Dipak Jain to step down as Kellogg Dean; Prof Sunil Chopra named the interim dean

Sunil Chopra, currently the senior associate dean for curriculum and teaching at Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management, has been named interim dean of the Kellogg School. He takes over from Prof Dipak C Jain, who will step down as the dean on September 1, 2009.

Chopra brings a deep understanding of the MBA School, an outstanding record of scholarship and significant administrative experience. We will soon begin a national search for a successor to Dean Dipak C. Jain, who will step down September 1. I am confident that Kellogg will continue to flourish under Chopras leadership as interim dean while we conduct the search, Linzer said.

Dipak Jain will return to the Kellogg School faculty following a years leave of absence.

Dean Dipak C. Jains letter to Kellogg students said, My interactions with you have made my job a true joy. Jain, 51, will have served eight years as Kelloggs dean at the end of this academic year after five years as an associate dean. He first came to Kellogg in 1986 as an assistant professor. I have been both honored and fortunate to have been able to serve as dean of this wonderful MBA school, Jain said. Jain is an alumnus of Gauhati University, India.
Kellogg has a strong commitment to excellence based on its culture of collaboration and innovation among its faculty, students, alumni and staff, Chopra said. I look forward to building on this vibrant environment where we partner with our students to develop global leaders who make contributions of lasting significance and faculty continue to do path breaking research and develop new pedagogy.

Chopra has been Senior Associate Dean for Curriculum and Teaching since August 2006. In that position, he is responsible for planning the curriculum, teaching needs and other student activities for the Full-Time, Part-Time and Executive MBA programs at the MBA School. Prior to coming to Kellogg, Chopra was an Assistant Professor at the Stern School of Business Administration at New York University. He has a PhD in Operations Research from SUNY Stony Brook. Sunil Chopra did his B Tech in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi in 1981 and joined Kellogg in 1989.