Beyond Herself

Toasting our dean’s lasting impact

In July, Ann Harrison stepped down from her duties as dean to continue her economics research, join the Council of Foreign Relations, and rejoin her family in New York. She’ll continue to be a half-time tenured faculty member.

Since becoming dean in January 2019, Harrison has elevated and advanced Haas across the board. Poets&Quants, when naming her Dean of the Year in 2023, called her tenure an “unimaginable and nearly breathtaking record of achievement.”

One of her top priorities was to embed a sustainability mindset in all of Haas’ programs and operations. Her dedication resulted in a new MBA dual degree and certificate program, a new undergraduate minor, curriculum enhancements, and hiring Haas’ first chief sustainability officer.

She orchestrated a major diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging (DEIJB) effort that included hiring the school’s first chief DEI officer and broadening the profile of the school’s faculty, board, and student body as well as creating learning opportunities and anti-bias training for the community.

Her focus on innovation and entrepreneurship resulted in a new faculty group and an entrepreneurship hub, slated to open this fall, for students from across Berkeley to envision new ventures.

In addition, Harrison expanded the school’s degree offerings with the Flex online MBA cohort and hired 40 new ladder faculty, 19 of whom are women. She also stepped up fundraising and raised $236 million since 2019, including the largest single gift in the school’s history—$30 million—to turn the upper-division undergraduate business program into a four-year program. Not to mention her own generosity. She’s a Builder of Berkeley and named Chou Hall’s Jose P. Madrigal Classroom in honor of her husband’s late father.

Here are some Haas voices on the ways Harrison’s top priorities have changed their lives.

Thank You So Much, Ann, for…

…raising the bar during unprecedented times.

“Under Ann’s leadership, Haas navigated the pandemic and a complex macro environment, allowing Haas to continue to thrive despite these challenges. In addition, Ann has been instrumental in her fundraising efforts, which will significantly enrich our academic programs for years to come. On behalf of the board, we are grateful to have had such an amazing leader and celebrate Ann for her profound impact on Haas today and in the future.”

—Elena Gomez, BS 91
Chair, Haas School Board and CFO, Toast

…hiring and retaining top academic talent.

“Ann’s commitment to expanding the faculty has been tremendous. It has been an exciting time for me to join an expanding and diverse community of talented and emerging scholars. We have a dynamic group of junior faculty, and research ideas are flowing.”

—Solène Delecourt
Assistant Professor, Berkeley Haas

…envisioning a totality of possibility.

“Ann has been driven to realize the full potential of Haas within UC Berkeley. She hasn’t stayed in one lane. She has expanded the faculty, raised record funding, grown our programs, and more. That is incredibly impressive.”

—Courtney Chandler, MBA 96
Senior Vice Dean & Chief Operating and Strategy Officer, Berkeley Haas

…making sustainability a necessity.

“Haas has been transformative for me. It connected me with a community of passionate, impact-driven people and equipped me with the skills I needed to grow as a climate leader. Seeing Haas’ commitment to sustainability has inspired me to continue my journey toward building a sustainable future for all.”

—Arnaud Paquet, MBA 24
Power Origination Manager, Crusoe

…amplifying entrepreneurship and increasing innovation faculty.

“Ann Harrison has been like rocket fuel for Berkeley entrepreneurship and innovation. Generations of future founders will be thanking her for bringing the new eHub to life (opening this fall!), helping grow SkyDeck, and doubling our entrepreneurship faculty.”

—Brett Wilson, MBA 07
Member, Haas School Board and General Partner, Swift Ventures

…championing inclusion with real resources.

“The HBCU fellowship at Haas has afforded me an incredible network of bright, forward-thinking peers and mentors committed to challenging the status quo in our fields. The spirit of inclusivity and belonging is alive and real at Haas. I am now VP of DEI for the student body, motivated to continue the mission of advocating for diversity and enhancing the experience for all students at Haas.”

—Brittany Jacob, MBA 25
Inaugural HBCU fellowship recipient