After serving as dean of the Kogod School of Business for nearly six years, Richard Durand said he will retire from his position at the end of spring 2011.
Durand said he is looking for a little simplicity.
“I think in the short term what I’m most excited about is not having to make decisions other than when do I want to tee time or where are we going out to dinner,” he said.
Durand plans to work pro bono after his retirement, helping schools that want to become accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. He said that this is a way of giving back to his profession.
“It’s better for me to retire while I’m on top of my game rather than when I’m in the proverbial slump,” Durand said.
Kogod Professor Heather Elms, who chairs the search committee to hire Durand’s replacement, said working on the committee is a bittersweet experience.
“I think we’re all sad to see him go, but we understand that he needs to move on,” Elms said.
Undergraduate Business Association President Christian Kingston represents undergraduate students on the search committee for Durand’s replacement.
“He loves this school,” Kingston said. “He’s done so much for it and it shows, because every time you see him walking around he has a grin on his face.”
Kingston said that he hopes the new dean will continue Durand’s work and push Kogod community members to the next level.
“He’s not just our dean but he’s also here because he enjoys it,” Kingston said. “He’s our dean and he’s part of the Kogod family.”
Durand said he is particularly proud of the Kogod building expansion, the first entirely donor-funded construction project at AU. The completed building doubled the size of the business school, introduced state-of-the-art facilities and provided students with ample space to study and network in, he said.
“The reason I’m proud of this building is because it has changed the way we do business,” he said. “It’s not just about bricks and mortar. It’s about culture — the culture of Kogod.”
llandau@theeagleonline.com
