Dean Brian Klaas: A Career Path with Twists Helps Him Focus on the Future

Pretzels and comedy.

When Brian Klaas, the new College of Business dean, is asked to talk about himself, that’s what comes up. 

“I grew up in a little town called Freeport, Illinois,” Dr. Klaas said. “Great place, but not a place known for much, except maybe one thing.  The mascot for the high school team is a pretzel. The team is known as the Fighting Freeport Pretzels, and as far as I know, it’s the only town in America with a pretzel mascot.”

Growing up as a pretzel could possibly explain why he has so long been fascinated by comedy.  

“I have always loved comedy in all forms,” Klaas said. “I remember growing up and going to the library and coming across these old comedy albums, like ‘The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart.’ I remember getting all his albums and thinking this was so amazing.”

Dean Brian Klaas poses for a photo outside of the College of Business building. Photo by Ellman Photography.

Klaas became dean of the College of Business on July 1, succeeding Dean Harry Dombroski and taking charge of one of North Texas’ largest business schools with an enrollment of more than 6,500 students. He comes from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he was dean of the Henry W. Bloch School of Management for nine years. He previously served as senior associate dean for research and academics and director of the Riegel & Emory Human Resource Center at the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina.

Despite his extensive higher education background, Klaas never saw himself becoming a dean, or even a professor, if not for, appropriately, a few unplanned twists, in the career path of this former Freeport Fighting Pretzel. 

“I didn’t think about it very much until the end of my initial college experience,” Klaas said. “Growing up, at certain points I thought I would be a journalist or a lawyer. Sometimes I wanted to be a high school teacher and sometimes I wanted to go into business. Ultimately, I landed in higher ed a bit by accident.”

After graduating, Klaas initially planned to work in a corporate environment and only applied to a doctoral program on a whim. A conversation with the program director ultimately changed his path.

“He was a labor negotiator, and he knew how to negotiate,” Klaas said with a laugh. “His skill at getting me to see things in a certain way and not letting me get off the phone without getting the answer he wanted led me to say, ‘Okay, I’m going.’”

That decision shaped a career focused on understanding how organizations create environments where people and businesses can thrive. Klaas’ research has focused on human resources, labor relations and dispute resolution, with his work published in leading peer-reviewed journals. He earned his doctorate in industrial relations from the University of Wisconsin and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Illinois State University.

Klaas said his decision to choose UTA came because of its commitment to helping students transform their futures through education.

“It is an institution that is committed to serving all parts of this community, and it's committed to doing everything that's needed to ensure that individuals, regardless of their background, can get on a pathway to a great career,” Klaas said. “Because of this school, there are many who have been able to change their life and the life of their family.  The school has an incredibly valuable mission.”

Dean Klaas smiles for a photo. Photo by Ellman Photography.

As dean, Klaas said his focus extends beyond preparing students for graduation; it is about preparing them for a workplace that is rapidly evolving.

“The workplace that our students are going into is changing,” Klaas said. “We can’t prepare students for the workplace that existed five years ago. We need to prepare them for the workplace that is going to emerge over the next several years.”

To help students navigate that changing landscape, Klaas said the college will leverage resources like the new Career Services Center while ensuring students become ethical and effective users of artificial intelligence. He also expressed appreciation for the leadership of outgoing Dean Dombroski, who he said was “incredibly effective in building impactful initiatives and strong relationships with the community.”

Indeed, Klaas said, one of the things that stood out to him since joining UTA is the strength and commitment of the college’s alumni.

“It's exciting to be able to see individuals who can reflect upon their experiences here and say, ‘it made a difference for me,’ and I want to be part of an effort to make a difference for others,” Klaas said. “There are tremendous opportunities for giving back, and so many ways to engage with our students and programs.”

Klaas said that sense of connection is a reflection of the transformative role higher education can play, particularly for students who may not have always had a clear path to a career.

“It’s one thing to be at an institution where every student is already on a path, where they have lots of resources to ensure that they get where they want to go,” Klaas said. “We’re at a school where we can truly be transformational.”

As he begins his tenure, Klaas said his leadership approach will remain rooted in listening, collaboration and thoughtful decision-making.

“I tend to be very analytical, and I pride myself on listening carefully and hearing many different viewpoints. Some may think that I study things to death” Dean Klaas said. “But I do meet my deadlines.  

Looking ahead, Klaas said every decision he makes will be guided by one question: how it positions the College of Business for the future.

“When I took this role, I was 100% in on every decision being about what’s going to get the institution to where it needs to be in five years and in 10 years,” Klaas said. “Not every decision I make will be popular, but it will be driven by what’s going to help us better serve our students, our community and our stakeholders.”