Tesluk will step down as dean

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Paul Tesluk will step down as dean of the University at Buffalo School of Management at the end of the academic year to return to his faculty role as Donald S. Carmichael Professor of Organizational Behavior in the Department of Organization and Human Resources.

Appointed dean in 2016 after serving in an interim capacity, Tesluk has led the school through a nationally challenging time for management education while strengthening the school’s programs and partnerships.

Under his leadership, the school has consistently ranked in the top 10% nationally across various major school and MBA rankings, including the most recent Bloomberg News ranking where UB’s MBA program improved 12 spots to achieve a top 30 ranking among MBAs at public universities.  

“Dean Tesluk has had a significant impact on the School of Management and UB, and established a solid foundation for future success. We are grateful to Dean Tesluk for his continued commitment to the school and university,” Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs A. Scott Weber said in a memo Monday to the university community.

To align the school’s vision and goals with UB’s institutional priorities, Tesluk led the School of Management in a comprehensive strategic planning effort. This resulted in the school adopting a revised mission with four overarching goals: defining the future of management; forging highly capable, engaged and ethical leaders; making a positive impact on business and society; and creating a school with world-class capabilities. The goals provide a prominent focus for five key strategic initiatives: leadership, entrepreneurship, health care management, social innovation, and global programs.

“I am so grateful to our faculty and staff for all their efforts, as well as our alumni and many external partners in the UB, business and global communities,” said Tesluk. “We have accomplished a tremendous amount as a School of Management community, and it would not have been possible without the collaborative spirit that has bound us all together. These collaborations have established a foundation that leaves the school well positioned to continue its ascent.”

During his tenure as dean, the school developed educational programs that align with students’ needs and help meet the growing demand for highly skilled workers in the high-tech workforce. Examples include a new undergraduate program in information technology and management, a master’s degree in business analytics, a robust and rapidly expanding set of micro-credentials and non-degree programs, and innovations in existing programs including adapting the Professional MBA program to hybrid format. Additional programs are in development.

The school also expanded student fellowships and internships while enhancing international opportunities for students. This has led to a significant increase in student engagement in experiential learning and networking opportunities.  

Tesluk also built partnerships with other UB schools and encouraged management faculty to participate in cross-disciplinary and university-wide initiatives. Examples include the Stephen Still Institute for Sustainable Transportation and Logistics and the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences. To prepare students to collaborate with and contribute to nonprofits, and in partnership with the School of Social Work and the College of Arts and Sciences, the school created a unique Social Impact Fellows program that places interdisciplinary teams of students in internships in local mission-driven organizations.

He also led a comprehensive campaign to support the school’s research, education and engagement activities. While leading the school, philanthropic gifts and management faculty philanthropy participation rates have increased substantially. This has resulted in the creation of new endowed chairs, interdisciplinary programs, student-centered signature spaces such as the recently opened Paula Agrusa Plaza, as well as expanded student scholarships, particularly those that advance diversity, equity and inclusion.

An internationally recognized expert in leadership development, team design and effectiveness, and organizational climate and performance, Tesluk is a fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the Society for Organizational Behavior. He is a prolific scholar who has consulted with numerous private and public organizations, and served on the editorial boards of several of the most selective journals in his field.

Tesluk was recruited from the University of Maryland, College Park to join UB as Donald S. Carmichael Professor of Organizational Behavior in 2011. He was appointed interim dean in July 2015 after serving for two years as chair of the Department of Organization and Human Resources, and as academic director of the school’s Center for Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness (CLOE).

Weber said his office will begin a search for the next School of Management dean later this semester, with plans to have new leadership determined by the end of spring 2022.