Dear GW Business Community,
It is with deepest gratitude that I write this farewell message as GWSB dean. In the spirit of this holiday season, please allow me to reflect on our past accomplishments as we look forward to the upcoming year with excitement for new opportunities and a continued positive trajectory for GWSB. Our School has an even greater future, and it is because of the community of our faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents, and partners who support its success.
Together, we have achieved record-setting progress. We have broader visibility nationally and globally. We can collectively take pride in the recognition GWSB has gained among business schools, having attained the best rankings in our history for both the MBA and undergraduate programs. Our faculty research has become increasingly more interdisciplinary, cited by top-tier journals, and covered by national and international news media outlets. Our focus on inclusion and belonging, and our innovative portfolio of academic, experiential learning, and career management programs have become a model for business schools.
This role has given me opportunities to elevate and help facilitate these outcomes, a special task that I have loved here at GWSB. It also allowed me to experience the dedication to excellence across the School. As one example, when I was still somewhat green in my time as dean, the pandemic had begun and upended much of our lives. I will never forget how resilient we were as a community during that period, from our students to our faculty and staff. It was inspiring to have the collective support and voices of reason, understanding, and compassion during such a difficult time.
What makes a school or any institution standout are its people. I have been fortunate to work alongside many talented colleagues both at the School and across the University, our advisory board, corporate council, and members of the board of trustees. The partners and supporters from the corporate community, local and federal government, and organizations both in the Washington, D.C. area and beyond have also been invaluable to the progress of GWSB.
I will always be thankful to our alumni from around the world who continue to support their alma mater. It gives me joy to be a GW parent, and you can count on me to #RaiseHigh whenever I get the chance.
Please join me in thanking Provost Bracey for his leadership, encouragement, support, and appreciation for the School. I share our collective enthusiasm and optimism for GW with President Granberg at the helm. I also feel great that Vanessa Perry will lead the School following my transition.
At the end of 2023, I will be headed to my alma mater Georgia Tech, to serve as the next dean of the Scheller College of Business. And, as I reflect on the past five and a half years, I know that GW will hold a special place in my heart as it has become home for me and my family. From the moment we arrived, we have felt a strong sense of belonging that has only grown over the years. We will take with us so many fond memories from this chapter.
I hope to see you at the Holiday Party on December 14. I wish everyone a restful and joyous holiday season. Please stay connected with me at [email protected], and let me know if you are in the Atlanta area.
Stay safe and stay well,
Anuj Mehrotra, Ph.D.
Dean