University of Utah Interim Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Martell Teasley announced that Rachel Hayes, Ph.D., has accepted an offer to serve as dean of the David Eccles School of Business for a two-year term. Hayes began serving as interim dean of the school in 2021 after former dean Taylor Randall was appointed as president of the U.

Hayes, a professor in accounting, has been a faculty member at the U since 2005. She has served in numerous roles in her department and college, including the George & Delores Eccles Presidential Chair and Associate Dean of Faculty and Research. Prior to joining the U, Hayes taught at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and at the Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago. Her research has been published in a number of scholarly journals, including the Journal of Accounting Research, the Journal of Accounting and Economics and the Rand Journal of Economics. She was selected as dean of the Eccles School at the conclusion of a national search.

“I appreciate the leadership and commitment that Dean Hayes has shown to helping the Eccles School thrive during this period,” Teasley said. “I am grateful to the search committee and the co-chairs, Darryl Butt, dean of the College of Mines and Earth Sciences, and Jennifer Brown, professor of entrepreneurship and strategy, for their thoughtfulness and dedication throughout this process. I look forward to continuing to work with Dean Hayes as she leads the Eccles School forward.”

The Eccles School provides a world-class business education, and it is a leader among public schools for providing premier academic opportunities, job placement and practical tools for the world’s future business leaders. The school’s MBA program ranks fifth among public schools and 11th overall for entrepreneurship, with undergraduate entrepreneurship programs ranking equally high — No. 8 overall and No. 5 among public schools. The Eccles School also ranks as the most diverse college in Utah, offering scholarship programs like First Ascent Scholars and the Opportunity Scholars program to support students in need. Students at the school gain real-world experience through internships and fellowships that are designed to positively impact the community while students learn.

“I am thrilled to continue working with students and faculty as dean of the Eccles School,” said Hayes, who received an MBA from the University of Colorado, and a Ph.D. from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. “This school has so much to offer, with such talented faculty and committed students. I am excited to keep that positive trajectory moving forward, and aim even higher.”