Harvard Dean Takes Stanford Business Post

A Harvard University dean has been selected as dean of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

A. Michael Spence, 46, dean of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, was picked to be the seventh dean of the prestigious graduate school, which ranked No. 1 in a recent published report.

In his Harvard post, Spence, a former Rhodes Scholar, led 700 faculty members and 9,000 students enrolled in undergraduate programs, master’s and doctoral programs for all departments, excluding the professional schools. Spence’s Harvard post, comparable to the role of provost at other universities, is considered the second most powerful at the Ivy League institution.

“Michael Spence is an extremely able academic administrator,” said Stanford Provost James N. Rosse. “The selection committee developed a clear idea of the kind of leadership it wanted. There is no doubt we found the person who could carry that role.”

Spence, an economist who held joint appointments in the economics department and at the Harvard Business School before becoming dean, replaces Robert K. Jaedicke, who’s stepping down after six years to return to teaching and research.

Spence said the Stanford business school is “a wonderful school with outstanding faculty and terrific students. This is a major opportunity to be involved with people I respect and to do something important.”

Spence, who taught at Stanford from 1973 to 1975, takes over a Stanford business school comprised of 660 students in the two-year MBA program, 42 Sloan Fellows and 84 doctoral students. The faculty numbers 120.