Deans Counsel

Our guest today, Bill Hardgrave, has had a remarkable career. After graduating with his PhD from Oklahoma State in Information Systems, he moved to the University of Arkansas where he developed a passion for Radio Frequency Identification, perhaps better known as RFID. After spending 17 years with this intense research focus, Bill’s career shifted into academic leadership as he was tapped to becom...

In today’s episode, we hear from Joyce Russell, the Helen and William O'Toole Dean of the Villanova School of Business (VSB) from 2016 to 2023. Under her leadership, her college strengthened faculty research output, enhanced student programs, upgraded facilities, and established programs aligned with Villanova's Augustinian mission. She expanded alumni efforts and employer connections with the col...

In this rare and truly special edition of Deans Counsel, we are joined by the legendary Dr. Stanley Ikenberry. This posthumous publication was recorded earlier last season, just one week before his passing following a long and remarkable life. During the interview, as Jim Ellis and Ken Kring sit with an historic leader in American higher education, our co- host, Dave Ikenberry, is off mic quietly...

On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry welcome back to the podcast François Ortalo-Magné, Executive Dean (External Relations) and Professor of Management Practice in Economics and Strategy & Entrepreneurship at London Business School. He served as the School's ninth Dean from 2017 to 2024, leading it through the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical upheaval, and the su...

On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Brooke Elliott, the Josef and Margot Lakonishok Professor in Business and Dean of Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She leads the College in developing a compelling, strategic vision while continuing to build upon its distinctive brand and identity. This includes assessing and exp...

On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with David Thomas, President of Morehouse College and Dean and William Berkeley Chair (retired) at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. Since his installment in January 2018, he has led dynamic, purpose-driven advancement in Morehouse’s strategic and operational effectiveness, programmatic reach, and pedago...

On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Stowe Shoemaker, a current Special Assistant to the President at UNLV, and until 2025 the Dean of UNLV's Dean Harah College of Hospitality.  Since becoming Dean in 2013, Stowe has been active in advancing the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality to meet — and exceed — the Top Tier goals set by the university. His l...

On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Steve Currall, Executive Director and Associate Vice Provost for Academic-Corporate Initiatives at Harvard University, where he leads that school’s efforts to build multi-dimensional collaborations with major corporations and external stakeholders in support of research and innovation. Trained as a psychologist, Steve...

On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Chandra Subramaniam, Dean of David Nazarian College of Business and Economics at California State University Northridge. He has also served as the Interim Dean, Associate Dean for Students and Programs, Chair of the Department of Accounting, and Professor of Accounting at the University of Texas at Arlington College of...

On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Bob Shepard, a true veteran in philanthropic circles with a storied career spanning roughly 40 years, much of that running Duke University's philanthropic efforts. Today, Bob is a consultant with Grenzebach Glier & Associates, a full-service philanthropic management consulting firm (and now a part of Huron Consulti...

On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Jim Ellis, Dave Ikenberry and Ken Kring speak with Vallabh "Samba" Sambamurthy, the Albert O. Nicholas Dean of the Wisconsin School of Business. Recognized as an impactful administrator, attentive leader, and preeminent scholar in the areas of innovation and digital strategy, Dr. Sambamurthy brings extensive experience to the dean position. Samba has been re...

[This recording of Deans Counsel originally published on July 25, 2025 as episode #67.] On this episode of Deans Counsel, Jim Ellis and Ken Kring speak with Blair Sheppard, Special Advisor to Duke Kunshan University, and previously Dean of Duke's Fuqua School of Business. Blair is responsible for directing all of Duke Kunshan's fundraising, corporate development, non-degree program development and...

[This recording of Deans Counsel originally published on August 22, 2025 as episode #69.] On this episode of Deans Counsel, Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Bernard "Bernie" Banks, Director of Rice University’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders (and a Clinical Professor of Management within the University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business). The mission of the Doerr Institute “…is t...

On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Dave Ikenberry and Ken Kring speak with Nate Sharp, the Dean of Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, where he is leading the school through a period of historic growth and innovation. His tenure has been marked by record-setting fundraising, the first media campaign to enhance Mays’ national reputation, the opening of the first new building at M...

On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Dave Ikenberry and Jim Ellis speak with Bridget Madrian, the Dean and Marriott Distinguished Professor in the Brigham Young University Marriott School of Business where she has a joint appointment in the Department of Finance and the George W. Romney Institute of Public Service and Ethics.  Bridget Madrian studied economics at BYU as an undergrad, and after...

This episode of Deans Counsel is the last of three featuring special guest host, Alex Triantis, Dean of the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University, and a previous guest (on Episode 16) of the podcast. Alex and co-host Dave Ikenberry speak with Ian Williamson, Dean of the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California-Irvine, since January 2021. Ian is a globally recogniz...

This episode of Deans Counsel is the second of three featuring special guest host, Alex Triantis, Dean of the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University, and a previous guest (on Episode 16) of the podcast. Alex and co-host Jim Ellis speak with Francisco Veloso, Dean of INSEAD, The Business School for the World. Professor Veloso joined INSEAD from Imperial College Business School, where he...

This episode of Deans Counsel is the first of three featuring special guest host, Alex Triantis, Dean of the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University, and a previous guest (on Episode 16) of the podcast. Alex and co-host Ken Kring speak with Lee Newman, Dean of Instituto de Impresa (IE) Business School and a professor of Behavioral Science and Leadership at IE University in Madrid, Spain....

On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Ken Kring and Jim Ellis speak with Oliver Yao, Dean of the University of Delaware's Lerner College of Business and Economics, a role he took on in August 2023. Oliver Yao’s research interests are in the inter-disciplinary fields of information systems and supply chain management, including business value of IT-enabled supply chains, economics of electronic a...

On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Todd Milbourn, the newly-installed 10th Dean of the Edwin L. Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. He holds the Tolleson Chair in Business Leadership and the Andrew W. Chen Endowed Chair in Financial Investments. An experienced and visionary academic leader, Todd is dedicated to advancing teaching an...

On this episode of Deans Counsel, Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Avijit Ghosh, Dean Emeritus at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Gies College of Business. He also served as vice president/chief financial officer and comptroller for the University of Illinois System since 2018. Dr. Ghosh's Research and teaching interests are in the area of retail and marketing strategy and sal...

On this episode of Deans Counsel, Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Bernard "Bernie" Banks, Director of Rice University’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders (and a Clinical Professor of Management within the University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business). The mission of the Doerr Institute “…is to elevate the leadership capacity of Rice students and to improve the practice of leader d...

On this episode of Deans Counsel, Jim Ellis, Dave Ikenberry and Ken Kring speak with John Evans, Dean of the VinUniversity College of Business and Management in Hanoi, Vietnam. Prior to joining VinUni, Professor Evans was the Pro Vice Chancellor and President of Curtin University Dubai campus. John has held numerous senior leadership roles in Higher Education and has extensive senior academic inte...

On this episode of Deans Counsel, Jim Ellis and Ken Kring speak with Blair Sheppard, Special Advisor to Duke Kunshan University, and previously Dean of Duke's Fuqua School of Business. Blair is responsible for directing all of Duke Kunshan's fundraising, corporate development, non-degree program development and regional development for the newly formed campus in China. From 2012-2024, Blair served...

On this episode of Deans Counsel, Jim Ellis and Ken Kring speak with Gerry Sanders, Dean of UNLV's Lee Business School. In perhaps our most riveting discussion to date, Gerry walks us through his experience during an active shooter incident targeting Lee, and the confusing aftermath. In addition to feeling firsthand the myriad emotions that arise during and in the wake of this all-too-common, uniq...