In an email from the Office of the Provost to the Fordham community sent on April 11, Dennis C. Jacobs, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, announced Dean of the Gabelli School of Business (GSB) Donna Rapaccioli’s decision to vacate the position. Lerzan Aksoy, professor and associate dean of GSB, will serve as interim dean beginning July 1, 2022. 

Rapaccioli began her career at GSB in 1987 and assumed her role as dean in 2007. She served in this capacity for 15 years and will be stepping down effective June 30, 2022. 

“For more than fifteen years, Donna has advanced Fordham’s business programs through her distinguished service as Dean,” Jacobs said. “She is excited to now be able to return to the Gabelli faculty and devote herself anew to teaching, learning and research.” 

Rapaccioli explained that her decision to join GSB was motivated by her appreciation for students, faculty and staff at the institution, alongside her passion for teaching accounting and pursuing her research interests. 

She served as an adjunct instructor of accounting from 1987 to 1989 and was awarded tenure in 1993, where she was an assistant professor of accounting for six years and an associate professor of accounting for 15 years until accepting the position of dean of GSB. “I got to see the curiosity and passion of our students and faculty from a new lens. They were inquisitive and ready to make the world a better place through business,” she said about her time as dean. “I also was greatly motivated to work with our outstanding faculty to build an even stronger school.” 

In regards to her proudest accomplishments, Rapaccioli noted celebrating the achievements of students, faculty, alumni and her peer administrators. 

Rapaccioli also mentioned initiatives she partook in launching, such as the Responsible Business Coalition or the PVH Challenge, as well as mentorship from Mario Gabelli.

“When the faculty share with me the news of a recent publication or an excellent teaching outcome, or our administrators are able to support our students, I am overjoyed to witness their success,” she said.

She added that the launch of the doctoral program was also one of her proudest accomplishments.

Throughout her time as dean, her favorite memories include watching students provide real-world solutions to business challenges in competitive settings in events like the Gabelli School Consulting Cup or the Wharton Challenge. Rapaccioli also mentioned initiatives she partook in launching, such as the Responsible Business Coalition or the PVH Challenge, as well as mentorship from Mario Gabelli. 

Her successor, Lerzan Aksoy, began her career at Fordham in 2008. She started working alongside Rapaccioli during the time the Gabelli School was revising the undergraduate business core and implemented the integrated business core curriculum. Aksoy highlighted some of the accomplishments at GSB under Rapaccioli’s leadership, such as unifying the Graduate School of Business Administration and the undergraduate College of Business Administration, renaming GSB after a gift from Mario J. Gabelli, and establishing the Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center program. 

Aksoy described Rapaccioli as always handling pressure and adversity calmly and with compassion. She added that Rapaccioli finds value from all people and their input.

Aksoy believes that Rapaccioli’s vision, compassion and ethical leadership gave rise to her success. She emphasized that Rapaccioli is a champion of the mission of GSB, helping the college to rise in rankings.  

“She’s been a driving force behind the current mission of the Gabelli School of Business, which is to educate compassionate global business leaders who will use the power of business to move society forward,” she said. “This mission reflects the Jesuit ethos of Fordham and differentiates us as a business school.” 

Aksoy described Rapaccioli as always handling pressure and adversity calmly and with compassion. She added that Rapaccioli finds value from all people and their input. 

“She believes that all of us can make important contributions,” Aksoy said. “As part of that core belief, she encourages women to take on leadership roles.” 

In terms of her own personal accomplishments, Aksoy cited serving as the associate dean for undergraduate studies and strategic initiatives, working on launching the responsible business coalition and the American Innovation Index and Social Innovation Index.   

Her aim as the interim dean of the GSB is to continue the momentum during the transition period, cultivate external partnerships and build on the visibility of the school.

“I have big shoes to fill. My goal is to further build on the strong reputation of the Gabelli School,” she said. 

Joseph Marraccini, Gabelli School of Business at Fordham Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’22, is currently a student in Aksoy’s marketing strategy class. He praised her efforts to maintain classroom engagement and invite relevant guest speakers. 

He is most looking forward to Aksoy’s continuation of prioritizing students and implementing an innovative approach to GSB initiatives by emphasizing empathy and emotional intelligence.

“Dean Aksoy consistently keeps the class engaged by relating the textbook material to trending current events,” he said. “She encourages us to utilize the class to guide us and to learn as much as possible about not only the material, but ourselves as well.” 

He is most looking forward to Aksoy’s continuation of prioritizing students and implementing an innovative approach to GSB initiatives by emphasizing empathy and emotional intelligence. 

Quinnivan Raudat, GSBRH ’22 and another student in Aksoy’s marketing strategy class, hailed the course as one of her foremost class experiences at GSB. 

“My experience with her was probably one of the best experiences I’ve had at Gabelli,” she said. “She is a really wonderful teacher in a way in which she constantly wants to improve her teaching style, which I think is a rare trait to find your professors having.” 

Raudat explained that Aksoy welcomed feedback on topics ranging from guest speakers to midterm exams.

Raudat explained that Aksoy welcomed feedback on topics ranging from guest speakers to midterm exams. She noted a specific example in which the reception toward an anonymous Q&A feature utilized by the class to interact with a guest speaker was overwhelmingly positive, leading Aksoy to implement the feature in all future lectures.

“She does quick turnaround, and she wants adjustments. Whether the feedback is positive or negative, she wants it,” Raudat said. “I think she’ll end up being (someone) who’s constantly trying to improve and realize that we can keep working towards perfection. She knows that you don’t have to be comfortable with (what) you have — you can constantly be working on it.” 

She emphasized Aksoy’s ability to connect with students and create an environment of comfort, adding that “She goes beyond the traditional. There’s always a divide that exists between professors and students, and she has a great way of transcending that and bringing out the humanity of both sides.” 

In the next stages of her career, Rapaccioli looks forward to celebrating the achievements and accomplishments of others. 

“I truly hope to continue to help people in new ways. It brings me such joy to play a role, no matter how small, in someone else’s success,” she said.