NYU Stern Dean Raghu Sundaram To Step Down

NYU Stern Dean Raghu Sundaram has announced he will step down in July. Sundaram has been Stern’s dean since 2018

New York University’s Stern School of Business will have a new dean at midsummer. Raghu Sundaram, who has been the Stern School’s dean since 2018, today (February 7) announced that he will step down July 1.

Sundaram is also the Edward I. Altman professor of credit and debt markets at Stern. Post-deanship he will assume a new title: senior vice chancellor and head of global strategy.

JP Eggers, who currently wears three hats at Stern — professor of management and organizations, Catherine & Peter Kellner professor of entrepreneurship, and vice dean of MBA and graduate programs — will serve as interim dean during the school’s search for a permanent replacement.

LONG LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

JP Eggers. NYU Stern photo

“Words cannot adequately express what a privilege it has been to serve as Stern’s dean and what a gift it has been to work with the members of such an extraordinary community of faculty, students, administrators, staff, and alumni,” Sundaram says in a February 7 message to the business school community. “I look forward to meeting with you in the coming weeks and months and thanking you in person for your warmth, support, and trust.”

In his six years as dean, Sundaram raised $400 million, including the three largest scholarship gifts in NYU’s history; broken school MBA and undergraduate records for incoming class metrics and career outcomes; launched new programs like the Andre Koo Tech MBA, the Endless Frontier Labs, and the school’s first online programs, as well as the soon-to-launch joint MBA program with NYU-Abu Dhabi that will start in January 2025; and overseen the opening of other new Stern campuses, in Washington, D.C., London, and Shanghai.

Sundaram has taught courses in Stern’s undergraduate, MBA, Ph.D., and Executive Education programs since 1996. Prior to joining the school that year, according to his bio at the Stern website, he was on the faculty of the University of Rochester from 1988 to 1996. He has a bachelor of arts degree in economics from the University of Madras, India; an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad; and a Ph.D. in economics from Cornell.

The Stern full-time MBA program currently ranks 10th in the U.S. in Poets&Quants‘ ranking; when Sundaram took over in 2018, it ranked 16th.

SUNDARAM TO REMAIN ‘DEEPLY INVOLVED’ AT NYU

The news of Sundaram’s resignation was first shared by NYU President Linda G. Mills in a memo to the university. “Raghu,”  she writes, “has been a strong relationship builder, forging valuable partnerships across the University, attracting talent from all over the world, and strengthening Stern’s outstanding Executive Board. Respected by his faculty colleagues, Stern’s students, Stern’s administration, and his fellow deans, he has brought focus, foresight, keen analysis, and an instinct for innovation to his role as Stern’s dean and made the school all the stronger for it.

“That is why I have tapped him to take on this new role, so that his talents and strengths can be applied to the University-wide challenges. As the head of global strategy, he will be responsible for overseeing key initiatives of the Office of the President, with a particular initial focus on the University’s finances and budget processes, a project he has already begun working on. He will provide guidance and leadership on a variety of strategic issues, including revenue generation, entrepreneurial initiatives, and industry partnerships. I also expect him to be deeply involved in our science and tech initiative and in developing a strategy for engagement with India, building on his experience in launching global degree programs and partnerships in Shanghai and in the creation of Stern at NYUAD.”

RAGHU SUNDARAM’S LETTER TO THE NYU STERN COMMUNITY

NYU Stern School of Business
A Message from Dean Raghu Sundaram

Dear Stern Community,

By now you would have seen the announcement letter below from President Linda Mills that I will be taking on a new role of Senior Vice Chancellor and Head of Global Strategy for New York University and will step down from my role as Dean of the Stern School effective July 1, 2024.

Words cannot adequately express what a privilege it has been to serve as Stern’s dean and what a gift it has been to work with the members of such an extraordinary community of faculty, students, administrators, staff, and alumni. I look forward to meeting with you in the coming weeks and months and thanking you in person for your warmth, support, and trust.

As President Mills notes, J.P. Eggers will be taking on the role of Stern’s Interim Dean from July 1 while a search for Stern’s next dean is conducted. J.P. has not only proven himself as an extraordinary leader at Stern in his role as Vice Dean for MBA and Graduate Programs, he has also been a trusted colleague, voice of reason, and strategic thinker on Stern’s School-wide leadership team. J.P. has a history of remarkable success at spearheading innovations at Stern, bringing to bear his creativity and vision into pioneering program offerings. Everyone who knows J.P. has felt his unique combination of intellect and empathy and the impact he has already had building community and culture at Stern. I cannot think of anyone better suited to manage this transition and am delighted he has accepted this responsibility.

This is my 30th year at Stern and my sense of wonderment at the exceptional collegiality, camaraderie, and generosity of the Stern community only continues to grow. The School’s future is simply brimming with promise.

With much gratitude,

Raghu Sundaram

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