University of South Carolina names next dean of Darla Moore School of Business

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Rohit Verma will be the next dean of the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. He takes over the position on Aug. 1, according to a university news release.

Verma joins the Moore School from VinUniversity in Hanoi, Vietnam, where he serves as the founding provost of Vietnam’s first private, not-for-profit university based on international standards, according to the news release. Verma is also a professor of operations, technology and information management at Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business. Prior to his role at VinUniversity, which was established in collaboration with Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania, Verma served as dean of external affairs at Cornell’s SC Johnson College of Business. 

Verma’s leadership experience at Cornell also includes serving as the executive director for the Center for Hospitality Research and as the founding executive director for the Institute for Healthy Futures. While on leave from Cornell since 2019, Verma has served in several concurrent leadership positions at VinUniversity, where he won the Excellent Leader Award in 2021.

“Dr. Verma is an award-winning teacher, a successful researcher and an innovative leader, and we are pleased to welcome him to the Carolina family,” USC President Michael Amiridis said in the release. “His excellent academic record and his international perspective will be great complements to the leading-edge work of the Darla Moore School of Business.”

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During his time with VinUniversity, Verma has recruited accomplished and diverse academic leaders and faculty from more than 10 countries, the release stated. He established a fully integrated campus life system and developed curriculum programs for all degree programs based on active learning and experiential learning.

“Dr. Verma is a world-class leader whose experience and success at both Cornell University and VinUniversity have prepared him to add tremendous value to the Moore School,” Donna Arnett, USC provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, said in the release. “I look forward to working with Dr. Verma to uphold and enhance the Moore School’s outstanding international reputation, and to continue advancing the incredible contributions the school is making to the world of business.”