Babson Names Master Teacher New Dean Of Olin

Headshot of William Lamb, new dean of Babson's Olin School

William Lamb will be the new dean of Babson’s Olin School

Babson College yesterday (May 23) named a master teacher, William B. Lamb, its new dean of the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business.

Lamb, who succeeds Dennis Hanno who left the school to become the president of Wheaton College earlier this year, currently serves as associate dean for Graduate Programs and associate professor of strategic management in the College of Business at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Lamb will begin his term this summer and will oversee Babson’s four MBA and two MS programs.

In recruiting William B. Lamb to the job, Babson has chosen a master teacher who knows his way around a classroom. He has won teaching awards at three different universities: Virginia Tech, Millsaps College, and Ohio University.

“Dr. Lamb clearly understands the U.S. graduate school market and how Babson can continue to thrive in this changing and highly competitive landscape,” said Babson President Kerry Healey in a statement. “He is a skilled and proven leader whose ability to innovate will help ensure that Babson continues to lead the world in entrepreneurial education. We are thrilled to welcome him to Babson.”

GRADUATE ENROLLMENT MORE THAN DOUBLED IN PAST TWO YEARS UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP

While at Ohio University, Lamb was part of a leadership team that oversaw four MBA programs, including one in Brazil, as well as three sports management programs. During his tenure, the school expanded its blended MBA program and launched a new online MBA program. These efforts paid great dividends as enrollment in Ohio University’s graduate programs more than doubled during the past two years—countering current trends across the highly competitive graduate school landscape.

“I am incredibly excited to lead the No. 1 graduate school in the world for entrepreneurship,” said Lamb in a statement accompanying the news release. “Babson’s clarity of purpose—to prepare entrepreneurial leaders who create economic and social value everywhere—permeates the College’s curriculum and culture. I look forward to building on the success of these unique programs and working to ensure that Babson graduates continue to be the best prepared to make an immediate and positive difference in organizations of all types and sizes.”

William B. Lamb earned his Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and Master of Education in instructional technology at the University of Virginia. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy in strategic management, with minors in both social issues and philosophy, from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Lamb’s areas of expertise include knowledge management, technology management, and the birth and growth of higher-technology industries. His research also has focused on the link between financial performance and corporate social performance. Lamb’s research has appeared in such outlets as IEEE’s Transactions on Engineering Management, Business & SocietyIndustry & InnovationOrganizational Analysis, and the New England Journal of Entrepreneurship. He also has a paper forthcoming in the International Journal of Innovation Management.

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