Galloway to Host Local Meet & Greet
Whitworth University has appointed Laura Galloway as its new dean of the School of Business, starting July 1. Galloway moved to Spokane from San Diego, where she most recently served as associate vice chancellor for institutional curriculum at University of Massachusetts Global. She previously held the role of associate dean at the university’s School of Business and Professional Studies. The appointment marks a return to a faith-based educational environment for Galloway, who earned her undergraduate degree from Westmont College and recently completed a two-year leadership and theology certificate there.
Galloway said she sought the position after finishing her certificate program. She wanted to integrate her faith with her professional work more intentionally. She decided to look for opportunities that would allow her to sit with scholars and faculty to ask questions and learn. She called a recruiter after seeing the deanship was open, and after a 30-minute conversation, she accepted the role. She described Westmont as a place where she found a new level of her faith and felt called to return to a similar school to witness student transformation.
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The transition from an online institution to a traditional campus offers a different kind of energy. Galloway is looking forward to the sights and sounds of Parents Weekend and Move-in Weekend. She wants to help students answer the question of what they are capable of. She plans to work with faculty to build out the school’s expertise and promote the unique programs they have already created.
Higher education faces a challenge as freshmen enter a workforce that will look different by the time they graduate. Galloway noted that durable skills are becoming more important as the job market evolves. She believes the Whitworth School of Business will help fill gaps in the workforce by preparing students for occupations that are currently seeing shortages.
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The rise of artificial intelligence presents another challenge for the department. Galloway stated that AI competency has moved from a “nice-to-have” to a required skill in job postings midway through 2025. She argues that avoiding the topic is not an option. The school must address how to integrate AI ethically and strategically. Her goal is to ensure students can confidently answer “yes” when asked about their AI skills on job applications. This requires upskilling the faculty and moving away from simply policing student use of the technology.
