Arjang Assad
Professor of Business Analytics & Operations and Dean Emeritus
Arjang A. Assad

Contact

aassad@katz.pitt.edu
412-648-1561

Profile

Dr. Arjang A. Assad is a Professor of Business Analytics & Operations and Dean Emeritus of the University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business Administration—the graduate and undergraduate components of Pitt Business. After assuming the role as the seventh dean in July 2015, he led the School in the development and pursuit of a comprehensive strategic plan that aligns with the University’s Plan for Pitt and has positioned the School for continued growth and success.

During his tenure as Henry E. Haller Jr. Dean through June 2022, Assad’s accomplishments included:

  • Recruited 40 percent of the full-time faculty, adding to the reputation and richness of the School’s research and teaching capabilities;
  • Launched the Executive MBA in Healthcare program building on the University’s reputation for excellence in health sciences and meeting a growing demand to augment business skills in the healthcare community;
  • Introduced the first online offerings at Katz, starting with the Professional MBA program;
  • Championed the initiatives that led to the unprecedented growth in reputation and rankings for the undergraduate College of Business Administration;
  • Developed a certificate program in business analytics that can be taken separately or in conjunction with a program; and
  • Expanded experience-based learning opportunities that have become a hallmark and point of distinction for the School at both graduate and undergraduate levels.
Assad announced Sept. 16, 2021, that he was stepping down as dean and returning to the Pitt Business faculty, effective June 30, 2022. Read about his extensive accomplishments during his 2015-22 tenure as dean by clicking the image above.

Under his leadership, Pitt Business has moved forward and increased its reputation, making it an increasingly attractive and affordable choice for students from around the world.

Prior to joining Pitt Business, Assad served as the dean of the School of Management of the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, where he significantly expanded both the faculty size and the budget of the School. Previously, at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, he served as a key member of the leadership team during a period of exceptional growth. Completing his role as Senior Associate Dean in 2007, he was named the inaugural Dean’s Professor for Extraordinary Service in recognition of his service to the school.

Widely recognized for his scholarly contributions to the optimization of distribution systems, operations, and quality management, and the history of Operations Research, Assad has authored or edited more than 50 refereed articles and book chapters, and has served as a member of the editorial boards of several prestigious scholarly journals, including Operations Research, Transportation Science, and Production and Operations Management. A strong advocate for excellence in teaching, he has been recognized for his own teaching. His teaching awards include the Kirwan Undergraduate Education Award, the University of Maryland’s highest campus recognition for contributions to undergraduate education.

Degrees

  • PhD, Management Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • MS, Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • MS, Operations Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • BS, Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Academic Area

Business Analytics and Operations

School

CBA
Katz