Sevin Yeltekin reappointed as Simon Business School dean

In her second term, Yeltekin plans to launch new initiatives and build on accomplishments from her first five years in the role.

Sevin Yeltekin has been reappointed to a second five-year term as dean of the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester, a position she has held since her initial appointment in 2020. During her first term as dean, Yeltekin helped navigate and lead the school through the Covid-19 pandemic, led the efforts to develop Simon’s 2025 strategic plan, and oversaw the creation of several new programs, including the school’s online master of science degree in Business Analytics and Applied AI, the master of science degree in AI in Business, and the advanced certification in FinTech and AI, a program designed to teach the latest in financial technology and the impact of artificial intelligence in finance.

Yeltekin also spearheaded Simon’s Generative AI Initiative, embedding the latest artificial intelligence instruction into the curriculum, with the goal of advancing the school’s reputation as a pioneer in exploring generative AI in business education.

A respected scholar and proven partner, Yeltekin has also collaborated closely with the University of Rochester Medical Center to launch the Healthcare Leadership Certificate program, and with University Advancement to create the Simon Proud and Simon Quick Takes webinars, designed to raise funds and foster connections between current students and alumni.

“Sevin is a dedicated thought leader who is committed to the success of Simon and the entire University,” says Nicole Sampson, University of Rochester interim provost and chief academic officer. “Under her leadership, the Simon Business School has recruited stellar faculty, improved its financial health, and further established itself as a school dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion. I am delighted to appoint her to another term as dean.”

Under Yeltekin’s leadership, Simon has continued its commitment to providing high-quality and inclusive business education by establishing the school’s equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) office and council, implementing EDI action plans, and engaging Consortium alumni on key initiatives to increase African American, Native American, and Hispanic American representation in business schools. In 2022, Simon was ranked first in the nation in diversity among the top 50 MBA programs in US News & World Report and continues to be ranked at the very top in diversity metrics.

“I am honored to be reappointed as dean of the Simon Business School,” Yeltekin says. “The opportunity to work with our alumni and everyone in the Simon community to promote and support our analytic and data-driven approach to business and problem solving is incredibly rewarding. Our stellar education and research are shaping tomorrow’s business leaders and defining business practices.”

Prior to her first term as dean, Yeltekin was the Rohet Tolani Distinguished Professor of Economics and senior associate dean of education at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University, where she led the business school through its five-year re-accreditation process, completed the process for MBA and PhD programs to be STEM-designated, and launched a new undergraduate interdisciplinary major, economics and politics.

In her second appointment as dean of the Simon Business School, Yeltekin plans to launch new initiatives and build on some of the accomplishments from her first five years as dean. “I look forward to working with our excellent students, faculty, and staff in my second term,” she says. “Together, we will focus on faculty recruitment, program innovation, and sound financial management to rise to the opportunities and meet the challenges of a changing business education landscape.”

Yeltekin will begin her second term as dean on July 1, 2025.