Brian Tietje Takes The Reins At San Diego’s Knauss School

New San Diego Knauss Dean Brian Tietje

Brian Tietje has been named dean of the University of San Diego’s Knauss School of Business, stepping into the role on July 1 as the school adjusts to shifting national rankings and rising expectations around sustainability and social impact.

Tietje joins USD from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, where he served as dean of the College of Business since 2021. He previously spent more than two decades at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, including nine years as vice provost and a long tenure as a marketing professor in the Orfalea College of Business.

“I am excited to join the USD community and lead the Knauss School of Business,” Tietje says. “This is an institution committed to developing socially responsible leaders and creating lasting impact, and I look forward to advancing USD’s mission through free enterprise, business excellence and global engagement.”

RANKINGS PRESSURE AND A GROWING GREEN REPUTATION

His appointment comes as the Knauss School faces mixed signals from recent rankings. In the 2025 Poets&Quants list of Best Undergraduate Business Schools, the school dropped to No. 56 nationally, down from No. 47 in 2023. At the graduate level, Fortune ranks the MBA program No. 58 in the country, while The Princeton Review places it No. 8 on its list of Best Green MBAs — a growing point of emphasis at USD.

Knauss has leaned into its sustainability profile in recent years. Its MBA curriculum includes mandatory coursework in sustainable management, and the school supports student-led projects, faculty research, and industry engagement tied to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. The broader university has made similar moves: USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican in 2021 and now features more than 5,000 solar panels on campus.

EXPERIENCE IN ACADEMIA AND BEYOND

Tietje brings experience in both academic leadership and nonprofit engagement. In addition to his university roles, he has served on boards including the Corpus Christi Housing Authority, Family Care Network, and Junior Achievement. He has also worked as a strategic planning facilitator for organizations in higher education and beyond.

His academic background includes research in marketing, branding, and consumer psychology, as well as co-authorship on textbooks related to business fundamentals and college success. He holds degrees from Bowling Green State University (BBA), the University of Hawai‘i (MBA), and the University of Washington (PhD).

The Knauss School houses several centers focused on entrepreneurship, analytics, and innovation, and enrolls both undergraduate and graduate students. USD as a whole serves more than 8,000 students from 75 countries across eight academic divisions.

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