Terence Lau

Meet the Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Terence Lau is the interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. He previously served as the dean of the College of Business upon arriving at Chico State from 2018 to 2023. The many accomplishments of his tenure in this role include the launch of a new online MBA and online BSBA program, the successful AACSB reaccreditation of the College of Business, and working with University Advancement to secure two testamentary gifts for a new building for the college. He also stepped in and continued to show great leadership serving as the interim dean of the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management during the Spring 2023 semester.

Prior to his tenure at Chico State, Terence served 16 years at the University of Dayton in Ohio, where he was program director, department chair, and associate dean in the School of Business Administration. Earlier in his career, he served as the director of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Governmental Affairs for Ford Asia Pacific Operations in Bangkok, Thailand from 2000-2002, where he represented Ford’s government affairs with company affiliates, industry organizations, and the governments of 10 countries affiliated with ASEAN. Prior to his time in Bangkok, he worked as an attorney for the Ford Motor Company in the International Practice Group in Michigan. From 2006-2007, Mr. Lau served as a Judicial Fellow at the Supreme Court of the United States, working for the Counselor to the Chief Justice of the United States.

Lau received his JD from Syracuse University in New York, and his BA from Wright State University in Ohio. Mr. Lau has also published many articles on the legal environment of business and is a former Editor-in-Chief of the American Business Law Journal. He is the co-author of The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business, published by Flat World Knowledge and now in its fifth edition.