From the Edward Jones Dean: March 2022

It seems like it was only yesterday that I began my tenure as the Edward Jones Dean at the Chaifetz School of Business. The past year has presented challenges and unique opportunities to how we connect with one another, teach and learn. I am so proud to report that our students, faculty and staff have remained steadfast in our commitment to serve all our stakeholders, in keeping with our Jesuit values. And we could not succeed without your steadfast commitment and support. 

There is much to celebrate here at the Chaifetz School as we reach the middle of the spring semester. Our One-Year MBA program has been ranked as a top MBA program in the country by Poets&Quants and US News & World Report. In January, the Chaifetz School moved up to No. 71 in Poets&Quants’ annual rankings of the top undergraduate business schools in the country. This represents the top 10% of all AACSB accredited undergraduate schools of business. 

We have seen the launch of new inclusive, innovative and impactful initiatives at the Chaifetz School. In November, following a national search, Lewis Sheats began his appointment as director of the Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship. In December, we welcomed three time SLU alumnae Tamika Mitchell to serve as our inaugural Expert In Residence (XIR) with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. In October, we welcomed a camera crew from the PBS docuseries Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid to campus as they filmed a feature story on the Chaifetz School of Business. It has been an exciting year.

Our students' achievements are always the highlight of our reports. In the Chaifetz School of Business, students are our “Why.” Later this month, the Chaifetz School will have two student teams participating in the annual CFA Institute Research Challenge. Senior finance major Elyse Lewandowski, has been interning with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Eleven teams, that included undergraduate students in service leadership, partnered with the Habitat for Neighborhood Business to consult with minority entrepreneurs in the city of St. Louis. Our faculty continue to receive recognition for their scholarly endeavors. Dr. Jintong Tang, Mary Louise Murray Endowed Professor of Management, recently published important new research on the effects of linguistic time reference on new business ventures. Dr. Tricia Bagsby, Assistant Professor of Management and Medart Endowed Chair in Family Business, was named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s annual ‘40 Under 40’ list last fall. During the holidays, the Chaifetz School launched an initiative to profile SLU alumni entrepreneurs.

As a new Dean and a newcomer to this wonderful city, I am incredibly grateful for the support of our alumni and friends. Virtually and in person, I have had the opportunity to meet with some of you. I look forward to more. We want to hear about your successes and your stories. I look forward to staying in touch and sharing more from the Chaifetz School. 

Sincerely,

Barnali Gupta, Ph.D. 
Edward Jones Dean
Professor of Economics
Chaifetz School of Business