In a world that is both expanding and shrinking by the minute, we’re keeping stride by developing and refining our programs and courses to fit modern realities. From where we sit, the three sectors of the global economy that are particularly vital are health & life sciences, digital technology, and social enterprise & sustainability, and we have adjusted our curricula accordingly, as well as our classrooms, which were recently renovated with the latest interactive technology. We’re also infusing deeper discussions of ethics and social responsibility throughout our programs and have been adding more international explorations.
In 2013, we celebrated our first 100 years of innovation. In 2015, we received the kind of boost that will propel us well into the future. With a record-setting $50 million gift, Allen Questrom (Questrom’64, Hon.’15) and his wife Kelli (Hon.’15), and the Allen and Kelli Questrom Foundation are helping us further our commitment to developing the next generation of innovative leaders. Allen Questrom is a retailing icon, having successfully transformed some of the nation’s largest department stores, including JCPenney, Neiman Marcus, and Barneys New York. The Questroms’ donation also provides seed funding for the addition of a new 60,000-square-foot classroom space. Since moving into our current home, the Rafik B. Hariri Building on Commonwealth Avenue, the School has expanded significantly, with the student body almost doubling in size over the past 25 years.
Reinforcing a more expansive philosophy, the former School of Management was renamed the Questrom School of Business. Swapping “management” for “business,” says Dean Emeritus Kenneth W. Freeman, reflects the latter word’s broader scope, “representing the vast and vibrant range of industries, encompassing everything from for-profit to nonprofit enterprises around the world, for which we aim to prepare our students.”
