Idalene Kesner announced April 8 she will step down as the dean of the IU Kelley School of Business and return to teaching effective July 31.
As the first female dean of the business school, Kesner directed growth in undergraduate and graduate enrollments, student diversity and international outreach, according to a Kelley School of Business news release. The business school currently has an enrollment of 14,471 across IU Bloomington, IU-Purdue University Indianapolis and online international programs.
Kesner holds a master’s in Business Administration and doctorate from Kelley. She has served in a number of roles in the school since 1996, including chairing the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship from 2006 to 2009 and serving as the associate dean of faculty and research from 2009 to 2012.
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In 2019, Kesner became the second woman to be named “Dean of the Year” by the leading business education news site, Poets & Quants.
“Thank you for granting me the privilege of serving as dean for this amazing school,” Kesner said in the release.
IU plans to announce an interim dean in the near future.
