Dartmouth Tuck Finds A New Admissions Chief At Fordham

Tuck School of Business

Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business found a new admissions chief for its MBA program at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business.

Lawrence Mur’ray, currently senior assistant dean of graduate business programs at Gabelli, will become Tuck’s executive director of admissions and financial aid on Aug. 29th. His upcoming departure follows the recent resignation of Gabelli Dean Donna Rapaccioli who left the school at the end of June after a 15-year run. In gaining the job, Mur’ray will oversee admissions at a highly selective, world-class MBA program that received 2,463 applications last year for just 294 spots. Tuck’s MBA program currently ranks eighth best in the U.S. in the latest ranking by Poets&Quants, well ahead of Gabelli which is just outside the Top 50 with a rank of 51st.

The first African-American admissions chief at Tuck, he effectively succeeds Luke Anthony Peña, who left the job in September of 2020 to return to his alma mater, Stanford University, to take over admissions for the university’s graduate scholars program. During the interim, Amy Mitson, a Tuck veteran of 22 years, and Pat Harrison, who has been in Tuck admissions for 18 years, have served as interim co-executive directors of admissions.

Dartmouth Tuck Found Mur’ray After An ‘Exhaustive Search’

Tuck said that Mur’ray was chosen for the role after an “exhaustive search.” He brings a wealth of experience to his new role. In addition to his six and one-half years at Fordham, Mur’ray spent nearly a decade at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill`s Kenan-Flagler Business School as the director of the school’s undergraduate program of MBA admissions. and Mur’ray also was assistant director of MBA admissions at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business for nearly three years until 2006, and assistant director of admissions at the University of Arizona from 2001 to 2003.

“People are at the heart of the Tuck experience, and that begins with identifying candidates who will thrive within our learning community,” says Tuck Associate Dean Sally Jaeger in a statement. “Throughout his career, Lawrence has exhibited an exceptional ability to do exactly that—evaluate the whole of an applicant and determine if they are equipped for success. We could not be more excited to welcome Lawrence and to work with him in building, and further strengthening, the Tuck community.”

Tuck Students Are ‘Self-Aware, Smart, Accomplished, And Ready To Make A Difference’

Lawrence Mur’ray, incoming Tuck School of Business Executive Director of Admissions and Financial Aid.

“I’ve always been drawn to strong purpose-driven and mission-focused organizations, and I wholeheartedly embrace Tuck’s mission. As the first graduate school of business with a demonstrated commitment to excellence over the last 122 years, Tuck is exceptionally positioned to navigate the rapidly changing landscape of management education,” says Mur’ray in a statement. “I’m excited to work with Tuck staff, faculty, students, alumni, and colleagues across Dartmouth to ensure that each incoming MBA class is not only dynamic and diverse but includes students who are self-aware, smart, accomplished, and ready to make a difference at Tuck and beyond.”

In addition to his work in business schools and higher education, the school noted Mur’ray’s “deep industry knowledge” acquired through his service to the broader business education community. He currently serves as chair of Educational Testing Service’s (ETS) Business School Advisory Board and is a member of the Board of Advisors for BusinessCAS as well as GMAC’s Advisory Council for Specialized Masters Programs.

“Over the course of my career in management education, I’ve had the pleasure of working with several top business schools. This experience has allowed me to become deeply engaged with industry research groups, professional associations, and corporate alliances focused on making management education more diverse, accessible, innovative, and transformative. I am looking forward to sharing this insight and honoring Tuck’s commitment to be at the forefront of a hypercompetitive market.”

Mur’ray holds undergraduate degrees in psychology and political science and graduate degrees in business and public administration from the University of Arizona. He will report to Jaeger.

DON’T MISS: MEET DARTMOUTH TUCK’S MBA CLASS OF 2023 or MBA CLASS Of 2021 JOBS: DARTMOUTH MBAS REMAIN IN HIGH DEMAND