Dr. Shelley Webb: Following in Faith
At Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU), Dr. Shelley Webb serves as the chair of the business division in the DeVoe School of Business, Technology, and Leadership and as the chair of the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program. In these roles, she oversees full-time and adjunct faculty members, leads the division’s administrators, and directs the DBA program, which launched five years ago. However, Dr. Webb’s career didn’t begin in administration—her journey took her from an undergraduate engineering program to an adjunct faculty position at IWU and beyond.
A Foundation of Faith
Growing up as the daughter of a pastor, Dr. Webb was deeply involved in the Church, which helped lay a strong spiritual foundation that has guided her throughout her life. When it came time for college, she pursued a degree in engineering, believing it was the right path because of her strengths in math and science. However, she later realized she had chosen it for the wrong reasons.
“I was good at math and science, but engineering as a discipline didn’t fit my personality,” Webb reflects. “Sometimes we choose degrees based on what we’re proficient at rather than what aligns with our calling or purpose.”
Although she successfully completed the program, she didn’t enjoy the work. After graduating, she found herself at a crossroads, uncertain about her next steps. This uncertainty led her to a career fair in downtown Detroit, where she stood in line with thousands of others, portfolio and résumé in hand.
A Divine Career Shift
While searching for a new direction, Webb unexpectedly received a job offer on the spot. A man named Don, an employee at TRW Automotive, offered her a position as a junior buyer in purchasing. The suddenness of the offer—and the business focus of the role—took her by surprise.
Unsure what to do, Webb consulted her parents and prayed about the opportunity. The next day, she called Don back and accepted the position. Later, she learned that he was also a Christian and part of why he’d offered her the job was because he felt God leading him to do so.
“He saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself,” she says. “He taught me business principles, negotiation, and how to build relationships with suppliers. That was my transition from engineering into business.”
Webb excelled in her new role, which eventually led her to General Motors, a master’s in business administration, and a doctorate in higher education administration. Though her degrees span three different fields, she has found that they intersect in exactly the right ways for the situations God has led her to.
Faith in the Workplace
Throughout her career at Fortune 100 companies, Dr. Webb frequently encountered fellow believers in workplaces that weren’t faith-based. These colleagues became a source of encouragement, reinforcing her faith journey. Even after 14 years at IWU, she continues to maintain friendships with many of them.
Her path to IWU was anything but ordinary. One day, while sitting in Starbucks, she was approached by Dr. Keith Studebaker, who felt led by the Lord to introduce himself and suggest that she apply for an adjunct faculty position at IWU. At the time, Webb had never heard of the university and was a stay-at-home mom caring for her three-year-old son. Initially, she wasn’t sure if it was something she wanted to pursue, but the fact that God had moved someone into her path made her pause and consider.
“For a couple of days, I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking, ‘God, what are you doing?’” Webb recalls.
Webb researched IWU’s adjunct faculty roles and found a schedule that allowed her to teach in the evenings while still spending her days with her son. She became excited about the opportunity to teach business principles to adult learners. Over time, her love for teaching and dedication to the university deepened, eventually leading her to her current leadership roles.
A Leader in Business and Education
As chair of the DBA program and the business division, Dr. Webb draws on all three of her degrees to guide faculty, support students, and shape the program’s future. Her favorite aspect of her role is its daily variety. From faculty conflict resolution to budget meetings and one-on-one mentoring, her responsibilities constantly shift.
“Every day is different,” Webb says. “Some days are unpredictable, and fitting everything in can be challenging, but I thrive in that environment.”
A Nationally Recognized Program
Recently, Dr. Webb and the DBA team were honored with Insight Into Diversity’s 2025 national Inspiring Programs in Business Award. Winning such a prestigious recognition—against competitors like Harvard and the University of Florida—was a major accomplishment, especially considering the DBA program is only five years old.
Two key factors contributed to the program’s success:
1. A Diverse Student Population – Enrolling students from various ethnic, generational, and cultural backgrounds.
2. Diversity in Faculty Leadership – Hiring research chairs and faculty from different nationalities and age groups, including two young, recent hires from Nigeria and Mexico.
“That was a huge accomplishment,” Webb says.
Following Where God Leads
Throughout her life, Dr. Webb has had to trust God’s direction, even when it didn’t make sense at the time.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to see where God is leading or understand why things happen the way they do,” Webb reflects. “But He always has a plan, and even if it doesn’t make sense to us, it always ends up being the right thing.”
For Dr. Webb, being at Indiana Wesleyan University is an extension of her faith journey. She looks forward to continuing to grow the DBA program and the business division, trusting that God will lead the way.
