Carlson News

In messages to faculty, staff, students, alumni, and others, Zaheer expressed her gratitude for the contributions of everyone who was part of her journey. “Your contributions are the reason we are among the best business schools in the world. It has been one of the greatest joys of my life to serve as your dean.”

Zaheer still has much she wants to accomplish. Already, though, her tenure has enhanced and elevated the school in a variety of ways, including raising $190 million as part of the Driven campaign, adding to an impressive increase in philanthropy during the last decade. A Military Veterans Initiative to help servicemen and women transition from military to business careers, launched in 2012, resulted in the Carlson School being named the number one Military Friendly business school in the nation three years running.

University of Minnesota Executive Vice President and Provost Rachel Croson will lead a national search to fill the role. Zaheer has offered her willingness to stay on as dean until a replacement begins. 

The first Indian-American dean in the University’s history and only the second woman to hold the deanship, Zaheer also holds the Elmer L. Andersen Chair in Global Corporate Social Responsibility.

Refenence：

https://carlsonschool.umn.edu/news/dean-sri-zaheer-announces-plans-transition-faculty

Dean Sri Zaheer

It’s about embracing our purpose to create a brighter future for Minnesota, our nation, and the world. It’s about focusing on our promise to our students, to prepare them for lives and careers that are fulfilling and make a profound difference in their communities.

As I look forward to transitioning back to our faculty sometime next year from serving as your dean, I’m renewing that pledge to keep our mission top of mind. It has been a privilege to lead this amazing school, and I will stay on until a new dean is appointed and takes over. There is still much to do, and I remain committed to ensuring the Carlson School’s excellence as we look ahead to the future. 

It’s no secret that these past two years have been difficult for many. This too-long period of adjusting and re-adjusting, and, in so many ways, of being distant from one another, has often distracted us. We are not alone. I hear that from a wide circle of deans at other world-class business schools. 

Soon, as we turn to what living with COVID-19 might look like, we can’t forget our fundamental mission—to develop and disseminate the ideas that will change how organizations function, and to enable our students to dream big and go into the world ready to live the ideals of business as a force for good. Thanks to our outstanding staff and faculty, we’re constantly improving how we do that, with countless success stories. Our alumni and donors play critical roles, too, for which we’re grateful.

More than ever, we must work with our partners in the business community to help our students become thoughtful, inclusive leaders in tomorrow’s world. We need, too, to be aware of the needs of our alumni and other working professionals to have just-in-time education and support.