Arjang Assad Named 7th Dean of Pitt Business

Arjang A. Assad has been named the Henry E. Haller Jr. Dean of the University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business Administration. Assad will succeed John Delaney, who plans to assume a faculty position after nine successful years as dean. The appointment will be effective July 1.

“Dr. Assad’s vision for the Katz Graduate School and the College of Business Administration is well matched to our aspirations for the school and the University,” Pitt Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Patricia E. Beeson said in announcing the appointment. “He is committed to building the school in ways that will enhance the scholarly contributions of the faculty and enable our students to succeed in a global, multicultural marketplace.”

With more than 20 years experience at two public research universities that are, along with Pitt, members of the Association of American Universities, Assad is currently serving as dean of the School of Management at the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York.

During his seven-year tenure as dean, the faculty and school have expanded both in size and reputation. Under his leadership, the school has developed key strategic priorities—including new programs in health care management, leadership, and entrepreneurship—that have advanced both the school and the university. He also has launched important initiatives designed to enrich learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in the School of Management and has enhanced the school’s research agenda through faculty hires and the creation of research fellowships designed to recognize faculty achievement.

Assad holds four degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology—a doctorate in management science from its Sloan School of Management, master’s degrees in chemical engineering and operations research, and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

Widely recognized for his scholarly contributions to operations and quality management, optimization of distribution systems, and the history of operations research, Assad has authored or edited more than 50 refereed articles and book chapters, and has served as a member of the editorial boards of several prestigious scholarly journals, including Operations Research,Transportation Science, and Production and Operations Management. He has received numerous awards for his teaching, including the Kirwan Undergraduate Education Award, the University of Maryland’s highest campus recognition for contributions to undergraduate education.

Assad holds four degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology—a doctorate in management science from its Sloan School of Management, master’s degrees in chemical engineering and operations research, and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

Highlights of Dean Delaney’s Tenure

Under Delaney’s leadership, Pitt Business established itself as a world leader of innovative approaches to experience-based learning. Every student has the opportunity to complete hands-on experiences through internships, case competitions, management simulations, study abroad experiences, and consulting projects.

Recruiters have taken notice. The placement rate for MBAs who graduated this past spring was 96 percent within three months of graduation — a level that equals or surpasses the most elite universities in the world. For the third consecutive year, the internship rate for MBAs was 100 percent. At the undergraduate level, there is a 90% internship rate, with students averaging more than two internships.

Enrollment in the business school has increased nearly 20 percent during his tenure. Student satisfaction has improved by 78 percent among full-time MBA students and 36 percent among part-time MBA students since 2006. Additionally, student satisfaction with the Career Management and Academic Advising Center has improved by 177 percent among full-time students.

Delaney has helped bolster fundraising by reconnecting with Pitt Business’s more than 27,000 alumni who live and work in more than 90 countries. He has frequently traveled to events in Europe, Asia, and South America. As a result, the annual fundraising by the school is three times larger than it was before he became dean. The school’s endowment has increased 24 percent since 2008 and total giving has increased by 108% since 2006.

Under Delaney, in 2007, Katz established a Master of Science in Accounting program. It has grown from an inaugural class of 27 students to an enrollment this year of 128 students. The program’s graduates have obtained accounting positions at big four accounting firms and accounting organizations all over the world. 

Some of his other achievements include the establishment of the Center for Supply Chain Management established and the opening of the financial analysis lab opened in 2008.