Celebrating the leadership of Dr. Altaf Merchant

We write to announce that Dr. Altaf Merchant has made the decision to step down on the 16th of September 2022 as the Gary E. and James A. Milgard Endowed Dean of the Milgard School of Business.

When he transitions in September, Dr. Merchant will have served three years as dean and will be marking his sixth year as an academic leader in the Milgard School.

Altaf’s list of leadership accomplishments for the School is long. He has laid the groundwork for the critical re-accreditation of the School, now underway, by AACSB International, the largest of the three major business school accreditation agencies. During his time as dean: the curricula of the School’s undergraduate and graduate programs have been refreshed; the School’s business operations have been streamlined and revised; more than $1.6M has been raised from private sources; and new programs and initiatives, with accompanying community advisory boards, have been established and/or strengthened in a whole range of areas such as sports enterprise management, women’s leadership and mentorship, accounting, alumni engagement, financial technology (FINTECH), financial wellness and entrepreneurship.

Altaf has been a key advocate for the Milgard School on the Milgard Hall project, from initial idea to construction. His vision for collaboration between business and engineering faculty and students, and with the Global Innovation and Design Lab, continues to inform the evolving design and future operation of the building.

Altaf is particularly proud of the progress by the Milgard School in areas of diversity, equity and inclusion. Since the UW Climate Survey was conducted in 2019, a DEI officer, advisory council and website have been established; advisory boards have recruited BIPOC members of the community; and scholarship and internship programs with DEI themes have been launched.

Although Altaf has chosen to step down as dean, the Milgard School and the community will continue to benefit from his formidable talents. He will return to the Milgard faculty as a teacher and researcher. Importantly, Altaf will continue to serve as dean while a national search is initiated for a new dean, so no interim leadership will be necessary.

We are deeply grateful to Dr. Merchant for his devotion to building the reputation of the Milgard School, and we are excited about his continued engagement with the School and our students and community. An announcement will be forthcoming about opportunities to celebrate Altaf’s contributions and transition. In the meantime, please reach out to Dr. Merchant and thank him for his service and his thoughtful approach to the School’s leadership transition.