Knauss School of Business National Dean Search Begins After Timothy Keane Departs USD, Moving to a Chancellor Role

On August 1st of 2024, Dean Timothy P. Keane, PhD, assumed the role of Chancellor of Webster University in St. Louis. Keane joined the University of San Diego in January of 2020, just two months before the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I joined USD just as COVID struck. Needless to say, our team faced significant challenges, but we all sacrificed and put the success of our students and our school above all else,” said Keane. “The achievements that the Knauss School team has delivered in the last four years have been nothing short of extraordinary. I have immense gratitude to the Knauss School of Business team members who contributed so much to our success.”

Among Dean Keane’s most notable accomplishments at USD are: 

–Working with Don and Ellie Knauss and President Harris in the transformation of the School to the Knauss School of Business; 

–Completion of the design and construction of the $80mm, 120,000-square-foot Knauss Center  for Business Education; 

–The Nexus Iterative Design planning process that was the foundation of a unified Student  Success Center in the school; 

–Recalibrated the academic degree portfolio, leading to record new student enrollments; 

–Crafted a Faculty Excellence Program from a combination of donor funds and operating efficiencies, more than doubling the annual support for faculty research and professional development; 

–Created the Diversity 2024 Project to enhance diversity in faculty recruiting; 

–Negotiated a university-wide contract for a unified data-analytics platform to support the  transition to a new responsibility centered management budgeting model; 

–Led the Knauss School of Business through its critical AACSB accreditation earlier this year. 

“I’d like to offer my sincere thanks to Tim for his collaboration these past four years.” said Gail F. Baker, PhD, provost and senior vice president at the University of San Diego. “Tim is an innovator, and his fierce dedication to fairness and inclusiveness are hallmarks of his tenure as dean. He established high standards for the entire Knauss School that leaves an indelible mark on USD.”

The university has announced interim dean, Richard (Rick) J. Joseph, JD, along with plans for a nationwide dean search.

Richard (Rick) Joseph brings a wealth of experience and an impressive background that we believe will contribute significantly to our continued success. 

Rick is the past President of Babson Global, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Babson College. As CEO, he laid the academic foundation for several start-up business schools in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Rick is also the former Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Bryant University, where he oversaw multiple colleges, including the College of Business, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Health Sciences. Before Bryant, Rick served as Provost and Global Dean at Hult International Business School, playing a pivotal role in establishing campuses in Shanghai, Dubai, London, and San Francisco. Additionally, he served for over a decade at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.

Rick holds degrees from Harvard College (magna cum laude), Oxford University, and The University of Texas at Austin School of Law. He is the author of numerous publications, including books on higher education and taxation, and was recently named a Fulbright Specialist by the U.S. Department of State.

We are incredibly excited about the energy, expertise, and leadership he brings to our community.