SAN FRANCISCO, June 10, 2002 -- After a nationwide search, San Francisco State University has named Jerry Platt dean of the College of Business. Platt had been serving as interim dean since former Dean Ray Maghroori left last June.

"We are immensely fortunate to have found in Jerry Platt a combination of fresh energy and vision with a seasoned knowledge of the University and the College he will head," said President Robert A. Corrigan.

"In his 26 years here, Jerry has held posts of increasing responsibility and scope. In this last year, as interim dean, he has given us a satisfying preview of the kind of leadership he will offer for years to come. With Jerry at the helm, and with a talented and creative faculty behind him, I expect this College to reach new heights."

Platt, a Portola Valley resident, joined the San Francisco State faculty in 1976 as a professor of finance. While at SFSU, he has served as chair of the Finance Department and as associate dean of the College of Business when he was named interim dean.

"For several decades now, the College of Business has quietly gone about its task of supplying a talented labor pool for Bay Area companies," Platt said.

"We will continue to do so and will expand our presence to other markets, but we need to be less quiet about who we are and what we do. Every year, we graduate more students with degrees in business than do Stanford, Berkeley, and USF -- combined! "

Platt's plans for the College include a heavier emphasis on alumni outreach.

"I perceive a diploma from the SFSU College of Business as both a seal of approval and a lifelong learning contract -- that is, a commitment from us that we will develop and deliver seminars and workshops to meet the changing needs of our alumni as they progress through the cycles of their careers, that we will engage our faculty in localized alumni meetings on a regular basis, and that we will solicit input from our alumni as we strive for continuous improvement of our curricula," he said.

Platt also hopes to leverage the college's ties to the Pacific Rim.

"Last year, we graduated more Asian-American students than any other business school in the country," he said. "We have a dynamic and active faculty with a focus on applied business research, particularly relating to Asian studies. More than 20-percent of our fulltime faculty is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. As U.S. businesses increasingly turn their attention to opportunities throughout the Pacific Rim, we intend to become the recognized higher education partner of choice."

After earning an MBA in finance from Wayne State University in 1970, Platt went on to receive a master's degree in public administration in 1972 and a doctorate in public administration in 1974, both from Ohio State University. He also earned a post-doctorate master's degree in statistics from Stanford University in 1982.

Platt's academic research has focused on using computers for statistical modeling in financial data analysis, including empirical studies of developing markets, the design and application of computer-intensive statistical methods, and the construction of price indices. He also has been principal investigator on nearly 25 federal research contracts and is a recognized economic expert in litigation proceedings.

Prior to joining the SFSU faculty, he worked in senior management positions in the private sector. While at Health Applications Systems of Burlingame from 1974 to 1976, he served as manager of government contract research and later as director of analytical services. In 1973, Platt was one of the founding faculty members of the Graduate School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado.

His wife Cathleen is a professor of information systems and business analysis in the College of Business. A member of the faculty since 1980, she and her husband have often teamed to conduct joint research involving statistical modeling.