Kerwin Charles reappointed dean of Yale School of Management

Kerwin Charles, the Frederic D. Wolfe Professor of Economics, Policy, and Management, has been reappointed for a second term as dean of the Yale School of Management (SOM), President Peter Salovey announced this week. His second five-year term will begin July 1.

The reappointment recognizes Charles’s outstanding efforts to reinvigorate SOM’s mission of educating leaders for business and society, a founding vision that continues to guide its community, Salovey wrote in a message to the SOM community.

“Since arriving at SOM in 2019, Dean Charles has built vibrant programs around areas of signature strength, such as the Broad Center, home to a master’s degree in public education management, and the Fellowship for Public Education Leadership,” Salovey said.

“Dean Charles also oversaw the creation of the Swensen Asset Management Institute and the Program on Stakeholder Innovation and Management; the expansion of the Program on Social Enterprise, Innovation, and Impact; and the launch of the Meng Impact Investment Fund — all programs that seek to teach students how the tools of business can contribute positively to society.”

Working closely with faculty, Charles has applied the highest standards of rigor and purpose to his oversight of academic programs, the president noted. Under his leadership, the MBA for Executives program established a new pathway for students interested in general management, and Charles oversaw the launch of the master’s in asset management degree.

“SOM’s distinctively global degree programs are now open to more students and have increased in academic scope and depth,” Salovey said.

The school will debut a new master’s in technology management in fall 2024 in partnership with the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, representing an extension of its joint degrees and collaboration with colleagues across Yale.

To expand access to the flagship MBA program, Charles made a commitment to appreciably increase scholarships — a centerpiece of SOM’s capital campaign. This year, he raised the school’s scholarship spending to over $10 million. These efforts were noted in SOM’s successful reaccreditation and likely contributed to maintaining and improving upon its national reputation, Salovey said.

Charles has also worked to strengthen the SOM faculty by formalizing efforts to mentor junior faculty and by deliberately investing in the intellectual and collegial environment of the school. He has increased research support and other key resources for faculty recruitment.

“Dean Charles has taken meaningful steps to strengthen the SOM community,” Salovey added. “He created the Office of Inclusion and Diversity, and he convened the Council on Anti-racism and Equity, whose work has led to a reassessment of art in Edward P. Evans Hall and a colloquium series that brings diverse leaders to campus. He led the launch of affinity groups seeking to reengage alumni and has broadened Yale’s engagement with New Haven in ways that have produced mutual benefit, including the Center for Inclusive Growth.”

During the reappointment review process, Salovey noted, members of the SOM community praised Charles’s “principled approach to leadership,” including his uncompromising support for excellence in scholarship and education. Students recognized his commitment to seeking out their voices, concerns, and interests through consistent and personal engagement, while staff, administrators, and faculty who work with Charles expressed gratitude for his stewardship, particularly during the pandemic.

“Dean Charles has accomplished much in his first term as dean, and I am confident that the School of Management will continue to benefit from his visionary leadership,” Salovey said.