Lisa D. Ordóñez has been appointed the next dean of the University of California San Diego’s Rady School of Management, effective Sept. 1. She currently serves as the vice dean of academic programs at University of Arizona’s Eller School of Management. A first-generation college graduate, Ordóñez has been a dedicated contributor to programs that support student success and assist women and underrepresented minorities in reaching their career goals.
As the successor to Robert Sullivan, who was appointed as the school’s founding dean in 2003, Ordóñez is the first woman dean at the UC San Diego business school.
“Dr. Ordóñez’s strategic, creative and inclusive approach to leadership will serve the Rady School and our campus well,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “As a key member of the university’s leadership team, Ordóñez is ideally suited to set Rady School goals, develop long-range plans in support of the university’s strategic vision, and actively champion our mission of diversity, equity and inclusion.”
In her role as vice dean at the University of Arizona, Ordóñez manages an $80 million budget; oversees, develops and resources high quality academic and research programs; and guides departments in the recruitment and promotion of a diverse faculty. She co-chaired the campuswide process that created the University of Arizona’s 2019 Strategic Plan, which includes more than 90 strategic goals and initiatives intended to guide the university’s priorities for years to come.
Ordóñez holds a doctorate in quantitative psychology, an M.S. in marketing from the Haas School of Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree in psychology – all three degrees are from UC Berkeley.
“I am truly honored to take on this incredible role,” Ordóñez said. “As a first-generation student who has received three degrees from a UC institution, I am proof of the transformative power of the quality, public education offered at UC San Diego.”
Ordóñez’s areas of expertise include judgment and decision making with applications to management and consumer behavior, ethical decision-making, negative impact of goal setting systems, as well as emotions and decision making.
“The Rady School and UC San Diego are known for their quality researchers and academic programs,” Ordóñez added. “Founding Dean Robert Sullivan has built an incredible foundation so that the school is now poised to reach even greater heights.”
Ordóñez serves on several national editorial boards, and is a member of the Academy of Management, Phi Beta Kappa, Management Faculty of Color, the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, as well as the Society for Judgment and Decision Making.
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Ordóñez as the next dean of UC San Diego’s Rady School of Management,” said Elizabeth H. Simmons, executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. “Her leadership experience and dedication to inclusive excellence make her a terrific fit for the Rady School. I am confident that she will work collaboratively with campus and community stakeholders to keep the Rady School on its upward trajectory.”
The Rady School has achieved distinction as one of the youngest business schools in the U.S. to achieve Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation. The school is also widely recognized for its excellence, innovation and impact on the San Diego region and beyond, including being ranked 14th in the world in the 2018 Times Higher Education and Wall Street Journal business school reports.
