Fairfield, Conn. – Dr. Rupendra Paliwal has been named interim dean of Sacred Heart University’s John F. Welch College of Business. The associate dean for Academic Affairs at the College since last year, he succeeds Dr. John J. Petillo, who was named the interim president of Sacred Heart University in October. The new appointment was announced by Dr. Thomas V. Forget, Sacred Heart University’s academic vice president and provost, who noted that Dr. Paliwal is a popular teacher and respected researcher at the Welch College of Business.

Dr. Paliwal earned his undergraduate degree in engineering in his native India where he also received an MBA in Finance. For three years, he worked on the National Stock Exchange of India before beginning studies at the University of Connecticut leading to his Ph.D. in Finance. He has taught courses in Financial Management, International Financial Management, and Derivatives and Risk Management. He has presented his research at national and international conferences and published in the area of Mergers and Acquisitions.

He has also led the College’s preparation of its report to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in preparation for its reaccreditation visit. The AACSB is the “gold standard” of business education, accrediting only about five percent of the schools of business in the world.

Dr. Petillo welcomed the announcement as “a strong indication of the quality of our people and our programs. Dr. Paliwal brings to this position a world-class education and a sensitivity to the realities of the global market place that position us for continued leadership in business education.”