Central Queensland University's Faculty of Business & Law will seek more opportunities for community engagement and will work alongside business to enhance growth opportunities.

That is according to new Dean of the Faculty, Professor Catherine Smith, who also hopes to help businesses predict future needs.

Professor Smith believes regional businesses can enhance international market opportunities by drawing on help from CQU's international students.

She is keen to promote the creation of additional multidisciplinary degrees to cater for the realities of today's workplaces.

The new Dean is an active researcher with current interests in dual-career families and gender and diversity issues in educational and workplace settings. Other interests include entrepreneurship,human resource management, industrial relations, leadership and change management.

She has a breadth of experience in industry and the university sector, including establishment of international operations.

Professor Smith was most recently Executive Dean, Division of Business, Information Technology and Law at Murdoch University.

Prior to that she was Foundation Chair and Head of the School of Business at the University of Newcastle, having moved to that position from an Associate Professorship in Management at Edith Cowan University.

The new Dean holds a PhD from the University of Western Australia, a Master of Science in Industrial Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from Middlesex University.

She has successful experience in budget management, strategic and operational planning, development of revenue streams, workplace planning, development of programs and courses, establishment of strategic alliances with business and the professions, and the establishment of an interdisciplinary research centre.

Professor Smith takes over from Interim Dean Dr Les Killion, who has been heading the Faculty since the promotion of former long-serving Dean Professor Kevin Fagg (now Deputy Vice-Chancellor - Resources). ENDS Caption: Professor Catherine Smith (middle) meets Vice-Chancellor Professor Glenice Hancock and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Ron Davies.