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Office of the Provost, Division of Academic Affairs, University of Maryland

Announcements

Welcoming the new Dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business

Prabhudev Konana

Dear colleagues, 

I am pleased to announce the appointment of the new Dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business, Prabhudev Konana, Ph.D., effective January 2, 2021.

For over 25 years he has held leadership roles and prioritized innovation and forward-thinking business education. He currently serves as the Associate Dean of Instructional Innovation at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business, in addition to his William H. Seay Centennial Professor of Information Management, Thomas O. Hicks Endowed Chair in Business, and Distinguished Teaching Professor designations. 

Formerly the chairperson of the McCombs School of Business Department of the Information, Risk, and Operations Management, new programs and initiatives were created under his leadership such as the MS in Business Analytics and MS in Technology & Management programs. 

I have no doubt that he will swiftly implement big ideas, while strengthening academic connections throughout Smith and across campus. Dr. Konana will contribute immediately to the academic reputation for innovation and research excellence for which the Smith School is known.

Konana’s impressive work in academia and research has led to recognition by way of multiple grants and awards including the NSF Information Technology Research grant and the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award. He has also published hundreds of articles in journals, magazines, and conference proceedings including Sloan Management Review, Management Science, Information Systems Research, and numerous IEEE journals.

Konana holds a Bachelor of Technology degree from the University of Mysore in India, a Master of Business Administration degree, and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona, Tucson. 

I want to thank the search committee, chaired by Dean Robert Orr,  for the excellent job they did in spite of the constraints imposed by the pandemic. I would also like to express my heartfelt appreciation to Interim Dean Ritu Agarwal for her excellent service to the Smith School and the university during these extremely difficult times. Her leadership has been exemplary and deeply appreciated by her faculty, staff and students as well as the University administration. 

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Prabhudev Konana to Maryland and our Terp family! 

Sincerely, 

Mary Ann Rankin

Senior Vice President and Provost