Mt. SAC has new dean

Mt. San Antonio College has a new dean to head up its business division, the institution announced this week.

Dean Joumana McGowan will be responsible for overseeing the division's faculty and staff along with the departments of accounting and management, business administration, child development, computer information systems, and consumer science.

In addition to those responsibilities McGowan will build relationships with area businesses to make sure students develop the skills companies seek and will look for in the future, a college statement said.

"Dr. McGowan brings a wealth of experience in both academics and administration, which are needed to take our excellent business program to the next level," Mt. SAC Vice President of Instruction Virginia Burley said in the statement. "She comes at a critical time during our troubled economy when unemployed people are coming to community colleges seeking new skills in order to find jobs in different fields."

Before joining Mt. SAC, McGowan served as dean of business and computer information systems at Coastline Community College, the statement said.

McGowan is also past chairwoman of the Fullerton College business management department where she also lead that institution's Academic Senate.

In addition to having experience teaching business courses, McGowan has been a member since 2009 of the statewide Business Education Advisory Council and served on the Business Industry Collaborative.

McGowan has bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration from Cal Poly Pomona and a doctorate from the University of Southern California.