{"id":158779,"date":"2026-05-07T08:45:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T13:45:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=158779"},"modified":"2026-05-07T08:45:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T13:45:48","slug":"rich-gentry-named-um-dean-of-school-of-business-administration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/rich-gentry-named-um-dean-of-school-of-business-administration\/","title":{"rendered":"Rich Gentry Named UM Dean of School of Business Administration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Entrepreneurship and innovation leader to guide school’s next chapter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The University of Mississippi<\/strong> named Rich Gentry<\/strong> the next dean of its School of Business Administration<\/strong>, pending approval by the board of trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gentry joined the university in 2010 and serves as professor of\u00a0management<\/a>, chair and professor of management, and the FNC Founders Chair of Entrepreneurship<\/strong>. He will begin the new role on July 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Kevin Bain\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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2022 Ole Miss CIE \u0093Servin\u0092 the South\u0094 Business Model Competition. Photo by Thomas Graning\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“The\u00a0School of Business Administration<\/a>\u00a0will build stronger ties to industry, in Mississippi<\/strong> and beyond, so students leave with clearer career pathways and stronger professional connections,” Gentry said. “We’ll achieve this by putting even more focus on experiential learning, bringing more industry voices into the classroom and expanding real-world opportunities for students, all with an eye toward preparing students as future leaders who will make a lasting impact.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Ole Miss, Gentry has been the architect of several of the school’s signature programs, including the general business program, the entrepreneurship<\/a> major and minor, and the business school’s study abroad programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has also shaped the school’s entrepreneurship efforts as co-director of the\u00a0Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship<\/strong><\/a>, where he has worked with students as they develop product ideas and launch their own companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past decade, he has helped build programs and experiences that reach beyond the classroom. Through the CIE, Gentry helped launch the REDe Entrepreneurship Summit<\/strong>, an annual event that\u00a0encourages students from across campus to explore entrepreneurship<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That work has helped make entrepreneurship a broader part of the student experience at Ole Miss. Since its launch in 2014, the CIE has advised more than 1,000 student entrepreneurs, assisted more than 80 student-led startup businesses and awarded more than $607,000 in cash prizes and $137,000 in scholarships to students interested in launching small businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blake Dubinski<\/strong>, founder and CEO of menswear brand\u00a0GenTeal<\/strong><\/a>, worked closely under Gentry as a teaching assistant. Dubinski, who has remained connected to the business school as a donor, adjunct instructor and advisory board member, called Gentry a “phenomenal mentor” and praised his approach to education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If you look at what Rich has done with the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, you can see the direct impact he has had on students,” Dubinski said. “He has helped create real opportunities for students to learn, explore ideas and grow, and I think that student-focused approach will carry over very well as the dean of the School of Business Administration.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His emphasis on innovation and student learning has extended beyond the traditional classroom. Under his influence, the school’s online business and MBA programs were recently\u00a0ranked among the nation’s Top 25<\/a>\u00a0by U.S. News & World Report<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gentry has been recognized 12 times by the university for his research and innovative approach to teaching. He has also taught entrepreneurship to thousands of students in Mississippi, Finland, Denmark and Nigeria.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a researcher, he has focused on issues facing modern business and industry, including research on how boards make CEO hiring decisions<\/a> and how influential analysts drive major shifts in stock prices. He collaborates with colleagues across the country to maintain the world’s largest open-source database of CEO turnover and dismissal, which has been downloaded by researchers and professionals more than 12,000 times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has also held national service roles in leading academic organizations for more than two decades, including serving as 2019 conference chair for the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His practical focus also informs how Gentry views the role of artificial intelligence, one of the biggest changes facing business and industry. He said the school must respond by giving students more hands-on learning, stronger connections to industry and decision-making skills needed to thrive in a workforce where AI is becoming part of everyday business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“AI changes the kind of work students will do, but it also raises the bar for what we should ask of them,” Gentry said. “If these tools can handle more of the routine work, then we need to push students toward harder thinking, stronger judgment and the kind of real-world learning that helps them stand out when they enter the workforce.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gentry earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, a Master of Business Administration<\/strong> in finance and a doctorate in business administration, all from the University of Florida. While at Florida, he earned a prestigious Kauffman Fellowship<\/strong>, a national recognition in entrepreneurship education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The longtime faculty member takes over for Ken Cyree<\/strong>, who retired in December 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gentry’s appointment follows an extensive national search that drew strong interest and attracted qualified applicants from across the country. It was his student-focused leadership, innovative teaching and track record of building programs that made him stand out as the right fit, said Noel Wilkin<\/strong>, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Rich Gentry has been involved in some of the School of Business Administration’s most significant growth and development in recent years,” Wilkin said. “He has helped build major programs, expand opportunities for students and contribute to the school’s progress in meaningful ways. An entrepreneur himself, he has the drive and ability to develop successful innovations that will enhance academic opportunities for students and shape business opportunities around the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I am confident his leadership will help the School of Business Administration build on that momentum.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Jacob Batte<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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