Since becoming dean of Rutgers Business School in 2015, Lei has built a national model for equitable student success — one that delivers exceptional return on investment while expanding access, opportunity and upward mobility. Her leadership reflects Rutgers University’s public mission at its best: opening doors, preparing students for high-impact careers and ensuring that talent, not background, determines outcomes.
Under Lei’s leadership, Rutgers Business School has placed career readiness at the center of the student experience.
The flagship Road to Wall Street program — which has achieved a 100 percent internship placement rate for five consecutive years — has expanded into a broader Road to Success portfolio that now includes Road to Silicon Valley, Road to Consulting, Road to CPA and Road to Supply Chain Leadership. Together, these programs connect high-performing students on both campuses with alumni, employers, mentorship and experiential learning that make graduates job ready from day one.
Those outcomes are measurable beyond the university.
Rutgers Business School consistently ranks among the nation’s leaders for return on investment, including a Bloomberg Businessweek ranking of No. 7 nationally for annualized MBA ROI and No. 5 among public universities for total 10 year net ROI, outperforming many traditionally elite institutions.
Lei has also focused on removing structural barriers to degree completion. In 2025, she launched the On-Time Graduation Initiative, providing scholarships that allow working students to reduce work hours and graduate without extending their time to earn their degree. Her commitment to inclusive leadership is further reflected in the growth of the Center for Women in Business and the Institute for Corporate Social Innovation.
Across education, industry partnership and student outcomes, Lei has redefined what it means to lead a public business school. That is why she is No. 1 among business school deans in the 2026 BINJE’s Best: Higher Education rankings.
