Dear Alumni and Friends,
I am astonished every year by how many changes take place at MIT Sloan and within our community between January 1 and December 31—and by how much stays the same. 2024 was no exception.
In February of last year, our wonderful Dean David Schmittlein stepped away from his role. Dave came to MIT Sloan in 2007 and in the years since led the school as it cemented its place at the forefront of management education and practice. In his time as dean, Dave helped develop and launch new programs like the Master of Finance in 2008, the MIT Executive MBA in 2010, and the Master of Business Analytics in 2016. He kicked off the largest fundraising campaign in the school’s history in 2011 and celebrated its successful conclusion in 2022. He opened the MIT Sloan Latin America Office in 2013, laid the groundwork for the MIT Sloan ASEAN Initiative, and forged collaborations with many organizations, schools, and foundations around the world. He shepherded the school through a global pandemic, directed funding to endow efforts to expand fellowships, and infused all that he did in pursuit of the school’s success with tenacity, balanced by his trademark curiosity and ability to remember something specific about almost everyone he ever met.
Sadly, Dave passed away on March 13, 2025, after an extended illness. He is already deeply missed by everyone who knew and worked with him. It will be an honor to his legacy that, collectively, we continue to shepherd his vision, picking up the MIT flag while he rests after so much work and carrying it forward to keep making the transformative advances that he envisioned. Through Dave’s efforts, and thanks to his singular vision, MIT Sloan is the remarkable place that it is today. The school is fortunate to have had such an effective leader for so many years, and I am proud to have called Dave a colleague, mentor, and friend. Dave’s vision for MIT Sloan set the school on an incredible trajectory, one that enables the school’s people and programs to bring MIT Sloan’s unique brand of principled leadership to bear and to forge a positive future.
Last February, Professor Georgia Perakis effortlessly stepped into the role of John C Head III Dean (Interim) and adeptly led the school through this period of transition. She expanded the school’s presence in the Southeast Asia region, contributed to Institute priorities like the Climate Project at MIT and the Generative AI Consortium, advanced essential cross-campus collaborations and fundraising efforts, and much more. With Georgia’s determination, wisdom, and enthusiasm, MIT Sloan’s leadership never wavered in its commitment to our community, purpose, and mission. I am grateful for her friendship and her stewardship.
In March, the school announced a massive commitment to that future. In collaboration with the Climate Project at MIT, MIT Sloan launched the MIT Climate Policy Center with $25 million in endowed seed funding. Under the direction of Chris Knittel, Associate Dean for Climate and Sustainability, the MIT Climate Policy Center provides evidence-based climate policy research to help inform and support local, state, national, and international policymakers.
August brought the announcement that we would soon be opening MIT Sloan’s second international office, in Bangkok, Thailand. After its official opening in October, the MIT Sloan ASEAN Office (MSAO) provides broad opportunities to expand educational offerings, action learning, and convening in the Southeast Asian region.
Also in October, Simon Johnson, PhD ’89, Ronald A. Kurtz (1954) Professor of Entrepreneurship, was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. Simon and his collaborators, Daren Acemoglu of MIT and James Robinson of the University of Chicago, were recognized “for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity.” A member of the MIT Sloan faculty since 1997, Simon’s work is impactful, timely, and of “the greatest benefit to humankind.” It is wonderful to see him recognized with this prestigious honor.
Reflecting on the school’s growth, amazing news about MIT Sloan people and programs, and other changes that have taken place this year, something else stands out: the constancy of the MIT Sloan community. Every year, you are pioneering new ideas, driving positive change, and solving the world’s most pressing challenges. MIT Sloan alumni and friends, faculty and students, and staff and affiliates are continuously walking the talk of principled, innovative leadership. From year to year, that never changes.
Your dedication is also borne out in the hours of time you give as volunteers to expand and strengthen the MIT Sloan network, as well as in the philanthropy that you direct to the school. Last year, alumni and donors contributed $5.5 million to the MIT Sloan Annual Fund (SAF), the second-highest annual total ever achieved. Through the SAF, you are supporting faculty research, curriculum development, the student experience in courses and clubs, and so much more every single day. And that this community bands together in times of triumph and in times of transition, lending support where it is needed and when, is another constant.
We have already seen some of the changes 2025 will bring, including the exciting announcement regarding the appointment of Rick Locke, PhD ’89, to the deanship, effective July 1. As the year progresses, it will inevitably bring many other changes, large and small. I am excited for what the year has in store—excited to be a member of this community, excited to see you on campus and around the globe, and excited to learn the priorities our new permanent dean will have for what’s next for MIT Sloan. You have my deepest thanks for your support this year and always, and I hope you enjoy reading more about what you help make possible in the stories in the following pages.
Very best,
Kathryn Hawkes
Senior Associate Dean, External Engagement
MIT Sloan School of Management
