New York: Indian origin professor Rakesh Khurana has been appointed dean of the Harvard College.

Presently Khurana is serving as Bower professor of leadership development at Harvard Business School (HBS) and master of Cabot House since 2010.

Kurana will take over as dean from July 1.

The news of Khurana's appointment was announced by  Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) dean Michael D. Smith yesterday. in an e-mail to the community.

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Smith said Khurana is a distinguished scholar of organizational behaviour and leadership, an award-winning teacher, and a dynamic House master who has also engaged deeply with undergraduate issues on important committees.

“He brings to the deanship an intimate understanding of the Harvard College experience, a profound commitment to the values of a liberal-arts education, and a warm and compassionate personality that accompanies his belief in the importance of community and an inclusive approach to decision-making,” Smith said.

Khurana received his bachelor's degree from Cornell University in 1990, his A.M (Sociology) from Harvard in 1997 and his PhD in organizational behavior from Harvard's Ph.D. program in 1998.

He worked for three years as a founding team member of Cambridge Technology Partners before starting graduate school in 1994. After finishing his doctorate, Khurana taught at the MIT Sloan School of Management. In 2000, he accepted an appointment at the Harvard Business School.