After an almost year-long search, Bentley University announced on March 17 that Dr. E. LaBrent Chrite has been named our school’s new president.
Dr. Chrite is the ninth to take over the position in 104 years, as well as the first Black president of the university. He got his BA from Michigan State University, MS from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and PhD from the University of Michigan. Previously, he was the dean of the business schools at the University of Denver and Montclair State University, where he worked with inner-city high schools to introduce students to business opportunities at the latter. His most recent position was president of Bethune-Cookman University from 2019 to 2021. This new appointment at Bentley is the result of the Presidential Search Committee’s meticulous process to find the most qualified candidate, which concluded with a vote to confirm the next president—and was unanimously in support of Dr. Chrite.
Dr. Chrite’s background as a leader and visionary shows why he was chosen for the role: he has made an impact both in higher education and in communities across the world. In his work at past universities, he led strategies to bolster success with a strong resemblance to Bentley’s own “triple bottom line” values. His research and work to improve business education has brought him all over the globe, including Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Namibia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and the Tohono O’odhom Nation in Arizona. The emphasis of Dr. Chrite’s work is using business to be be a force for good and a sustainable solution to issues like poverty, economic development, and education reform.
Bentley will be in good hands with Dr. Chrite as president. Going forward, the goal will be to help students develop into successful business people that can lead positive change and make our world better, something he has already dedicated much of his own career to. This new era for Bentley will officially start on June 1.
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