Pitt Business dean to return to faculty

Arjang A. Assad is stepping down, effective June 30, 2022, as Pitt’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business Administration Henry E. Haller Jr. Dean. He will return to the faculty after his tenure as dean that led to the school achieving its highest-ever rankings.

“Arjang’s accomplishments and service have made a deep impact on many aspects of Pitt Business as well as the University. Please join me in expressing sincere appreciation and gratitude to Arjang for his vision and leadership,” said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Ann E. Cudd.

Assad became dean in July 2015. Under his leadership as the seventh dean of the school, programs at Pitt Business, along with faculty and research, have consistently risen in rankings to be recognized among the best in the world. In 2021, Poets & Quants rated the undergraduate program the No. 1 in public business school in Pennsylvania.

In January, Katz was ranked the No. 30 MBA program in the world — a jump of 23 spots to its highest ranking to date — in The Economist’s 2020-21 survey of full-time MBA programs. The same survey ranked the Katz MBA No. 13 among U.S. public universities and No. 20 in the nation.

“In my years as dean, I’ve had the privilege to work with some of the brightest minds in the field,” Assad said. “Together, Pitt Business has reached new heights. I am confident that our school will continue to ascend under a new dean with a fresh perspective. I’m also excited to continue my role as a member of our prestigious faculty and further advance our mission and develop leaders that use business as a force for social good.”

Cudd said she will announce a search in the weeks ahead to identify a successor.