Leadership is their Business

The Dyson School administration—including our deans, program directors, and area coordinators—are renowned experts and industry-leading professionals. Together, with the rest of the Dyson faculty and staff, our leadership team guides our students through enriching academic experiences and into successful careers of doing business for good.


Dean Zhao standing on the stairs inside Warren Hall.

Meet Dean Jinhua Zhao: The Business of Generating Ideas

Jinhua Zhao is a strong believer in collective excellence. Collaboration and inclusion, he says, are essential to generating ideas, expanding frontiers, and training future leaders. Passionate about using business skills to solve society’s most pressing issues, Zhao’s research interests include global climate change and technology adoption.

Learn More About Dean Zhao

Vision & Goals: The Future of Dyson, The Future of Business

Dean Jinhua Zhao envisions a more diverse Dyson: an innovative, collaborative place where cross-disciplinary research reigns and future business leaders are inspired to impact society in positive ways. Specifically, Dean Zhao’s vision for the school is two-fold: He wants to double down on the “our business is a better world” ethos and he wants to ensure Dyson fulfills its mission to prepare tomorrow’s leaders to apply business and economic principles to address the toughest societal challenges. His four goals will get the school there.

Goals for Dyson

We achieve impact through our graduates and discoveries, locally and globally.

We equip leaders with the skills to promote inclusive and sustainable prosperity across the globe.

Our graduates become rigorous and integrative thinkers, innovative leaders, engaged and globally aware citizens, and continuous learners.

Our research, teaching, and engagement activities inject innovation and impact into everything we do through creative, rigorous, and relevant inquiry that improves our teaching.


Students sit in a tiered lecture hall listening to a professor.

Innovation Takes Inclusion: Diversity at Dyson

Innovation happens when everyone’s ideas are heard, valued, and supported. Dyson embraces the diversity of faculty, staff, and students across the school, the College of Business, and the greater Cornell community. A range of enriching events, programs, and resources help foster a culture of belonging and develop principled and purposeful leaders.

See our Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Advisory Councils: Voices & Perspectives from the Cornell and Business Community

Our advisory councils strengthen academics, expand internship and career opportunities, and deepen our connection with the business community at large by bringing in diverse perspectives from students, alumni, and industry professionals.

 Ariel image of Warren Hall and the Ag quad.

Dyson Advisory Council

In this council, alumni, employers, parents, friends, and other business leaders use their professional experience to guide and support Dyson academics, career development, fundraising, and overall strategy.

Dyson Recent Alumni Council (DRAC)

Alumni provide critical input to the school. The Dyson Recent Alumni Council, made up of alumni who’ve graduated within the past 10 years, advises school leaders, mentors students, provides admissions and recruitment guidance, and contributes to fundraising and inclusion efforts.

Agribusiness Advisory Council

Members of this council hail from a variety of farms, companies, trade organizations, financial institutions, and government agencies. They use their business acumen and expertise in food and agriculture to guide coursework and career development.


Dyson Student Leadership

The impact of students on the Dyson community and its leadership cannot be understated. Three important student organizations collaborate to promote and enhance the Dyson student experience through outreach, feedback opportunities, and events.

Students sitting around a table in a classroom smile at the camera.

Dyson Dean’s Student Advisory Council (DSAC)

As Dyson is ever-growing and ever-evolving, this team of undergraduate students was established in Spring 2022 with the express purpose of advising the Dyson Dean and other school leaders on the issues that matter most to our undergraduate student body. The members of Dean’s Student Advisory Council purposefully span class years, backgrounds, and interests to best represent the variety within the Dyson student body as a whole. DSAC fundamentally aims to hear all Dyson undergraduate voices, advise the Dean as appropriate on changes, and set into motion initiatives to improve the Dyson student experience.

Dyson Undergraduate Council (DUC)

The Dyson Undergraduate Council is a long-standing, student-directed organization committed to promoting and strengthening Dyson. Among the many programming initiatives sponsored by DUC is the Dyson Better Business Week. The organization consists of undergraduate students with diverse backgrounds and experiences united by their passion for the Dyson community and their majors.

Dyson Diversity Council (DDC)

The Dyson Diversity Council cultivates trust by identifying patterns in the student experience through open-dialogue communication among all Dyson students, faculty, and staff. At its core, DDC members act as agents of change and as a uniting support pillar to further promote the mission and vision of the Dyson Office of Diversity and Inclusion, cultivating an inclusive and equitable environment for all of Dyson and, by extension, the SC Johnson College of Business at large.


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Meet Our Student Assistant: Catherine (Catie) Kopp ’23 

A native of nearby King Ferry, Catie is a member of the Dyson Undergraduate Council and Alpha Kappa Psi; she also plays club basketball and serves as a Cornell Tradition Fellow. Catie hopes to pursue a career helping developing nations build more sustainable, accessible educational models.


The Latest from Dyson: News, Stories & Announcements

Dyson faculty, staff, students, and alumni use their knowledge, skills, and creativity to solve real-world problems locally, nationally, and globally. Read about the collaboration, innovation, service, and more happening at Dyson and beyond. 

an aerial view of single car on a sandy dirt road.
March 24, 2023

Restricting Trade for the Environment? Import Restrictions on Used Vehicles in China

Dyson’s Hui Zhou, PhD ’23, discusses her research on the impact of emission-based import restrictions on used vehicles in China.

a young woman holding a microphone and presenting with a young man, a co-presenter, in the background.
March 16, 2023

Dyson students tackle societal issues at competition

Students take on United Nations sustainable development goals at Dyson’s inaugural Grand Challenges Pitch Competition.

Steven Izen standing in front of a 2/3 full lecture hall, holding up a can and smiling. Many audience members are holding up similar looking cans.
March 14, 2023

Entrepreneur Steven Izen ’13 Creates Products that Help People Find Balance

Dyson Dean’s Distinguished Lecturer Steven Izen shared his startup journey and advice he learned with students during Dyson’s Better Business Week.


Grow Your (Social) Network: Interact With Dyson 

See the Dyson community making the world a better place in real-time by following us on Instagram. On LinkedIn, gain practical business insight, find career tips and opportunities, and connect with Dyson alumni and partners.