Kesner appointed Kelley interim dean pending Board approval

Idalene “Idie” Kesner could be appointed interim dean of the Kelley School of Business after current Dean Dan Smith assumes his new role as president of the IU Foundation.

The appointment is subject to approval by the Board of Trustees. If approved, the appointment will take effect Oct. 1.

Kesner will bring with her experience gained while acting as associate dean of faculty and research and the Frank P. Popoff chair of strategic management.

Smith, among others, praised the trustees’ choice for interim dean, citing the important role Kesner has played in all major decisions in the past.

“Idie brings deep experience, national recognition and the trust and respect of the Kelley School faculty to the role of interim dean,” Executive Vice President and Provost Lauren Robel said in a press release. “Her administrative experience will ensure that Kelley does not lose a beat as it searches for its permanent new leader.”

Kesner earned her MBA and Ph.D. in business administration from IU and joined the Kelley School faculty in 1995 after leaving a titled faculty position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“Having graduated from this school is one of my greatest sources of pride,” Kesner said in a press release. “As such, I am honored to accept this role. I’m very happy to serve the school in any capacity I can because of all that IU and the Kelley School has done for me.”

— Michelle Sokol