Announcing the Reappointment of Dean Prabhudev Konana

The Smith School is excited to announce the reappointment of Prabhudev Konana as Dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business through June 30, 2031.  Konana has spent the past five years growing the impact of the school inside and outside of the classroom.  During that time, there have been 15 new programs including the Interdisciplinary Business Honors program, the Smith Business Leadership Fellows program, and the Stephen M. Schanwald Sports Management program.  There has been a 437% increase in scholarship dollars awarded, a 40% increase in the freshman class since 2023, and a 229% increase in classes using experiential learning. 2025 was the best fundraising year ever for the Smith School with $24.5M raised.  And $12M has been invested in the infrastructure of Van Munching Hall, including a virtual teaching studio, active learning classrooms and recognition displays on the walls.

In her official announcement of Konana's reappointment, Provost Jennifer King Rice said "during his first term, the school’s academic and research profile has been elevated through significant investments in faculty recruitment and support, particularly in emerging priority areas like artificial intelligence...Dean Konana has been a visible and engaged leader, building strong relationships with donors and corporate partners while presenting the Smith School as a collaborative campus partner."