I cannot thank Georgia Perakis enough for her excellent service as interim dean, for her generous counsel over the last few months, and for ensuring a smooth transition. I’m also deeply appreciative of the wisdom and advice that my friend and colleague—our beloved former dean David Schmittlein—offered to me prior to his passing. I think of him often and miss him, especially today.
I was drawn to this position because of my lifelong belief in the transformational impact that rigorous education and research can have in our society. I believe that, today more than ever, the world needs what MIT Sloan has to offer. We have:
- World-class faculty in various disciplines throughout the school conducting groundbreaking research at the intersection of management, technology, and innovation.
- Deep partnerships with colleagues across campus working on key MIT priorities such as climate change, generative artificial intelligence, the future of work, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare innovation.
- Brilliant, curious students who come to MIT Sloan not just to advance their own careers, but also to develop the skills and mindset to make a difference in the world.
- Dedicated and engaged staff members who, in their work every day, help the school to be the best version of itself.
- An extraordinary global network of alumni who are transforming organizations, industries, and communities through principled, innovative leadership.
These assets give MIT Sloan the opportunity to chart the future: to shape how new technologies will reconfigure industries and careers; how new enterprises will be created, financed, and operated; how individuals will work and live; and how national economies will develop and adapt.
As dean, I’m committed to working with all of you to harness these strengths and help make MIT Sloan the most dynamic and impactful management school in the world. We will do this while also strengthening our community—one that values ingenuity, inventiveness, and the collective wisdom of talented individuals from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. At MIT Sloan, we roll up our sleeves to move ideas forward for real world impact, developing solutions to challenges great and small.
Over the last several months, through my conversations with many members of our community as well as with MIT’s senior leadership, priorities essential to achieving our mission are beginning to emerge. Key among them are deepening our connections with MIT; pursuing innovations in our educational programs to meet the current and future needs of our students, and of society; continuing to cultivate a vibrant, inclusive, and broadly representative school community; and promoting financial sustainability, ensuring that MIT Sloan will continue to make a difference in the world—even in the face of great uncertainty.
In the coming weeks, I look forward to engaging with all of you about these priorities and more—listening to your ideas, understanding your aspirations for MIT Sloan, and identifying how we will work together to shape our collective future. My door is always open, and I hope you will share your thoughts on how we can build on our history of excellence while pursuing bold new directions.
Sincerely,
Rick
Richard M. Locke, John C Head III Dean
