Gurpreet S. Dhillon Named College of Business Administration Dean

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) has named Gurpreet S. Dhillon, Ph.D., the next dean of the College of Business Administration (CBA), effective Jan. 12, 2026, pending approval by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

Dhillon, who currently serves as the G. Brint Ryan Endowed Chair of AI and Cybersecurity at the University of North Texas, brings more than two decades of international leadership and research experience to UNO.

• Phil He, Ph.D., Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs: “Dr. Dhillon brings a rare blend of scholarly distinction, innovative vision, and global leadership. His work at the intersection of business, technology, and society, combined with his commitment to community and workforce development, positions him exceptionally well to advance UNO’s metropolitan mission.”
• Gurpreet S. Dhillon, Ph.D., Incoming UNO CBA Dean: “UNO’s metropolitan mission and its commitments to access, innovation, and community engagement align deeply with my professional values. Business education must prepare students to lead in an era defined by digital transformation, global interdependence, and rapid technological change. I look forward to working with faculty, staff, students, and community partners to create opportunities that elevate both the region and our graduates.”

Over the past two decades, Dhillon has held academic appointments and leadership roles across the United States, Europe, and Asia, building a distinguished record in business education, research leadership, and multidisciplinary innovation.

Career highlights:

• Earned a Ph.D. in Information Systems from the London School of Economics and an Honorary Doctorate from Örebro University, Sweden.
• Author of more than a dozen books, including a best-selling graduate textbook on cybersecurity.
• Published over 100 research papers across top-tier academic journals.
• Research featured in national and international media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, CNN, NBC News, and NPR.
• Recognized among the top 2% of researchers in his discipline by Stanford University.
• Ranked in the top 0.05% of global scholars by Scholar GPS.
• Holds the No. 29 global ranking in Information Security for career-long scholarly impact.

Dhillon succeeds Interim Dean Steve Schulz, Ph.D., who has led the college for the past year.