University of West Florida names Dr. Ed Ranelli Dean Emeritus of College of Business

Ranelli was recommended for this honor by the College of Business Faculty and endorsed by the College Council.

“I am pleased to confer this honor,” said UWF Provost Martha Saunders. “The UWF College of Business has thrived under Ed Ranelli’s leadership. He has taken every standard of excellence and advanced it to the next level.  We are a better place as a result of his dedication to quality.”

During his tenure as dean of the UWF College of Business, Ranelli nurtured student excellence in national comparisons, including scoring in the 80^th percentile nationally on the Major Field Test in Business, and ranking fifth in the nation for first-time pass rates on the CPA exam. He also maintained the College’s accreditation by AACSB International, of which fewer than 5 percent of business schools worldwide achieve, to position UWF among the top tier of business schools.

“It has been an honor and the great joy of my professional career to have contributed to the noble mission of the UWF College of Business to prepare students for successful careers and lives and to advance the economic development our region,” Ranelli said.

He oversaw the development of the College of Business Education Center, which is designed to enhance student learning and facilitate interactions among students, faculty and the business community. The state-of-the-art facility features high-tech classrooms, a one-stop advising center, computer lab and trading center, career counseling and interview rooms, and more.

Through Ranelli’s support, the College of Business added a logistics specialization in marketing, a B.S.B.A. in general business, an MBA partnership program in Germany and the Executive Mentor Program. The College of Business also grew through substantial contributions from alumni, business leaders and community members during Ranelli’s deanship.

Ranelli previously served as vice president of Baptist Health Care and an associate professor in the UWF Department of Economics. He is the third person to receive Dean Emeritus status in UWF history.

For additional information about the College of Business, visit uwf.edu/cob.