit hyper, it helped that I was able to participate in a wide variety of events and activities that kept me involved and interested the entire time I was there. I was able to win the lead role in a theatrical play, DJ a radio program twice a week and try out for the varsity basketball team. At the same time, I enjoyed many interesting and helpful professors who gave me a great deal of personal attention. In short, Dana was a fun, friendly and challenging place.