Office of the Provost

Dear Colleagues,

I write with an update about the leadership at our School of Business.  In recent conversations with Dean Elliott about his future plans, we discussed the many coming changes in the school and at the University.   John has decided, upon reflection, that he is ready to step down to assume a new role at UConn as a faculty member. The efforts that are about to be launched will benefit from continuity of leadership over the coming several years. To accommodate the transition to new leadership John will step down as Dean on January 2, 2025, take a well-deserved research leave, and return to the faculty. Few deans have served as long as Dean Elliott and we are grateful to him for his service.

I will be making an announcement about an interim dean and the launch of a national search for a permanent dean shortly, but first it is important to highlight a few of Dean Elliott’s many accomplishments. During his deanship, the UConn School of Business has expanded the size of both the faculty and student populations.  He elevated Entrepreneurship across the UConn campus, growing CCEI and IQ and partnering with the newly created Werth Institute.  The Boucher Department of Management and Entrepreneurship was named and funded.  Experiential learning continued to be a cornerstone of the School of Business.  It is exemplified by growing student managed funds, the emergence of the Hillside Ventures portfolio of programs, the consulting club, and more.  He helped to introduce academic programs, initially growing the new MS in Business Analytics and Project Management and the MS in Financial Risk Management.  More recently the School developed an online MBA program, a new Master of Science in Financial Technology, and a Master of Science in Social Responsibility and Impact in Business.   A new MS in Supply Chain Management is in development.

The School’s presence at the regional campuses has been transformed with Stamford having several full four year undergraduate programs as well as graduate programs.  In Hartford the Graduate Business Learning Center has grown from four floors to six to house growing activities. He led the successful reaccreditation of the school in 2016 and again in 2021 and achieved consistent growth in fundraising to support the school.  The Business Connections Learning community has grown from one floor of Belden Hall to include all six floors.  A virtual version is maturing in Stamford.  Our alumni have been engaged at every step in this journey.

I would be remiss if I did not point out Dean Elliott’s important and broad service to the university, as interim provost, senate member, chairing search and reappointment committees, and in many other leadership roles.  John is known for his talents in communicating, his careful listening habits, his honesty and integrity, as well as his ability to collaborate with others. He has been an empathetic and highly effective academic leader to whom we owe our gratitude for his dedication and work on behalf of the university.

Please join me both in congratulating Dean Elliott on his highly successful tenure as dean and his return to the faculty and also in thanking him for his dedication and hard work on behalf of the school and the university over the past 12 and half years.

All best,
Anne

Anne D’Alleva, PhD
Provost and Executive Vice President
University of Connecticut
Office of the Provost
352 Mansfield Road, U-1086
Storrs CT 06269-1086
Tel. 860-486-4037

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