The University of Virginia Darden School of Business has named Yael Grushka-Cockayne as its next dean, marking a historic milestone for the school.
Grushka-Cockayne, a longtime professor and current vice dean at Darden, will become the school’s 10th dean and the first woman permanently appointed to the role in its 70-year history. She will assume the position on August 1, succeeding Scott Beardsley, who stepped down from the deanship earlier this year to serve as president of the University of Virginia.
“Yael is exactly the kind of leader this moment calls for,” Beardsley said in the school’s announcement. “She believes deeply in Darden’s student-centered learning model and understands how business education must evolve in a world shaped by data, artificial intelligence and global complexity. That combination of continuity and forward-looking leadership will serve Darden exceptionally well.”
An award-winning teacher, scholar, and academic leader, Grushka-Cockayne currently serves as the Landmark Communications Professor of Business Administration and senior associate dean for the Full-Time MBA program. She also serves as academic co-director of the LaCross Institute for Ethical Artificial Intelligence in Business and holds a courtesy appointment in UVA’s School of Data Science.
“Across the process, we heard a clear desire for a dean who understands Darden from the inside and also has the imagination to help the school keep evolving,” Ron Wilcox, NewMarket Corporation Professor of Business Administration and co-chair of the Darden School dean search committee, said. “Yael brings deep academic credibility, a record of program leadership and a distinctive ability to connect Darden’s strengths in teaching and judgment with the realities of a world shaped by data, technology and uncertainty.”
Grushka-Cockayne has taught across Darden’s MBA and executive MBA programs, covering subjects such as decision analysis, project management, and emerging topics like coding with generative AI. Beyond the classroom, she has led global learning experiences spanning Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, reflecting the school’s commitment to international engagement.
Her research, which focuses on forecasting, project planning, decision-making under uncertainty, and the application of machine learning in complex organizations, has been published in leading academic journals. Prior to her time at UVA, Grushka-Cockayne held visiting roles at Harvard Business School and NYU Stern.
Grushka-Cockayne’s appointment comes at a moment of strong momentum for Darden. The school recently concluded a $632 million capital campaign and continues to rank among the top public business schools in the United States.
As she steps into the role, Grushka-Cockayne is expected to build on this foundation while guiding Darden through a rapidly changing landscape, one where technology, global interconnectedness, and uncertainty are redefining how business leaders are trained.
“Darden’s strength has always been its people and the deeply human approach to business education: rigorous, student-centered, grounded in discussion, community, and committed to developing responsible leaders who are prepared to make a positive impact in the world,” Grushka-Cockayne said. “In an age of artificial intelligence and constant change, our mission is more relevant than ever.”
