Mizzou’s Business Dean Is Stepping Down After Three Years
Big changes are on the horizon at the University of Missouri’s Trulaske College of Business, and they come at a time when the school is moving confidently forward.
After three years as dean, Balaji Rajagopalan is stepping down at the end of the year and returning to the classroom as a faculty member in Mizzou’s School of Accountancy. He has had a successful run of enrollment growth, strong career outcomes, and a push toward AI-driven business education.
A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR NEW LEADERSHIP
While a national search for his successor is expected to begin later this summer, Rajagopalan leaves behind a business school that has gained momentum in enrollment, career outcomes, and innovation. He’s set the stage nicely for whoever takes the reins next.
While Rajagopalan was dean, Trulaske enjoyed a surge in undergraduate enrollment while maintaining impressive student success. The college experienced an impressive 96.7% career outcomes rate, meaning nearly everyone who graduated landed a job.
Rajagopalan also expanded the instructional faculty which strengthened both classroom teaching and faculty research, while simultaneously forging deeper relationships with alumni and corporate partners. This led to initiatives like the Vogel Master of Accountancy Program and a partnership with Becker Academy, which has given students additional support as they prepare for professional certifications and careers.
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE WITH AI
What’s incredibly notable is the direction Trulaske has been heading. Over the past year, the college has doubled down on AI through its Center for Transformative Technology (C4TT). This spring, the Faculty Fellows in Transformative Technology program kicked off, giving professors new opportunities to integrate AI into business courses through hands-on, experience-centered learning.
Students have become part of that effort too. Through C4TT and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, peer leaders are now hosting workshops around hot topics like AI. They teach everything from entrepreneurship to career planning, helping students develop the skills employers increasingly expect.
That vision has attracted philanthropic support too. Following Mizzou Giving Day, the college has begun offering the Ralph and Carolyn Clark Transformative Technology in Business Scholarship that supports business students interested in AI and other emerging technologies.
“I plan to launch a national search later this summer,” shared Matthew Martens, provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. “If necessary, I will work with the college and university leadership to identify an interim dean. I look forward to working with faculty, staff, and students in the college as we identify its next dean.”
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