WELLESLEY, Mass–Babson College has announced the appointment of Poonam Arora, PhD, as the new Dean of the Undergraduate School, bringing to the role extensive experience across academia, corporate leadership, and nonprofit management.
Babson College said Arora will assume the position following her tenure as Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Strategic Initiatives and Professor of Management at Quinnipiac University, where she played a key role in advancing strategic planning and academic innovation within the School of Business.
“Dr. Arora brings a wealth of thought leadership and experience across academia and the corporate world to this new role,” said Ariel Armony, Provost and Executive Vice President at Babson College. “Her student-first approach to academic leadership will ensure that Babson remains the top destination for learners seeking to make the world a better place for generations to come.”
At Quinnipiac, Arora joined the university in 2022 and led initiatives focused on sustainable growth amid a rapidly evolving higher education landscape. Her work included supporting reaccreditation efforts, restructuring assurance-of-learning processes and standards, advancing curriculum innovation and mapping, and strengthening scholarly contribution guidelines and faculty support.
Armony said Arora has demonstrated a strong commitment to faculty excellence and interdisciplinary education. “She has proven to be a passionate supporter of faculty excellence and interdisciplinary approaches that integrate liberal arts and business education,” he said, adding that her philosophy aligns closely with Babson’s Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® framework.
Before joining Quinnipiac, Arora served as the Capalbo Professor of Business Administration and Chair of Management and Marketing at Manhattan College. Her leadership roles there included co-director of the Center for Ethics, chair of the O’Malley School of Business Strategic Priorities Committee, and faculty representative on the Shared Governance Working Group.
Arora also brings significant experience beyond academia, having held leadership roles across corporate and nonprofit sectors. Her background includes serving as acting executive director and chief financial officer of Working Today Inc., vice president of U.S. securitization at Citicorp Securities, senior associate at McKinsey & Company, and junior economist at the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development.
She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration, summa cum laude, in business economics from John Cabot University in Rome, Italy, an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and a PhD in psychology from Columbia University.
Babson College said Arora’s appointment reflects its continued focus on leadership excellence, interdisciplinary learning, and student-centered education.
