Dean of the College & Academic Leadership

Dean of the College

Ken Matsuno, PhD was named the College’s first Murata Vice President of Academic Affairs & Dean of the College in June 2019. For more than twenty years, Dr. Matsuno has been a professor of Marketing, and he most recently held the position of Dean of Faculty.

In his current role as the Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Matsuno leads the academic administration and distinguished faculty, overseeing the Office of Academic Affairs, Academic Degree Programs (undergraduate and graduate), and the entire faculty across ten academic divisions.

A Welcome from Murata Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College

Babson College is a special place. Anyone who steps foot on our campus physically, in our hub locations, or engages with Babson virtually can immediately sense the intrinsic camaraderie among our faculty, students, staff, and alumni.

Our faculty and staff dedicate themselves first and foremost to our learners, their experience and their development. Our faculty are experts in their respective knowledge and practice areas and in the manner in which they facilitate learning. Babson faculty engender their students to become lifelong learners, both academically and through co-curricular and experiential education.

The global torchbearer for entrepreneurial leadership, Babson has been ranked #1 in entrepreneurship education by U.S. News & World Report every year for the past quarter of a century—and even longer, for graduate education. At Babson, developing an entrepreneurial mindset is more than learning about starting a business—it’s about developing the professional and social skills to identify creative potential, navigate through uncertainty, and to seize opportunity. We support and encourage our students to think and ideate; to test and advance those conjectures, hypotheses, and theories as they learn by doing; and to take action. Developing an inquisitive, problem-solving, and action-oriented approach lies at the heart of how we advance entrepreneurial leadership through life-long learning.

Babson’s multidisciplinary approach, core values, and pedagogy are uniquely suited to address complex challenges in business and society. We instinctively believe in mutual inspiration and collaboration versus separation and isolation, whether it is about intellectual discourse, bringing our curriculum to life through course planning, or making management decisions based on data and multiple perspectives.

After receiving a well-rounded education blending business fundamentals and liberal arts & sciences—and combining academics with real-world experiential learning—Babson undergraduates and graduate students enter the workforce with a competitive edge. Landing positions across industries and functions and advancing their careers, Babson graduates bring their unparalleled skills not only to support the companies, startups, and nonprofits for which they work but they also make a lasting and meaningful social and sustainable impact in their communities.

Building, maintaining, and advancing this academic enterprise takes an entrepreneurial ecosystem approach. Babson is a community of diverse talent and backgrounds embedded across sectors and countries spanning the globe—and united to create and deliver the best learning experience for all who want to make a difference not only in their chosen field, but also in the world. It is a true honor and privilege to serve as the Dean of the College.

If you would like to know more about our exceptional team, please feel free to reach out to me at deanofcollege@babson.edu. Welcome to Babson College.

Ken Matsuno, PhD
Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College
Professor of Marketing