Dr. Nagraj "Raju" Balakrishnan, a veteran university educator and administrator and currently the dean of the University of Michigan-Dearborn College of Business, has been named dean of the Merrick School of Business at The University of Baltimore. Balakrishnan, who was identified during a national search led by a University committee in tandem with the Witt Kieffer search firm, will begin in his new role on July 1. Merrick Dean Murray Dalziel is retiring at the end of the current fiscal year.

Balakrishnan has extensive experience in both college-level teaching, research, and university administration. He has served as UM-Dearborn’s business dean and full professor since 2013. That institution’s College of Business enrolls nearly 1,100 undergraduate students across nine business majors, and another 500 graduate students in its MBA program and six master’s level programs. 

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Balakrishnan to UBalt at a time when the way business is taught is undergoing a major transformation,” says University of Baltimore President Kurt L. Schmoke. “He brings the right skills, both as an administrator and an educator, to lead the Merrick School of Business through this era of new thinking. Raju will help us deliver on the promise of a school that best fits the needs of tomorrow's business professional, while maintaining all the things that we're well known for—accounting, management, entrepreneurship, real estate development, nonprofits, the MBA, and more. The University is pleased to have him on our team.”

Balakrishnan says his initial goals for UBalt’s Merrick School of Business are a reaffirmation of its core values of educational access and attainment, equity, and community engagement, coupled with its strong track record of research and scholarship.

“The University of Baltimore's mission, location, student demographics, and diversity are all strong selling points for the institution. They align well with my values and experiences, which is why I am excited to lead the Merrick School of Business,” he says. “UBalt serves as a pathway of opportunity for many deserving students. And, while the Merrick School expresses its steadfast commitment to good student experiences and outcomes, it also supports excellence in academic research and community engagement opportunities. I believe the school is well positioned to meet the changing demands of business, and I am looking forward to stepping into the role of dean.” 

Prior to joining the University of Michigan-Dearborn as dean and professor, Dr. Balakrishnan served as senior associate dean at Clemson University’s College of Business and Behavioral Science from 2010-13, and as associate dean (2007-10). He was acting chair of that institution’s Department of Finance in 2008-09, and chair of its Department of Management in 2006-07. Throughout his time at Clemson, starting in 1994, Dr. Balakrishnan served in various capacities as a tenured professor, director of graduate programs, associate professor, and assistant professor. 

Before joining Clemson, Balakrishnan served as assistant professor at Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business (1987-94). 

Throughout his career, Balakrishnan has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, including the International Journal of Production Research, IIE Transactions, the International Journal of Production Economics, the European Journal of Operational Research, Networks, Production and Operations Management, and a number of others. He has received several accolades for leadership, in areas such as fundraising, academic accreditation, enrollment, and institutional development.

Dr. Balakrishnan earned a Ph.D. in management from the Krannert Graduate School of Management at Purdue University in 1987. He received a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Kentucky in 1983, and a Bachelor of Engineering degree with honors in mechanical engineering from the National Institute of Technology at the University of Madras in India in 1981.