Susan Engelkemeyer excitedly pointed toward a large picture hanging in her office, drawing attention to the signature of someone she has admired, Tedy Bruschi of the New England Patriots.

When she accepted the job as dean of the School of Business this September, Engelkemeyer said she knew exactly where she would hang the picture autographed by her favorite football player.

“I’ve always followed him for many reasons,” she said. “He’s not necessarily the most talented, but he’s the most dedicated, the person that’s always there.”

A longtime football fan, Engelkemeyer is originally from Pittsburgh, but said her loyalty will belong to the Patriots this Sunday when they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC championship. She said her passion for football ignited while she was working toward her Ph.D. in industrial management at Clemson University.

If Engelkemeyer has one thing in common with her favorite football player, it would likely be dedication. As a member of the college community, Engelkemeyer is focusing her energy on making improvements within the business school. She has visited the college to do work three times a month since she was appointed, but has just begun working full time at the college this semester.

Though the business school was deferred accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business last spring, Engelkemeyer said she is working to ensure successful accreditation this year. She is currently taking part in the planning of a new, sustainable business school building that meets the highest environmental standards.

“I see that as a natural way for us in the School of Business to begin to develop a niche and an expertise and be one of the early leaders in that area,” she said.

She said she would like to see more business students participate in a study abroad program. Engelkemeyer has also worked to develop the curriculum for pre-MBA workshops for people who do not hold business degrees. Upon completion of the 12-week summer program, students will have an opportunity to enter the one-year MBA program at the college in the fall.

Though Engelkemeyer has extensive experience in the business field, her original career aspirations were much different.

After graduating from Stephens College in Colombia, Mo., with a bachelor’s degree in equestrian science, she realized teaching horseback riding was not a promising career during the mid-1970s.

“I decided that you either have to have a rich family that builds you a stable and you teach kids to ride, or you live in a trailer behind some rich person’s stable and you teach kids to ride,” she said. “I didn’t have a rich family, and I didn’t want to live in a trailer, so I decided maybe business made more sense.”

She said her father, who had worked in the business world for as long as she could remember, sparked her interest in the field. Engelkemeyer transformed an abandoned Missouri J.C. Penney store into a thriving mini mall but decided to return to school in an effort to advance her business knowledge.

“I realized I was missing a lot of basic fundamentals that would have helped,” she said.

With the intent to return to the business field, Engelkemeyer earned a Master’s of Business Administration from East Carolina University. She said, however, she discovered an interest in teaching after she was given the opportunity to do so while she developed a business plan. Since 1990, Engelkemeyer had been a full-time faculty member at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., where she served as associate professor of management and director of the one-year MBA program. She also held the position of director of quality for the college, aiding in an undergraduate curricular reform.

Students and faculty at the college said they are looking forward to the changes Engelkemeyer will bring to the School of Business.

Junior Jennifer Koo, an international business major, was among a group of students who met with Engelkemeyer when she first visited the college.

“You could tell she was confident and had a lot of plans and a lot of ideas she wanted to incorporate into the school,” Koo said.

Eileen Kelly, professor of management, said: “She’s extremely collegial and friendly and very easy to talk to.”