SMITHFIELD, RI: Bryant University announces Todd M. Alessandri, Ph.D. has been named Dean of the College of Business. He joins Bryant from Northeastern University where he was Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education in the D’Amore-McKim School of Business. His first day as a Bulldog is July 22, 2024.
“Todd Alessandri has the vision and leadership skills Bryant needs to bring our College of Business into its bold new era,” says Bryant University President Ross Gittell, Ph.D. “We have ambitious plans for our College of Business and his strong background aligns with our Vision 2030 strategic priorities. We look forward to his leadership to help enhance our growing impact nationally and internationally.”
Alessandri enters Bryant at a crucial moment. In the fall, the College of Business moves into the 250,000 square foot Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Center. In addition to classrooms, the newly renovated state-of-the-art facility will feature lab spaces and centers, including the recently announced Frank ’81 and Marion’81 Hauck Sales Performance Lab and the Ellen Wilson Leadership Center. Other active learning and engagement hubs in the College of Business’ new home include an Entrepreneurship Center; AI, Data Science, and Digital Marketing labs; and a makerspace. These new initiatives will significantly strengthen experiential learning opportunities for Bryant students and bring regional, national, and international business leaders to campus to mentor these future business trailblazers.
“This is an exciting moment for Bryant’s College of Business, and Dr. Alessandri’s strategic leadership and innovative mindset will help enhance Bryant’s reputation. His proven excellence in developing challenging, future forward curricula and experiential learning opportunities will position our students competitively in the 21st century workforce,” says Bryant University Provost and Chief Academic Officer Rupendra Paliwal, Ph.D.
“Bryant has a very strong reputation in business education, and with the new home for the College of Business, there’s great momentum behind the university,” says Alessandri. “I look forward to working with Bryant’s incredibly dedicated and talented faculty to enhance and grow the school’s renowned interdisciplinary and globally focused education.”
While at Northeastern, Alessandri coordinated academic programming across its three campuses in Boston, Oakland, CA and London. He oversaw interdisciplinary curriculum development and administration while managing the advising and cooperative education staff. He developed and implanted strategic plans that enhanced the undergraduate business programming and, through collaboration with leadership, helped develop and implement new university-wide strategic initiatives. Prior to becoming Associate Dean, he led Northeastern’s full time MBA program. As a professor, he taught at Northeastern, Providence College, Syracuse University, and Babson. He’s been a visiting professor at Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Piacenza, Italy since 2012. Prior to joining academia, Alessandri held roles in finance and accounting at Lifeline Systems, Inc. and PwC.
Alessandri joins Bryant University’s College of Business as it continues to climb in the rankings. The university takes the #6 spot for undergraduate business majors in Money magazine. US News & World Report ranks Bryant’s International Business program #17 in the US. Both Poets & Quants and US News & World Report consider Bryant’s online MBA one of the top programs in the nation, ranking at #24 and #37 respectively. As a university, Bryant leads in the US in exceptional outcomes, with the Wall Street Journal placing it in the top 7% of America’s Best Colleges; Georgetown University’s Center for Education and the Workforce puts Bryant in the top 1% nationally in return on investment.
“I am excited to see what the future holds for the College of Business,” continues Alessandri. “I am proud to lead it at this transformational time.”
About Bryant University
For over 160 years, Bryant University has been at the forefront of delivering an exceptional education that anticipates the future and prepares students to be innovative leaders of character in a changing world. The university delivers a uniquely integrated academic and student life experience with nationally recognized academic programs at the intersection of business, liberal arts, and health and behavioral sciences.
Located on a 428-acre contemporary campus in Smithfield, R.I., Bryant enrolls approximately 3,800 undergraduate and graduate students from 38 states and 49 countries. Bryant is recognized as a top 1% national leader in student education outcomes and ROI and regularly receives high rankings from U.S. News and World Report, Money, Bloomberg Businessweek, Wall Street Journal, College Factual and Barron’s. Bryant.edu
The Vision 2030 strategic plan sets an exciting trajectory for Bryant University. Priorities include an ecosystem of academic excellence, vibrant student life, competitive athletics and facilities, and championing access and economic mobility. Vision2030.Bryant.edu
