Following a national search, Auburn University has named Annette Ranft as the eighth dean of the Harbert College of Business, effective Aug. 1.
“I am delighted to be joining the Harbert College of Business at Auburn University,” Ranft said. “The college is certainly strong and indicative of exceptional support from outstanding alumni, college and university leadership.”
Ranft joins Auburn after serving as the dean of North Carolina State University’s Poole College of Management since July 2016.
Ranft will be succeeding Bill Hardgrave, who served as dean of the College of Business for 7 years before becoming Auburn University’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.
“We enthusiastically welcome Dr. Ranft to the Auburn Family,” said Auburn University President Steven Leath. “As dean of the Harbert College, she will play a major role in strengthening the work of our faculty, expanding our academic programs and increasing our corporate engagement with industries across the state and nation. With a remarkable leadership, commitment and vision, the college is positioned to join the elite public schools of business.”
One of the goals Ranft has prioritized is participating in an alumni listening tour that will allow her to interact with a plethora of stakeholders in the college.
“I look forward to working with the Harbert College’s engaged network of alumni, business partners, faculty, staff and students as well as with campus leaders,” Ranft said. “There is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and momentum on our side. The level of support achieved in the comprehensive campaign, the sustained enrollment growth and the introduction of new research centers and program areas demonstrate the Harbert College of Business is on the rise.”
At NC State, Ranft led a college of more than 3,500 students, nearly 100 full-time faculty, more than 15 academic program concentrations and seven centers devoted to corporate engagement.
The Harbert College of Business had an enrollment of 5,257 in this past spring. Enrollment in the College of Business has grown by 47 percent since 2010.
Ranft was named to The Wall Street Journal’s 2012 list of top female business school administrators. She has served in various administrative roles in over half of her 20-year career in higher education. She held administrative roles at both the University of Tennessee and Florida State University as well.
Originally from North Carolina, Ranft earned a doctorate in business administration at North Carolina, master of science in management from Georgia Tech and bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Appalachian State University.
Ranft’s research focuses on the acquisitions of high-tech firms, strategic leadership, merger and acquisition integration and knowledge management. Her work has been published in the Academy of Management Journal, the Journal of Management, the Academy of Management Review, Organization Science and the Journal of International Business Studies.
Some of Ranft’s other work includes serving as an assistance consultant at AT&T and as an account manager at Electronic Data Systems. She is also an active member of the Academy of Management.
The college also recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, and it will have the grand opening of a graduate business building in spring 2019.
The college has seven programs ranked in the top ten in the nation. Of those ranked programs are graduate programs that are consistently ranked among the nation’s best, according to U.S. News and World Report.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
