ALBION, Mich. – Albion College assistant professor of economics and management Michael Frandsen has been named the new director of the Carl A. Gerstacker Liberal Arts Institute for Professional Management at Albion College.

A strategic management expert with more than 15 years of experience in higher education and industry, Frandsen succeeds Wilber C. “Butch” Dyer, who left the College to become general manager at Caster Concepts in Albion.

“Mike is an ideal choice to lead the Gerstacker Institute into a very bright future,” said Albion College President Peter Mitchell. “His experience in the business world coupled with his strong academic credibility enables him to focus on both academic excellence and practical relevance. Our students will graduate with great critical thinking skills and a real savvy in business.”

Frandsen will continue to serve on the economics and management faculty, teaching one to two courses each year.

“I am pretty excited,” Frandsen said about his new appointment. “Gerstacker is one of the reasons I came to Albion, and I have enjoyed my involvement with the Institute and its students so far. I am excited about expanding on those relationships, building on a tradition of excellence,  and improving an already successful program.”

The next step, Frandsen said, is to hire an associate director, whom he hopes to have in place by July 1.

Frandsen said his main goals at first are to work to improve the connection between Gerstacker’s internship program and the academic work the students are doing. He said he would like to increase the breadth of internship and placement opportunities, and cited a desire to continue attracting better students to Albion and the Institute.

“This is a marquee program here on campus, and it gives us a chance to attract good students and put our best face forward to the outside world.” Frandsen said. “With regards to the greater Albion area, I hope to develop opportunities to have students more engaged in the community.”

A native of State College, Penn., Frandsen earned his Ph.D. in management from the University of Texas, Austin, in 2003, an M.B.A. from Pennsylvania State University in 1990, and a bachelor's of science degree in finance from Penn State in 1983.

Prior to coming to Albion in August 2004, Frandsen was on the faculty at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Penn. for five years. He also taught as an adjunct in finance at Penn State University. Frandsen worked in corporate finance for more than ten years, for Nortel Networks in Richardson, Texas, Raytheon Corp., in State College, Penn., and Chemcut Corporation, also in State College.

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