Talking with the New Dean of the Business School

An accomplished educator and leader in experiential and project-based learning as well as a recognized scholar in the fields of supply chain management and global logistics, Dr. Amy Zeng will take over from William J. O’Neill, Jr., as dean of the Sawyer Business School in late July. She will join Suffolk from the University of Hartford, where she is dean of the Barney School of Business.

Zeng brings a passion for experience-based learning, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and global engagement—all of which are central to Suffolk’s and the Business School’s approach to education.

In this conversation Zeng talks about her background as an educator, the strengths she sees in the Business School, and why she’s glad the Boston Common is so close to the Suffolk campus.

Q: What excites you about joining the Sawyer Business School?

Amy Zeng: One thing is the school’s focus on experiential learning. Because of Suffolk’s location in downtown Boston, there are abundant opportunities to collaborate with the business and other communities. Experiential learning is really a way to bridge the classroom with the real world. The Business School creates that bridge, and we need to reach out to find great partners so that we can create meaningful and rich learning opportunities for students. I am very interested in working with the corporate world and local communities to create experiential learning opportunities for students. That could be in the form of project-based learning where students work in teams to help solve a problem for a corporate sponsor—something I know the Sawyer Business School is already doing.

There are also numerous other forms of experiential learning we can pursue and adopt. Those opportunities help ensure that students have the skill sets, knowledge, and competencies they need when they launch their careers. And every student has great stories to tell when interviewing for a job.

Q: Another area you’re passionate about is interdisciplinary collaboration.

Zeng: First, I enjoy working with people from different disciplines and different technical and cultural backgrounds on research projects and joint degree programs. It’s just so stimulating when you work with people from different backgrounds and with different perspectives. The Sawyer Business School is an integral part of the University, because business is everywhere. We can integrate business into other degree programs. People everywhere need to understand some basic business principles, so I see great opportunity for collaboration with other entities on campus.

The Sawyer Business School has a lot of joint degrees, which is wonderful. Over the past two decades at WPI and at the University of Hartford, I’ve been working diligently to create connections and build joint degree programs.

My own educational background is interdisciplinary. I have a combined education in engineering and business. I feel that gives me a set of unique skill sets and thinking processes to deal with daily challenges as well as long-term strategic planning. The interdisciplinary approach for research and education is something I’m very passionate about, and I’m glad that Suffolk provides the culture and environment for that.

Q: What else will be important to you as the new dean?

Zeng: It will be challenging given the pandemic, but global engagement will remain very important. We need to think about new ways to engage with global partners and continue the effort in relationship building and project planning, because they’re important stakeholders and agents in experiential learning. 

We don’t want to limit students to just local communities. We want to prepare world-class leaders, and, in fact, many of our students come from different parts of the world. They will eventually become leaders, maybe in their home countries or somewhere else. Therefore, global engagement and experience while on campus will provide a great foundation for our future leaders.

Global partnerships also create new resources and new channels for education and research. They will remain important constituents in our educational ecosystem.

Q: One part of the Suffolk 2025 strategic plan—and our heritage—is our focus on service. Where does that fit in to your vision?

Zeng: I think it should definitely continue and be integrated into experiential learning and also into business programs such as social entrepreneurship. In today’s difficult time, many public service sectors and small businesses need help. I think this is a great opportunity for the Business School to be a part of that effort to help those organizations recover and deal with challenges.

I’m pretty passionate about social entrepreneurship, and I think it can be a great component of service learning and public service. The Sawyer Business School and the entire University has a strong basis for that. We can definitely expand those areas to elevate the School’s social impacts.

Q: What would you want Business School faculty to know about you?

Zeng: That’s easy! I was faculty for many years so I think I understand faculty needs and interests pretty well.

I believe it is important to recognize the excellence of faculty, as they have an important role in determining the quality of education and the reputation of the institution. In academic life the three areas, namely teaching, research, and service, are often used to evaluate faculty, and I think recognizing faculty’s excellence in any of those areas is important anywhere, with no exception at Suffolk. Supporting faculty’s pursuit of teaching innovation and new research projects is also important.

Also, worth thinking about is the balance between teaching and research and finding the right mix of faculty for that. Business education and research are applied in nature, and I respect faculty’s professional endeavors that align with the School’s mission and vision. And finally, the question of fostering a tight-knit community so that everyone can enjoy collective wisdom from faculty—that’s a challenge but also a fun task for a leader.

Q: What are you most looking forward to being in Boston?

Zeng: I grew up in Beijing, so I’m a big-city girl. I love big cities, and I enjoy walking. I plan to have meetings with people while walking on the Boston Common especially for one-on-one conversations. I love Boston—it is such a walkable place with a lot to explore. I love a city with history, architecture, and a vibrant community. I love to be in a place where higher education is a big industry sector in the region. Boston simply provides that all!

Amy Zeng will start as the sixth dean of the Sawyer Business School in late July.