RWU Appoints Diya Das as Dean of School of Business
Respected scholar of leadership excellence, Das has led development of business education programming and student engagement initiatives
BRISTOL, R.I. – Roger Williams University has selected Diya Das, an expert in human resource management, organizational behavior and international business, as the next Dean of the Mario J. Gabelli School of Business (GSB), charged with guiding the implementation of the business school’s leadership as it expands its reach into blue economy innovation, real estate and entrepreneurship.
Das comes to RWU most recently serving as Associate Dean of Bryant University’s College of Business, where she helped develop and launch new graduate programs in data science, business analytics, taxation and a certificate in innovative healthcare leadership, while also advancing recognition of its MBA program. She served as department chair of the management program for four years before becoming the Associate Dean. At Bryant, she played an integral role in the strategic planning for the business school’s accreditation process, co-chaired the university’s Vision 2030 strategic planning committee of corporate partnerships and lifelong learning, co-chaired the steering committee that revised the university’s general education curriculum, and created new programs that focused on outcomes and student life on campus for graduate students.
“Dr. Das is a respected academic leader who has extensively studied leadership excellence and bringing out the greatness and talents of employees. She will bring vision and a new energy to the Mario J. Gabelli School of Business,” said RWU President Ioannis N. Miaoulis. “Dr. Das takes the helm at an exciting moment for the university, as we implement an interdisciplinary approach to education across our eight schools of study that connects research, community engagement and real-world learning in our leadership in the blue economy and coastal resiliency, real estate, entrepreneurship and innovation.”
The business school will play a central role in the university’s new Real Estate program and the development of integrated programming and collaborative research on marine and coastal economies, sustainability strategies, and innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership. RWU's interdisciplinary business education equips our graduates with real-world industry expertise and solution-driven business acumen to navigate the interconnected global marketplace and workforce, with a knowledge and appreciation of the intersection of profit, policy, sustainability, and social and environmental justice.
“I am so thrilled to welcome Dr. Das to our academic leadership team. She is an accomplished scholar and teacher with a track record of program innovations,” said RWU Provost Margaret Everett. “Her experience with international programming and graduate education are especially valuable as we seek to expand the reach of RWU.”
Das, who was selected through a national search, will begin serving as RWU’s business school dean on June 1.
“I am very honored to join Roger Williams University as the next Dean of the Mario J. Gabelli School of Business. The university is moving towards an amazing future under the vision and leadership of President Miaoulis and Provost Everett especially with an institution-wide focus on environmental and social justice,” Das said. “I am most excited about the amazing opportunities that exist in GSB to build on its strengths, create new interdisciplinary programs and design effective learning experiences for students. I look forward to working with the distinguished faculty, staff, students, Dean’s Council members, and alumni of the school towards developing a strategic new direction for GSB.”
Das’ research explores complex identity negotiations in the workplace under conditions of globalization. A prolific scholar, her work has appeared in Human Relations, the Journal of Organizational Behavior, and the International Journal of Human Resource Management, among others. In 2007, she earned the Carolyn Dexter Best International Paper for research on organizational behavior through the Academy of Management.
Das received a Ph.D. in management from Syracuse University, a Master’s in Human Resource and Organizational Development from the Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, and Bachelor’s in Sociology from Presidency College, University of Calcutta. Currently she serves on the steering committee of the Women Administrators in Management Education for AACSB. She was a visiting faculty in the International Business program at Aalto University in Finland from 2015 to 2020. She has served on the Equal Pay Task Force for the City of Providence from 2017-2020. Additionally, she received the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award and Outstanding Service Award at Bryant University.