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SANTA CLARA, Calif., August 17, 2026—SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Provost and Executive Vice President James M. Glaser has appointed Ravi Bapna as the next dean of the Leavey School of Business. Bapna, a distinguished scholar, executive educator, and expert in artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and digital transformation, will assume his role on September 1, 2026.

Bapna comes to SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, where he served as the Curtis L. Carlson Chair in Business Analytics and Information Systems, associate dean for executive education, and academic director of both the Carlson Analytics Lab and the Analytics for Good Institute.

As dean, Bapna will serve as the Leavey School’s chief academic and executive officer, overseeing its undergraduate, graduate, and executive education programs, as well as its faculty and research institutes. He will lead the school’s strategic direction, building upon Leavey’s strong national rankings, including top-ranked professional MBA programs, while expanding its visibility, philanthropic engagement, and strategic ties across Silicon Valley and global markets. He will also serve as the Mario L. Belotti Professor of Business and a member of the Leavey faculty, continuing his commitment to student learning and scholarship across all business disciplines. 

“Ravi is a dynamic academic leader who brings a rare combination of visionary leadership, deep expertise in emerging technology, and a commitment to human-centered, ethical innovation,” said Glaser. “He brings a proven track record of creating cutting-edge academic programs, collaborating closely with business leaders, and grounding data-driven innovation in core ethical principles. We are confident he will inspire our community while elevating Leavey’s reputation for producing thoughtful, principled leaders in Silicon Valley and beyond.”  

Bapna is a pioneer in tech-driven education and executive leadership. At the University of Minnesota, he co-founded the top-ranked Master of Science in Business Analytics & Artificial Intelligence (MSBAi) program and established the Analytics for Good Institute, which leverages data science to address societal challenges, including housing equity. A collaborator across the business and academic sectors, he has designed custom analytics and digital transformation academies for Fortune 500 enterprises and served on executive education faculties globally, including at NYU Stern and the Indian School of Business. 

Bapna’s honors include the INFORMS ISS Distinguished Fellow Award and Inaugural Practical Impacts Award, Haim Mendelson Teaching Innovation Award, Association of Information Systems Fellow, and Distinguished Fellow of India’s National Council for Applied Economic Research. His research on social media, AI economics, and digital transformation has appeared in leading academic journals and in outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and Financial Times. His co-authored 2024 book, “Thrive: Maximizing Well-Being in the Age of AI,” won the Axiom Best Business Book Gold Award for Emerging Technology and AI. 

“Business education is at an inflection point, and there is no better place to shape its future than right here in Silicon Valley, at one of the world’s leading Jesuit universities," said Bapna. “SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½’s commitment to combining a tech-forward mindset with a mission-driven focus on human dignity and potential resonated with me immediately. I look forward to working alongside our faculty, students, alumni, and industry partners to build bold, scalable programs and lifelong learning relationships that position Leavey graduates as the core workforce of Silicon Valley companies and beyond. Together, we will use the power of entrepreneurship and innovation to make the world a better place.” 

Bapna received his doctoral degree in business administration (operations and information management) from the University of Connecticut, a bachelor’s in commerce from St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta, and a bachelor’s in computer engineering from the Manipal Institute of Technology. Before joining the Carlson School, he held tenured faculty and leadership positions at the Indian School of Business and the University of Connecticut.

Bapna comes to SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ alongside his wife, Sofia Bapna, an award-winning scholar who will also join the Leavey School of Business faculty. Her research, funded by the National Science Foundation and the Kauffman Foundation, examines gender gaps in technology, digital platforms, and equity crowdfunding, with recent work exploring AI applications in education. They are the proud parents of a daughter who is a biosciences entrepreneur living in New York.

Outside his academic pursuits, Bapna is an avid tennis player who loves cooking for friends and family, spending time outdoors, and enjoying good books and music.

About the Leavey School of Business

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, one of the most dynamic business environments in the world, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½’s Leavey School of Business combines academic excellence in the 450-year Jesuit tradition with an energetic, innovative spirit that typifies the region. Ranked #1 in Silicon Valley and among the top 20 nationwide by U.S. News & World Report for its professional MBA programs (evening MBA and executive MBA), the Leavey School of Business offers a wide portfolio of renowned graduate-level MBA and M.S. programs, both in-person and online, including a new M.S. in Sports Business degree. The School's undergraduate program ranks among the top 15% of schools nationwide. For more information, visit .

Media Contact
Lisa Robinson | SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Media Communications | lrobinson@scu.edu | 408-551-3601