CBA open for business with new dean

The College of Business Administration (CBA) has undergone several dean changes over the past few years. Dr. Larry Newman served as CBA dean from 2004-12. Dr. Steven Lorenzet took over on July 1, 2012. Anne Carroll was then named interim dean on July 16, 2014. Dr. Elad Granot will begin on July 1, 2015, and Carroll will return to her former role of CBA associate dean.

Q: What position did you have before coming to Rider?

Granot: I’m at Cleveland State University; I still have that position. I’m the assistant dean for MBA programs. I actually have three positions in the university. One is that I am the assistant dean for MBA programs in the College of Business. A second is in the provost’s office, where I am special assistant to the provost for e-learning development across the university. My third responsibility is in the president’s office, where I am special assistant to the president for global expansion, and again, that is across the university.

Q: What are you doing to prepare for the job?

Granot: I’m doing a lot of research about the school, and I’m talking to everyone who would be willing to talk to me, starting from the president, the incoming president, the provost, faculty, department chairs, other deans, and Matthew Shaftel [the new dean of Westminster College of the Arts]. I’ve been talking to as many people as would talk to me, and I’m sure there will be even more conversations once I actually show up on campus. I’m planning to be on campus at least three or four times before July 1. I’m coming to the big gala celebration the weekend of April 17. So I’m doing as much as I can to talk to as many people as possible.

Q: What are you doing to prepare for the job?
I certainly have ideas and things that I’ve done throughout my career that I know I could bring to the college, but a college is a cooperative enterprise. You work with faculty, and you work with the leadership team, and so I’m looking forward to working with everyone and sort of assessing where we are and where we would like to go. It is an interesting situation to be in because there are so many opportunities, especially since the College of Business Administration has done so well. So the challenge would be how to make it even better, take it even farther, and that’s something I’m looking forward to doing with everyone together.

Q: What attracted you to Rider? What have you found to be most appealing so far?
Granot: Certainly the atmosphere and the people. It’s a very positive place, and it’s very easy to pick up on that. It just has a great vibe from leadership [positions] down to everyone. I’ve met with a variety of stakeholders on campus and was thoroughly impressed by how positive everyone was, how proud everyone is of how far they’ve come and how ambitious and aspirational they are in terms of what else could be done.

Q: Do you have any advice for students currently enrolled in the College of Business Administration or those with an interest in doing so?

Granot: I think pursuing an academic degree in business is a very wise choice for young people who are looking to start and develop their career. No matter what discipline you choose to specialize in as you go into the workforce, you will be working as part of an enterprise. Whether it’s nonprofit, for profit, NGO, whatever it is – it’s an enterprise, and when you work within an enterprise, having business knowledge is critical and provides you with many tools and provides you with potential leadership. So I would say to present students in the college to really explore all the options the college provides them. There are so many of them that it should be very easy to look at and pick the right portfolio of activities and opportunities, from areas of study, to internships, to working with alumni, to working with the community, to working with faculty. There are so many opportunities that would prepare our students, and certainly our potential students who are considering joining us, for their careers and for their lives.

Q: Is there anything you want the student community to know about you?

Granot: I thoroughly enjoy interacting with students, and so, what I’d like them to know about me is that if they see me on campus, to please walk up and introduce themselves because if they don’t, I will.

Reporting by Shanna O’Mara