New business dean focuses on mission

Cary A. Caro, Ph.D., focuses on opportunity, access, and readiness.

When Cary A. Caro, Ph.D., La Salle University's new dean of the School of Business, first visited Philadelphia, he was struck by its vibrancy.

"From Rittenhouse Square to Queens Village and Bella Vista and Fishtown-they're all so different," he said. "And Philly is such a passionate place. I'm a huge sports fan, and transitioning from Louisiana's collegiate sports culture to a professional sports culture is huge."

Caro found a similar vibrancy and passion at La Salle.

"There's a story to tell here," he said. "That's what ultimately drew me to the University, to its mission, to its people, and to its students. We take jobs at places like La Salle because we're called to mission-centric endeavors."

As Caro reflected on his plans as dean, he said it starts with a lot of listening-to students, to faculty, to alumni, and to the business community.

"I want people to see I'm someone who is not very different from you. I love sports. I'm very connected to my family. I believe in the power of friendship. I love to eat," said Caro, whose tenure at La Salle began in August 2025 after serving as professor and chair of the Division of Business at Xavier University of Louisiana. "I want people to come by and ask questions and work alongside me."

Three priorities will frame Caro's days:

First is ensuring La Salle's curriculum aligns with industry needs.

"Are we meeting the goals of this dramatically changing economy with the growth of artificial intelligence, technology, and data transformations?" Caro asked. That means bringing corporate partners in to look at the curriculum and identify gaps. "We need to ensure that as industry changes, La Salle is at the forefront of that level of innovation."

The second priority is engaging alumni to create that sense of community, that sense of belonging, that brings alumni back.

"They are the lifeline of who we are," Caro said. "They are our legacy."

His third priority is to get out and tell the La Salle story to anyone willing to listen, "Building strong business relationships is critical. I want La Salle to resonate with individuals because of the work we are doing," Caro said.

As La Salle students engage with corporate America and local entities, Caro said, "they receive opportunities to solve ethical and spiritual problems, to think critically through the lens of our mission. The world needs individuals who can see problems and understand the right approach-the Lasallian approach-to solve them. As faculty members, as administrators, as a university, we must model what that means, what it means to be La Salle. That brings value back to our community."

The long-term "critical mission No. 1," Caro said, is to graduate and place La Salle students. Caro is a second-generation Mexican-American whose parents enabled him to dream big- including fulfilling his childhood desire to attend Notre Dame. He wants similar educational opportunity for all La Salle students so they are career-ready at graduation.

"Education is the first major investment you make as an individual on your own," Caro said. "I want every student to understand the high value of a mission-centric La Salle education."

By Carol R. Cool