Taylor, a 40 year old, fast rising Economics Professor and Dean of the School of Business at Samford University in Birmingham will become Whitworth’s 18th President on July 1st.

Taylor joined Samford in 2005 after serving as associate dean for research and faculty development for the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University, where he was also the W.H. Smith Professor of Economics.

After earning his undergraduate degree from Baylor, cum laude, with majors in economics and finance, Taylor was employed as an analyst for Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) in Houston, TX. He went on to earn the M.S. and Ph.D. in economics from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.

After returning to the faculty at Baylor, Taylor received the Young Researcher Award from the Hankamer School of Business in 2000 and was subsequently named the first holder of the W.H. Smith Professorship in Economics. In 2002, he was appointed as a visiting scholar by Harvard University and spent one year in residence at the Harvard Graduate School of Education pursuing research interests. In 2005, Taylor was named a Baylor University Outstanding Professor for his research accomplishments.

As dean of Samford’s Brock School of Business, Taylor led the rapid transformation of the forty-five year old business school, spearheaded by a commitment from Harry B. Brock, Jr., founder of Compass Bank, to build a $100 million endowment for the school.

Taylor will be replacing the well loved and highly respected President, Bill Robinson, who announced last September that the current school year would be his last. In his announcement he stated:

“We’re starting another five-year strategic plan. I’m about to turn 60. I feel so confident (Whitworth) would benefit from new energy and some fresh eyes.”

Whitworth, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and located in north Spokane, has grown in student population and respect, including strong ratings in U.S. News & World Report’s best-colleges lists, since Robinson came to the school in 1993 after six years at Manchester College in Indiana. They have an enrollment of nearly 3,000 students.

A few notable alumni of Whitworth are:

Michael Allen (2007) was drafted as a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs

Stephen C. Meyer (1980) executive officer and co-founder of the Discovery Institute, a Seattle, WA based think tank that advocates the promotion of Intelligent Design and one-time philosophy professor at Whitworth.

Mike Riley (1977), Oregon State football coach

Richard Cizik (1973), vice president for governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals, was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2008

Myles Kennedy. lead singer/guitarist of Alter Bridge, an Orlando-based alternative metal, post-grunge rock band whose music is favored by WWE wrestlers.