Alex McKelvie is Interim Dean at the Whitman School of Management. Prior to that appointment, he was Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Master’s Education for four years. In that role, he led Whitman’s efforts to create new partnerships with other schools across the Syracuse University campus, offer innovative and impactful learning experiences for students, diversify the student body and grow new programs. These efforts led to record high rankings for Whitman’s undergraduate and MBA programs, among other positive outcomes.
Prior to his role as associate dean, he was the Chair of the Department of Entrepreneurship & Emerging Enterprises (EEE). During his term as Chair, the EEE program experienced a period of growth and innovation. The program received national and international recognition for excellence in research and educational programming as well.

Since his arrival at Syracuse in 2007, McKelvie has taught a broad array of courses dealing with different aspects of entrepreneurship, including strategic planning, growth, new venture development, family business, and corporate entrepreneurship. He has also taken a leading role in developing and teaching world-class programs, including designing new courses and training programs for Syracuse University’s Institute for Veteran and Military Families.

McKelvie has received teaching awards from Syracuse University, the Whitman School of Management, the EEE department, and his former university in Sweden. In 2020, he was named a Justin Longenecker Fellow from USASBE, the highest honor they provide for contributions to support SMEs. He has worked with many entrepreneurial startups across the US, Sweden, and other places around the world.

His research deals with questions regarding two main areas: how and why do firms grow and how do entrepreneurs make decisions with an emphasis on factors such as opportunities, dealing with uncertainty, effectuation, failure, and addiction. McKelvie’s research has received a number of major international awards, including the best doctoral dissertation in entrepreneurship from the National Federation of Independent Businesses and multiple awards at leading entrepreneurship conferences. McKelvie has published his work in the most influential entrepreneurship journals and he is on the editorial review boards of multiple journals such as Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of Management, Journal of Management Studies, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, and Family Business Review. His work has also been profiled in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Inc. Magazine, among other outlets. He is a Fortune Insider and on the CNBC Disruptor Advisory Council.

Featured Media Coverage:
Whitman Rises 7 Spots in the U.S. News & World Report Undergraduate Business Ranking to No. 40
Whitman School of Management Ranked No. 2 Globally for Entrepreneurship Research Productivity
Whitman School’s MBA Program Ranked No. #1 Private School Nationally by Bloomberg for Return on Investment
South Side Innovation Center Received $1M for Modernizing Facilities
Syracuse’s Whitman School Online MBA Program Highly Ranked in 2024 Princeton Review
Letter from the Dean
Syracuse University’s Whitman School Receives Insight Into Diversity Magazine’s 2024 Inspiring Programs in Business Award
Poets&Quants Ranks Whitman’s Undergraduate Program No. 36 in the Nation
Whitman Joins SU Partnership to Provide Seamless Admission to Business School for OCC Graduates
’CUSE50 Summit at Whitman Brings Award-Winning Alumni Together with Entrepreneurial-Minded Students
Syracuse University Business Programs Highly Ranked in 2024 Princeton Review Entrepreneurship Rankings
Message from the Dean
Interim Dean Alexander McKelvie: Leadership Through an Entrepreneurial Lens
New Leadership Structure Announced at Whitman School; J. Michael Haynie to Serve as Executive Dean, Alexander McKelvie to Continue Service as Interim Dean
Nass Family Gift Establishes Business and Mental Health Initiative at Whitman School

Syracuse University’s Falk College and Whitman School Dual Degree in Sport Management and Business
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