Dr. Erika James

Biography

Erika H. James became dean of the Wharton School on July 1, 2020. A trained organizational psychologist, Dean James is a leading expert in crisis leadership, workplace diversity, and management strategy. Prior to her appointment at Wharton, she served as the John H. Harland Dean of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School from 2014 to 2020. An award-winning educator and accomplished consultant, Dean James has innovatively researched and paved the way for women's leadership education in corporate America. She has been instrumental in developing groundbreaking executive education programs, including the Women’s Leadership program at the University of Virginia’s Darden School. As a sought-after thought leader, Dean James's expertise has been quoted in various media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, and Bloomberg. She has been recognized as a powerful and influential woman in business education by Barron’s and Black Enterprise. In addition to her academic responsibilities, Dean James is a board member of Morgan Stanley and the Philadelphia Orchestra Kimmel Center, Inc. She also serves on the advisory board of Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management and is an executive board member of the Indian School of Business. Dean James holds a Ph.D. and master's degree in organizational psychology from the University of Michigan, as well as a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Pomona College of the Claremont Colleges.

Research Interests