Wright State names Rajneesh Suri dean of Raj Soin College of Business

Rajneesh Suri joins Wright State’s Raj Soin College of Business from Drexel University, where he was senior vice provost for academic industry partnerships and founding academic director of the Drexel Solutions Institute and the Innovation Engine. (Photo courtesy of Drexel University)

Wright State University has named Rajneesh Suri, Ph.D., the dean of the Raj Soin College of Business, effective July 1.

Suri joins Wright State from Drexel University in Philadelphia, where he most recently served as senior vice provost for academic industry partnerships and founding academic director of the Drexel Solutions Institute and the Innovation Engine.

In these roles, he provided strategic leadership for university-wide academic–industry engagement, connecting faculty and students with corporate, nonprofit, and community partners through applied research, professional training, and experiential learning opportunities.

He also founded the Center for Neuro-Business in Drexel’s LeBow College of Business, connecting faculty with industry partners on applied research and curriculum.

Wright State Provost Jim Denniston, Ph.D., said Suri’s appointment reflects the university’s commitment to preparing students for an evolving workplace.

“Dr. Suri has spent his career creating learning environments where students work side‑by‑side with industry partners to solve real‑world challenges,” Denniston said. “His leadership in founding the Drexel Solutions Institute and designing the Innovation Engine has given countless students hands‑on experience through applied research, interdisciplinary coursework and industry‑sponsored projects. That same commitment to career‑ready, experiential learning will significantly expand opportunities for Wright State students and strengthen the talent pipeline for employers across the Dayton region.”

Suri said the Raj Soin College of Business’ commitment to experiential learning and regional partnerships aligns perfectly with his vision for business education.

“It is a privilege to join Wright State University and lead the Raj Soin College of Business,” he said. “With its strong foundation in experiential learning, deep ties to Dayton’s defense, health care and engineering ecosystem and commitment to student success, there is no better place to connect business education to real-world challenges. I look forward to collaborating with faculty, staff, students, alumni and external partners to build on these strengths and empower learners to gain the skills and real-world experience needed to thrive, lead, innovate and create lasting impact.”

Previously, at the LeBow College of Business, Suri held multiple senior leadership positions, including vice dean, vice dean for research and strategic partnerships and associate dean for research.

A professor of marketing, Suri is widely recognized for teaching excellence and student learning at both the institutional and national levels, and is an accomplished researcher in pricing, consumer behavior and neuroimaging.

He also brings industry experience from McKinsey & Company, Unilever and other global firms.

Dawn Conway, J.D., interim dean of the Raj Soin College of Business and co-chair of the dean search committee, said Suri’s experience as a creative leader, industry partner and researcher positions him to advance the college’s mission.

“Dr. Suri brings a unique combination of academic leadership, industry engagement and scholarly excellence,” Conway said. “His track record of building innovative, industry‑embedded learning models and advancing applied research directly aligns with the college’s mission. We are confident his vision and experience will elevate our programs, expand partnerships and create transformative opportunities for our students, faculty and the broader Dayton region.”

Suri earned a Ph.D. in marketing from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Delhi.