Bentley Announces Paul Tesluk as Provost
Paul Tesluk, the dean of the University at Buffalo School of Management, has been named the next provost and vice president for academic affairs at Bentley University. The announcement comes after a nationwide search led by a diverse 17-person search committee representing a cross-section of faculty, staff, students and the university cabinet. Tesluk will begin his term on Aug. 1, 2022.
Tesluk brings to Bentley extensive experience as a successful academic leader. In his role as dean and professor at the University at Buffalo School of Management, he led an ambitious expansion of the business school’s initiatives in entrepreneurship, leadership, health care management, social innovation, global programs, and diversity and inclusion, all while launching new undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs. Under Tesluk’s leadership, the School of Management rose in the ranks as an internationally recognized leader among public business schools, regularly placing in the top 10% in management education and MBA rankings.
“Paul Tesluk has a track record of embracing innovative approaches that will serve Bentley well, especially as we look ahead to implementing a new curriculum and strategic positioning process,” said Bentley President E. LaBrent Chrite. “He will join our university at an exciting time in our history and will serve as an important asset to our community as we envision the future of higher education and the role that Bentley will continue to play as a leader in business education.”
As dean, Tesluk guided the University at Buffalo School of Management through a strategic planning process that resulted in a renewed mission, vision and set of strategic priorities. He was instrumental in launching and strengthening new academic degree programs in rising areas of management and championed an array of non-degree certificates and micro-credential programs. With a sharp awareness of the student experience, he led efforts to expand student fellowships and internships and enhanced international opportunities for students, leading to a significant rise in experiential learning and networking.
Before serving as dean, as the Donald Carmichael Chaired Professor of Organizational Behavior, Tesluk spent two years as chair of the Department of Organization and Human Resources and founded the School of Management’s Center for Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness. Before joining the University at Buffalo, Tesluk was the Ralph J. Tyser Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management in the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, where he served as chair of the Department of Management and Organization. He served as chair of the Academy of Management’s Organizational Behavior Division and is an elected Fellow of the Society for Organizational Behavior and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Tesluk's research has been supported by agencies such as NSF and NIH, and he has worked with and consulted for dozens of for-profit and nonprofit organizations and served on several boards. He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Penn State and a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell.