- Arun Upneja steps down as BU hospitality dean.
- Tanya Zlateva to serve as interim dean from Aug.1.
- Upneja steered SHA into the top 22 U.S. hospitality programs.
Tanya Zlateva, dean of BU's Metropolitan College, will serve as interim dean from August 1, according to BU. The leadership change was announced in a letter sent to BU faculty and staff by outgoing provost Gloria Waters. She said that under Upneja, the school enhanced its academic offerings, built industry-relevant research and expanded international partnerships.
"After guiding the school through a period of transformative growth, I feel it is the right time to step back,” said Upneja. “This transition will allow new leadership to comprehensively review everything we have built and bring a fresh perspective.”
During his tenure, Upneja introduced STEM-certified master's programs in hospitality management and hospitality real estate, the only master's in real estate at a U.S. hospitality school.
He also launched the school's “Classroom-to-Classroom” initiative, linking BU students with partner universities in France, New Zealand, Hong Kong and India. The school moved from being unranked globally before 2019 to standing among the top 22 hospitality programs in the U.S. under his leadership.
After his time off, Upneja plans to return to teaching, which he described as his true calling. He also plans to organize conversations between industry leaders and academics. Separately, he wants to explore how artificial intelligence can handle repetitive tasks in hospitality to free up staff for more human-focused work.
Upneja has received several awards, including the John Wiley & Sons Lifetime Research Achievement Award in 2007. Before BU, he served as Professor of Hospitality Financial Management and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Pennsylvania State University.
The Hospitality Asset Managers Association named Penn State and Boston University the winners of its 19th annual student case competition last year, awarding each team $5,000.
