Provost Melanie Perreault shared the following message with the university community:

We are very pleased to announce that Dr. Prabakar Kothandaraman will be joining the university as TU’s Dean of the College of Business and Economics.

Dr. Prabakar was the top candidate after an extensive national search.

He begins his appointment on July 2, 2025.

Currently serving as Dean of the School of Business at SUNY Oswego, where he is also a tenured professor of marketing, Dr. Prabakar has more than a decade of executive leadership, including six years as a dean. Through a strategic vision, he has driven significant growth, evidenced by the expansion of the school’s graduate programs; the cultivation of a robust, industry-connected curriculum; and the school’s re-accreditation. Notably, he oversaw SUNY Oswego’s record-breaking MBA cohort, including the highly successful online MBA in Healthcare Administration, maintaining the school's #1 ranking among online MBA programs of public universities in New York State.

Dr. Prabakar’s past achievements include launching the first Executive Master’s in Sales Leadership at the Russ Berrie Institute, leadership roles at Harvard Business School’s India Research Center and faculty positions at Texas A&M and Drexel University.

Dr. Prabakar holds a doctorate in Marketing from Penn State University, an MBA from Xavier Institute of Management, and a Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering from BITS Pilani in India. A recognized thought leader in business education, Dr. Prabakar is dedicated to research, curriculum innovation and student success. His leadership philosophy—which emphasizes strategic planning, external engagement and fostering a culture of excellence—ensures that business education remains impactful, future-focused and responsive to societal needs.

As the Dean of College of Business and Economics, Dr. Prabakar will lead the No. 26 undergraduate business school in the nation, according to Poets & Quants. The college’s programs are collectively recognized as critical workforce providers to the greater Mid-Atlantic region and as a national leader in academic and inclusive excellence.

The search committee conducted a very thorough process, and its members played a vital role in filling this important leadership position. I thank Dean Matthew Nugent of the Fisher College of Science & Mathematics for his leadership as chair of the committee.

The committee members were:

  • Robert Borowy, Accounting Advisory Board; Partner, Deloitte
  • Bart Debicki, Professor & Chair, Department of Management
  • Chaodong Han, Professor & Chair, Department of Business Analytics & Technology Management
  • Daraius Irani, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships & Applied Research
  • Lauren Tigue Meredith, Professional Development Partner, CBE
  • Plamen Peev, Professor, Department of Marketing
  • Edna Primrose, President, TU Foundation Board of Directors
  • Yingying Shao, Professor, Department of Finance
  • Frank Sneeringer, Director of Major Gifts, College of Business & Economics
  • Herbert Zhao, Professor, Department of Economics

This search couldn’t have been done without the outstanding support from our colleagues in the Office of Human Resources, particularly Nyasha Lumumba, Talent Acquisition Manager, who served as the key facilitator and coordinator for this comprehensive national search.

Finally, we wish to express our sincerest appreciation and admiration for the leadership of our Interim Dean Judy Harris and the entirety of the dean’s office in CBE. We look forward to Dr. Harris’ continued leadership through the spring semester and as she returns to her role as associate dean this summer.

We know you all will join us in welcoming Dr. Prabakar to the Towson University community and offering our support as he transitions into this important role later this summer.