Ali R. Malekzadeh is coming home—in an educational sense. Malekzadeh, who was named the dean of the Williams College of Business in April, grew up attending a Jesuit school for 12 years in his native Iran. Now he brings his accumulated experience, scholarship and knowledge back into a Jesuit setting.

Malekzadeh (pronounced mal-ek-za-day) has studied and worked at universities across the United States. Most recently, he served as dean and professor of management at the G.R. Herberger College of Business at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn. There, he made it a top priority to expand and strengthen external relations with the business community.

University President Michael J. Graham, S.J., likes Malekzadeh’s commitment to the study of business in the broader context of a liberal arts education.

“That kind of integration results in graduates who are not only trained in their field, but who also bring a high level of communication skills and ethical standards to the business world,” Graham says.