Current Position and Past Experience
Wendy A. Boland is the Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies for American University. In her role, Dean Boland is responsible for overseeing graduate academic regulations, graduate policies and processes, the portfolio of academic programs, the allocation of graduate financial aid, graduate data analytics and reports, and the graduate brand campaign. In addition, she oversees AU’s Professional and Lifelong Learning efforts which provides degree, non-degree, and non-credit educational opportunities.

Dean Boland joined American in August of 2008 after completing her Ph.D. at the University of Arizona and is currently an Associate Professor of Marketing within the Kogod School of Business. Her research interests are centered on decision making and risky consumption with a specific focus on the choices of children and youth consumers. Explicitly, her primary interests are in understanding the long-term effects that result from the risky consumption decisions made by adolescents and the impact that their decisions have on their future as individuals and consumers. Consequently, her goals are to gain knowledge of the factors that influence the decisions of young consumers in order to better educate them about the marketplace and protect them from practices that might exploit their vulnerabilities.

Prior to becoming the Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies, Dean Boland served as the Associate Dean for Programs and Learning, and the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, both at the Kogod School of Business.

Education, Honors and Achievements
Boland holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Marketing with a minor in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Arizona, a Master of Business Administration in Business from the University of Massachusetts - Boston and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Bucknell University.

Personal Details and Community Involvement
Dr. Boland loves spending time with her family and being by the ocean. She is also an avid college basketball fan.

Connect
You can connect with Wendy on LinkedIn