The School of Business has two new leaders for its undergraduate and graduate programs, the school’s dean confirmed last week.
After two interim associate deans led the programs for months, Livingstone confirmed that one veteran business school professor and a current administrator at the University of Cincinnati will take over. Livingstone said these permanent leaders will help to drive the school’s projects forward.
Leo Moersen, an associate professor of accountancy and business law for more than 30 years, will take the permanent position as associate dean for undergraduate programs after he stepped into the interim spot in August, Linda Livingstone, the school’s dean, said Monday. Vivek Choudhury, an associate dean of the University of Cincinnati’s business school, will be on campus in early January as the associate dean for graduate programs.
Moersen became the interim associate dean for undergraduate programs in August after former dean Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou left to become the dean of McGill University’s business school. Moersen declined to sit for an interview.
Livingstone said the transition for the new deans will follow differing paths based on their experience. Moersen, who has been at the University for more than 30 years, will get more training on adjusting to an administrative role. But Choudhury, who has past experience as an associate dean at Cincinnati, will have to work on adjusting to GW.
“[Moersen] had a month of overlap where [he and Bajeux] worked together, and so Isabelle prepared him and made sure that he understood everything they were working on, which was a really nice, natural transition,” Livingstone said.
Choudhury replaces interim associate dean Vanessa Perry. Perry has been named interim vice provost for diversity and inclusion after Terri Harris Reed stepped down from her post at the end of September. Livingstone said that Perry was an interim associate dean in the business school for more than a year.
Choudhury will be working with Livingstone and meeting other faculty members over the next few months to be updated on the University and graduate programs. Livingstone said she meets with all the schools’ deans once or twice each month.
“I hope to bring my years of experience in academia, particularly with graduate programs, to continue to raise the profile of GW’s already outstanding portfolio of graduate programs and ensure that our students are as successful as possible,” Choudhury said.
Choudhury added that he’s going to focus on being “continually innovative” in his new role.
“We need to constantly ask ourselves what we can do to improve the outcomes for our students, as well as the reputation of all of GWU’s graduate programs,” he said.
Ryan Lasker contributed reporting.
