The College of Business has hired 12 new faculty members, who all started their time at Iowa State this fall, to aid with teaching the growing student population.

The increase in faculty will also help expand the college’s expertise in new areas, said David Spalding, dean of the College of Business.

One of the new hires is Jacquelyn Rees Ulmer, Ph.D., who will serve as the new Chair of the Department of Supply Chain and Information Systems.

Rees served as the interim associate dean and director of accreditation at the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University, but Rees’ main area of expertise is information security.

“There is a big demand for students in this area today, which means the job market for them after graduation is very promising,” Rees said.

The College of Business will see new faculty in finance, information systems, management, marketing and supply chain.

The search for new faculty was on an international scale. The College of Business advertised Iowa State and the openings on a global scale.

A search committee is set up within each department to review applications and decide which applicants will receive interviews.

This same committee then performs the interviews and after making a hiring decision, returns to Spalding for approval, who in turn, receives approval from the provost if need be.

The College of Business is focusing on improving four main areas of its curriculum with the new faculty: big data, sales, information security and real estate.

Not only are employers looking for expertise in those areas, but students are showing an increased interest to match the demand.

Students in the College of Business have also formed a real estate club to bring speakers in on the subject and to show faculty there is student interest in that area. Clubs like this can also have an impact on what faculty colleges hire.

“To some extent as these clubs spring up, it gives us a good indication about where we need more classes,” Spalding said.

The Real Estate Investment Networking Club began two years ago as the coincidental brainchild of two students.

Nathan Joens, senior in community and regional planning, contacted his now-advisor Rs Nappinnai, a senior lecturer in the College of Business, about starting the club only to find out another student that same week contacted Nappinnai with the same question.

Through the collaboration, the first real estate club at Iowa State was born.

“Eventually everyone will own or rent a home,” Joens said. “It’s a very important piece of everyone’s life whether they realize it or not.”