Longtime UNLV business professor and administrator Paulette Tandy has been named interim dean for Lee Business School, effective Jan. 1, 2020.

“Dr. Tandy has long been involved in leading Lee Business School, helping to open pathways for women in academic leadership,” said Chris Heavey, UNLV interim executive vice president and provost. “She is an expert in her field and has earned national recognition for her work. Dr. Tandy will help ensure the school maintains high standards of excellence as we search for a new dean.”

Tandy, associate dean and associate professor of business and accounting, will step in for Brent Hathaway, who has served as the school’s dean since 2013 and announced this fall that he will return to faculty in January.

“The Lee Business School has been on an incredible upward trajectory during the past few years,” Tandy said. “We plan to continue our efforts dedicated to enabling student success, supporting faculty and staff and creating and sustaining effective collaborations and partnerships with the business community.”

Lee Business School and its department of accounting earned renewal of its prestigious dual accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) this year. Lee Business School is among only 189 business schools worldwide that have earned AACSB accreditation in both accounting and business. AACSB accreditation ensures a school is providing students a challenging, relevant education that prepares them for the business world.

Tandy joined UNLV in 1989 as an assistant professor of accounting. She has blazed a path of leadership for women within the school, serving as its first female department chair, overseeing accounting from 2004-2016. Her efforts and leadership earned her the UNLV Outstanding Department Chair Award in 2016. Tandy then became the school’s first female associate dean, a role she stepped into in 2018. In January, she will become the first woman in the school's history to serve in the dean role.

In addition to her administrative responsibilities, Tandy’s research and teaching interests focus on internal auditing. She developed and administers the UNLV Internal Audit Certificate program, which is one of only 35 programs in the U.S. endorsed and supported by the Institute of Internal Auditors. She is also an accomplished professor, excelling at classroom interactions and curriculum innovation. Tandy has won numerous teaching awards, including the Spanos Distinguished Teaching Award, the UNLV Distinguished Teaching Award and the Nevada Board of Regents Award.

She also works with local businesses to increase their involvement with Lee Business School programs and students. She has served on the boards of directors for the Institute of Internal Auditors and the Nevada Society of Certified Public Accountants. She earned a Ph.D. in accounting and an MBA in finance from Texas A&M University and a bachelor of science in business administration from Appalachian State University.