DARTMOUTH – Madan Annavarjula
is the new dean for the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Charlton College of Business.
UMass Dartmouth said Annavarjula
, the dean of the College of Business and professor of international business at Bryant University, will start in his new post Sept. 1. At Bryant, Annavarjula
was responsible for strategic planning, curriculum development, faculty management and day-to-day administration of the College of Business. He worked with faculty and alumni to launch several undergraduate and graduate programs, including Data Science, Business Analytics, Digital Marketing, Leadership and Innovation, and Project Management.
“In our ongoing commitment to excellence, I am pleased to add another world-class dean to the campus leadership. ... Madan Annavarjula brings a wealth of experience, leadership and vision to this role, making him an exceptional choice to guide our Charlton College of Business into the future,” said UMass Dartmouth Provost Ramprasad Balasubramanian. “Annavarjula is passionate about fostering entrepreneurship, integrating emerging technologies into the curriculum, expanding global partnerships and building cutting-edge interdisciplinary programs.
Annavarjula successfully led Bryant to national and international prominence, including helping the International Business major be ranked No. 17 among the top programs in the U.S. in 2023, according to U.S. News and World Report
. In the fall of 2018, he led a team of dedicated faculty to launch a new graduate-level online MBA program, currently ranked in the top 15% of the nation, according to the 2024 U.S. News and World Report
.
“UMass Dartmouth is a treasure trove of opportunities in terms of interdisciplinary programs, cutting-edge research and innovative curriculum,” Annavarjula said. “Charlton College is positioned very well to leverage these opportunities to benefit our students and community. I am excited at the opportunity to lead the Charlton College of Business and to participate in fostering experiential learning opportunities, growing market-driven academic programs and build excellent outcomes for our students.”
Annavarjula was the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award at Bryant in 2010, the Outstanding Service Award in 2011, the Bryant Alumni Award for Excellence in 2013 and the Outstanding International Educator of the Year Award presented by North American Small Business International Trade Educators in 2018. His current research interests include technology strategies of multinational corporations and pedagogical issues in international business education.
Annavarjula’s research has been published in several scholarly journals, and he has presented his work at national and international conferences. Annavarjula earned his doctorate in international business at the Fox School of Business at Temple University.