Isenberg Welcomes Dean Anne P. Massey

“We are living in an age of acceleration with the rate of technological change increasing,” says Anne Massey. “While the future of work calls for technical skills, it also demands an understanding of the human and ethical sides of management and leadership.”

Isenberg’s new dean, who joins the school officially this month, has focused on aligning academic programs with the technical, social, and cultural changes happening outside campus walls throughout her career, and she says she’s excited to join a school where multi-disciplinary programs, industry partnerships, and student-led team projects are already the norm. “Among many opportunities, there is great potential for us to collaborate with other campus units as we seek to meet the needs of learners and the organizations that hire them,” Massey says.

Innovation Experience

She joins Isenberg from the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin, where she was professor and Ruth L. Nelson Chair of Business. While there, she led efforts to develop a new MS degree in Design + Innovation, involving the schools of business, human ecology, and engineering. Leading new initiatives, particularly those involving cross-disciplinary collaborations, began for Massey during her 22-year tenure at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University Bloomington. As co-chair of IU’s Intelligent Systems Engineering Program, she led efforts with faculty from business, informatics and computing, arts and sciences, public and environmental affairs, and law to implement a new undergraduate engineering degree, the first of its kind at the university.

At IU, Massey was also the co-founder of the Center of Excellence for Women in Technology, an interdisciplinary initiative that promotes the participation, empowerment, and achievement of women in technology. “There is a big difference between having tech skills and working in tech fields,” says Massey. “Today, it is hard to think of an industry that isn’t searching for tech-savvy talent. The center reflects my interest in offering ways to develop the skills and—importantly—the mindsets needed in the workforce of today and the future.”

Collaboration and Connection

She also focuses on collaborations with industry. Massey spent six years during her time at Kelley serving as executive director for the Information Management Affiliates, an industry-university cooperative involving more than 20 businesses and nonprofits.

Her primary research focuses on innovation processes and strategies, and the role of technology as an enabler of collaborative work. Her research has garnered federal, foundation, and industry funding, and her articles have been published in leading academic journals. Massey earned her BS degree in management, MS degree in industrial engineering, and PhD in decision sciences and engineering systems from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

“We’re in a critical time for higher education and, more specifically, business education,” she says. “I am truly excited to join such a forward-looking school and university. I believe we have the raw materials necessary to take advantage of the opportunities in front of us: top quality students, faculty known for their scholarship and teaching, dedicated staff, and a collegial culture that welcomes innovation."