The Pending Recession: Predictions and Expectations for 2023

With the United States potentially facing an economic downturn, a recession is a looming topic surfacing in many offices, boardrooms, and hallway conversations. Charles Whiteman, the John and Karen Arnold Dean of the Smeal College of Business, shares his economic expertise with us and discusses what the effects of economic uncertainty could mean for business leaders and the supply chain.

About 

The Dean of the Penn State Smeal College of Business oversees all aspects of one of the largest business schools in the nation. Smeal offers highly ranked programs to more than 5,000 students at all levels; supports the research activities of faculty members in six academic departments; is home to a network of leading research centers in business and features an alumni network of more than 95,000 Smeal graduates around the world. 
 
Dean Whiteman, who has more than 32 years of experience in higher education and business, assumed the leadership position at Smeal in July 2012. Prior to joining Penn State, he was senior associate dean for the Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa, where he was responsible for undergraduate and graduate degree programs; faculty and staff recruitment; promotion, and tenure; budgetary operations; college facilities; technology operations; and strategic planning for the business school. 
 
During a career that began as an instructor at Iowa in 1980, Whiteman advanced through the faculty ranks to become a chaired professor and served in a variety of administrative roles including chair of the Department of Economics, director of the Institute for Economic Research, and interim dean. 
 
Whiteman holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Kansas. He has conducted research that has been supported by several grants from the National Science Foundation, published dozens of academic papers, written two books, and served as associate editor of several economics’ journals. He has also advised the state of Iowa's Department of Management on economic issues and served as a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Banks of Kansas City, Atlanta, Cleveland, and Minneapolis.