The Wharton School’s Huntsman Hall at the University of Pennsylvania. Courtesy photo

Leadership Change at Wharton: Vice Dean Diana Robertson Steps Down

The Wharton School has just announced that big changes are coming to their undergraduate division. Diana Robertson, affectionately known as “VDR” by students, will step down as Vice Dean and Director on June 30th after six impactful years in the role. Her successor will be Cait Lamberton, the Alberto I. Duran President’s Distinguished Professor of Marketing, who will officially take the position on July 1.

Robertson has been deeply committed to student wellness and community building at Wharton. Among other notable successes, she has brought free access to the Headspace mental health app and launched Dolphin Tank – a pitch competition for wellness-focused projects. Her leadership of the Connections@Wharton task force further strengthened relationships across the school and brought a sense of belonging to so many students.

Robertson’s contributions earned her the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. While she is stepping down as vice dean, she’ll still be actively on campus as a professor in the Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department.

Cait Lamberton, who joined Wharton in 2019, brings her own impressive credentials to the role. Known for her groundbreaking research on consumer behavior, her work has earned her multiple Wharton Teaching Excellence awards. She has also been in the spotlight recently for her insights into the challenges facing legacy retail brands, including the closure of Joann fabric stores. Wharton Dean Erika James says she is highly confident in Lamberton’s ability to lead, calling her “a tremendous asset to the Undergraduate Division.”

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