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Rich Klein has been appointed as the next dean of Stuart School of Business at Illinois Institute of Technology, effective January 1, 2025. A transformative leader, Klein will build on Illinois Tech’s legacy of using technology and innovation to prepare diverse groups of students for careers that address the world’s most pressing challenges.

Klein joins Illinois Tech from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), where he serves as vice chancellor of institutional effectiveness and student success. In that role, he has harnessed data and analytics to help the institution enrich the student experience, improve retention and completion rates, and enhance graduates’ career outcomes. In addition, he holds dual faculty appointments in UNO’s College of Business and College of Information Science and Technology.

“I am incredibly honored and excited to join Illinois Tech as the dean of Stuart School of Business,” says Klein. “Higher education stands at a crossroads, facing unprecedented challenges that demand bold, innovative solutions. I’m eager to join Stuart, which is already a pioneer in meeting students where they are, ensuring the enduring value of their degrees, and providing a quality education that prepares them for the world today and in the future. I look forward to working with the faculty, staff, students, and alumni to lead the charge in redefining higher education.”

Underlining Stuart’s commitment to innovation and expanding access, Klein applauds its recent partnership with Coursera to offer a tech-focused M.B.A. program, which allows students to take core courses in finance, marketing, and digital transformation, as well as electives in artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, and more. Building on the momentum of such initiatives, Stuart has seen a 73 percent enrollment increase since last year, underscoring the demand for career-focused programs that bridge business and technology.

“Rich Klein’s appointment is a critical step forward for Stuart School of Business,” says Illinois Tech Provost Kenneth T. Christensen. “With his visionary approach to education and profound understanding of data-informed student success strategies, we are poised to break the mold of higher education by delivering innovative, technology-driven learning experiences that not only attract and retain students but also ensure their success well beyond graduation.”

Prior to his role at UNO, Klein served as associate dean of the R. Kirk Landon Undergraduate School of Business at Florida International University’s College of Business and as interim director of the college’s School of Accounting. Klein has more than a decade of industry experience working at Automatic Data Processing and First Data Corporation, as well as consulting experience for Fiserv, General Electric Healthcare Systems, Sage Health Management Solutions, United Parcel Service, and the United States Army.

“I am pleased to welcome Rich Klein to the Illinois Tech family,” says Illinois Tech President Raj Echambadi. “His visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to innovation align perfectly with our mission to provide an education of unequaled value to prepare students of all backgrounds for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Under his guidance, I am confident that Stuart School of Business will set new standards in education for the twenty-first century.”

Klein holds a doctorate in computer information systems from Georgia State University, a Master of Science in Technology Management from Mercer University, and both a Master and Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Boston University.