DBusiness: Ilitch School names new dean
Wayne State University has selected Virginia Franke Kleist to serve as the next dean of the Mike Ilitch School of Business after a seven-month national search. The WSU Board of Governors approved the appointment that was announced by Provost Mark Kornbluh. She will begin at Wayne State on July 11. Kleist succeeds Robert Forsythe, who will remain as dean until Kleist’s arrival. “We had a number of outstanding candidates for this highly-coveted position, but Virginia’s extensive leadership experience and her preparedness stood out,” said Kornbluh, WSU provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “She also has a proven track record in supporting faculty research, creating innovative programs, and growing graduate and undergraduate enrollments. And perhaps most important, she has a passion for students like ours with limited resources, but lots of grit.” Kleist comes to Wayne State from West Virginia University, where she served as the associate dean of graduate programs, research, and academic affairs and a professor of management information systems at the John Chambers College of Business and Economics.
