It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Dr. Moustafa H. Abdelsamad, President Emeritus of the Society for Advancement of Management passed away on Jan. 2, 2024, in his new home in Arlington, Virginia.
Dr. Abdelsamad was the longest serving President of the Society, with his first term in 1983 until 1986 and then again in 1996 until 2018, a combined quarter century of service as the head of our organization. Dr. Abdelsamad was a prominent figure at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi for 28 years, serving 22 as Dean of the College of Business. He played a key role in acquiring the O’Connor’s’ support for the College’s new facility, inaugurated in 2011. His leadership established the Coastal Bend Business Innovation Center in 2009 and launched an online MBA program in 2011, enhancing the business community and technological innovation. He was editor-in-chief of SAM Advanced Management Journal (AMJ) from 1985 to 2017, which was housed in the College of Business from 1991 to 2017.
In 2000, Dr. Abdelsamad was awarded our Society’s highest honor, The Taylor Key, in recognition of his contributions to the art and science of management throughout his career. In 2013, the International Management Development Association recognized Dr. Abdelsamad as the International Business Educator of the Year. In 2019, he was a recipient of the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who’s Who.
“Dr. Abdelsamad was a visionary leader who strived each and every day to help those in his community become reach and exceed their potential. His loss will be felt throughout the management community, but his hard work lives on through those whom he gave the tools to change the world. One of his greatest achievements will always be the impact he has had on others and how he has forever changed our Society and the community we serve, said Patrick Endicott, Executive Director of the Society for Advancement of Management. “It was a privilege and an honor to stand on the foundation of this great man’s achievements and to call him a colleague and friend.”
We warmly recall the cherished moments many of us shared with Dr. Moustafa H. Abdelsamad. As we remember his remarkable life and contributions, let’s hold his family, friends, former students, and colleagues close in our hearts during this time of reflection and mourning.