H. Rao Unnava has been reappointed as the dean of the Graduate School of Management and will serve a second five-year term, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Croughan announced Thursday (July 15). Concurrent with his administrative role, he will continue to serve as a professor in the school, focusing on issues related to brand loyalty, consumer response to advertising and sales promotions, and consumer memory.

In a letter announcing Unnava’s reappointment as dean, Croughan said, “Chancellor May and I are pleased that Rao has agreed to continue to serve the GSM and the university in this capacity. His deep knowledge of the many facets of business education, his vision, his energy, and his passionate devotion to advancing excellence at UC Davis will continue to be invaluable assets as we continue to move forward.”

Croughan also expressed gratitude to the review committee and the many faculty members, staff, students, alumni, fellow deans and others who provided input on Unnava’s past performance as dean. She noted that the feedback was “unequivocal and enthusiastic about his reappointment.”

Under Unnava’s leadership, the Graduate School of Management has expanded its offerings to include the first online MBA program in the UC system. It has also added industry-specific immersion experiences in areas including food and agriculture, biotechnology, energy efficiency, and technology finance. In addition, the GSM has partnered with other colleges and schools within UC Davis to develop innovative programs such as the Foundations of Veterinary Business program and the National Veterinary Entrepreneurship Academy, both in conjunction with the School of Veterinary Medicine.

Croughan said she is looking forward to seeing more innovations and even greater success at the school under Unnava’s leadership in the years to come.

Unnava came to UC Davis in 2016 after 32 years at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business, where he earned his Ph.D in business administration. He received his Post Graduate Diploma in management from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and his Bachelor of Technology degree in electronics engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad, India.

One of the founders of Angi (formerly Angie’s List), Unnava serves on the board of directors of the American Marketing Association and the board of directors of the Bay Area Council, the largest business-centric public policy organization in the San Francisco region.