As the new dean of the McDonough School of Business, George Daly hopes to construct a compelling and distinctive identity for the school in coming years.
“I think it’s a matter of getting a plan, getting the right people to execute that plan and doing it,” said Daly, who will assume full-time responsibilities on Nov. 1.
During the fall semester, Daly aims to create a panel of faculty, students and other advisory members to assess the business school’s strengths and form concrete objectives for its future.
The panel’s findings and Daly’s long-term vision for the school will not be publicized until January.
Daly spent nine years as dean of New York University’s prestigious Stern School of Business, which ranks 13th among business schools in US News & World Report’s 2006 rankings. He inherits a Georgetown program that is tied for 27th on that list.
“I wouldn’t find it interesting to become Dean of some school that’s at the top of some list,” Daly said. Instead, he said, he prefers to improve an existing program.
As dean of the Stern School, Daly saw it rise in prominence, garnering its first top-10 rankings in various publications. Part of that, he said, was finding a clear identity for the school.
At NYU, Daly said, the school’s strength was its location-close not only to large financial markets, but also to powerhouses of the entertainment industry.
The Stern School’s strong media and entertainment program brought it serious attention and attracted qualified faculty and students.
Daly hopes to do something similar at Georgetown, capitalizing on the MSB’s location in Washington, D.C., and its role as part of Georgetown University.
In an open letter to the university community, Pres. John J. DeGioia spoke highly of Daly.
“I also look forward to the dynamic leadership he will bring to the McDonough School as we build on the momentum of recent years to strengthen further the school’s standing among the nation’s leading business schools,” DeGioia wrote.
Daly is currently the Albert Fingerhut Professor of Business Administration at NYU, where he held the office of dean from 1993 to 2002.
During his tenure, he spearheaded a fundraising campaign that raised $150 million, more than the school had raised in its previous 100 years of existence combined.
Daly replaces Dr. Reena Aggarwal, last year’s interim dean.
