PROVIDENCE COLLEGE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS NAMES NEW DEAN
(Providence, R.I.) – Providence College (PC) announced today that Ronald Dufresne, Ph.D., a distinguished scholar and accomplished leader with more than two decades of experience in Catholic business education, has been appointed dean of the School of Business, effective July 1, 2026. Dr. Dufresne currently serves as professor of management in the Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph’s University, where he has held a variety of senior leadership roles.
Thomas Smith, Ph.D., PC’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, announced the appointment today.
“Dr. Dufresne brings an exceptional record of leadership, innovation, and commitment to mission-centered education,” said Smith. “He understands the transformative power of business education grounded in ethics, service, and the pursuit of the common good. Throughout the search process, he impressed our community with his vision for the future of the School of Business and his collaborative approach to leadership. I am delighted to welcome him to Providence College.”
“From my very first conversations with the faculty and staff of PC Business, I was struck by their deep commitment to forming students as whole persons—not just as future professionals, but as critical thinkers in pursuit of the truth and servant leaders prepared to make a positive difference in a complex world,” Dr. Dufresne said. “I am truly honored to join this remarkable Providence College community and to join in service of the mission.”
At Saint Joseph’s, Dr. Dufresne has served as department chair, faculty senate president, senior leadership fellow, and chair of the Haub School of Business Council. He previously led the university’s management department, overseeing faculty, academic programs, budgeting, assessment, and accreditation initiatives. He also founded the undergraduate Leadership, Ethics, and Organizational Sustainability program and co-developed the Dean’s Leadership Program.
A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering management and graduated among the top five percent of his class, Dr. Dufresne later earned both an M.S. and Ph.D. in organization studies from Boston College.
A nationally recognized educator and researcher, Dr. Dufresne’s scholarship has focused on ethical leadership, organizational change, leadership development, and mission-driven management education. He is the recipient of numerous teaching, advising, research, and service honors and has published extensively in leading academic journals.
The Providence College School of Business offers undergraduate degree programs in accountancy, finance, management, and marketing, as well as an MBA program and specialized master’s degree offerings. As dean, Dr. Dufresne will provide strategic leadership for the school’s academic programs, faculty, students, and external partnerships.
Founded in 1917, Providence College is the only college or university in the United States administered by the Dominican Friars. The Catholic, liberal arts college has an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 4,500 students, 450 graduate students and offers degrees in over 60 academic majors. The College’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences was established in 2022. Since 1997, Providence College consistently has been ranked among the top five regional universities in the North according to U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges.”
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