John A. Elliott has been named the new dean of the University of Connecticut’s School of Business. Elliott has been the vice president and dean of the City University of New York’s (CUNY) Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College since 2002, where he also holds the Irwin and Arlene Ettinger Chair in Accountancy. Baruch is home to the largest business school in the United States, with 80 percent of its 18,300 undergraduate and graduate students majoring in business.
“John is a highly successful sitting dean who has had a distinguished scholarly career and clearly understands academic and educational excellence at the highest levels,” said UConn President Susan Herbst. “His experience and background at these prestigious institutions are exactly what we look for in our senior leadership.”
Elliott brings with him substantial experience as a faculty member and administrator. Prior to his arrival at Baruch College, he served as a professor of accounting at Cornell University’s Johnson School of Business beginning in 1982, and later served as associate dean of the school from 1996 to 2002. While at Cornell, he chaired the Johnson School’s Global Task Force, as well as task forces on strategy and marketing, and also directed its doctoral program.
He has been a visiting professor at the University of Chicago and, before earning his doctorate, held faculty appointments at Central Washington State College, Saint Lawrence University, and the University of Maryland. He also worked in the private sector at Arthur Andersen and Westinghouse.
“We are delighted that someone of John’s caliber will be leading UConn’s School of Business,” said UConn Provost Peter Nicholls. “His charge is to ensure that the upward trend of the school continues nationally and, as importantly, globally, through strategic growth and achievement. Our School of Business, its faculty and our students, must be on the cutting edge of this ever-evolving field.”
“The UConn Business School’s trajectory is compelling and the future offers many opportunities,” said Elliott. “I am delighted to join a vigorous, ambitious group of faculty, staff, students, and alumni as we embrace that future. President Herbst and Governor Malloy have put education in the forefront of the economic development of Connecticut, and the Business School will play a key role in realizing that vision.”
Elliott has authored numerous publications in his field, as well as serving on the editorial boards of several distinguished journals, including The Journal of Financial Statement Analysis (1995-1999), The Accounting Review (1984-1987, 1989-1995), Accounting Horizons (1994-1995), and The Journal of Accounting and Public Policy (1983-1985).
He earned his BS in economics from the University of Maryland in 1967, an MBA from Maryland in 1972, and his Ph.D. in accounting from Cornell University in 1982.
He will begin at UConn in August. His immediate family includes: his wife, Laura Philips; son, Jesse Elliott; daughter, Dawn Elliott, her husband Marc Guerissi, and grandsons Jack and Nick.
