Rajan is an alum of Bangalore University.
AB Wire
Jay Rajan, MBA, a business instructor, has been named Albright College’s new holder of the William E.C. and Mary Dearden Endowed Chair in Business.
An innovative educator, Rajan, who joined the College’s faculty in 2006, specializes in international marketing, consumer behavior, advertising and social media marketing. She spent 16 years in industry, working for major global advertising agencies, including Mindshare, J. Walter Thompson, Ogilvy and Bozell, and has handled media planning, digital media and strategic planning for global brands such as IBM, Unilever and Nike, according to a press release.
Prior to joining the Pennsylvania-based Albright faculty, Rajan taught marketing and consumer behavior at the University of Connecticut’s School of Business.
The Dearden Chair is named for alumni spouses William and Mary Dearden, classes of 1944 and 1946, respectively, who, in 1988, gave Albright $500,000, its then-largest gift by an individual. A former Albright trustee, William Dearden had served as chief executive officer of The Hershey Co. The Dearden family has continued to provide generous support of the College in the decades since.
As the holder of the Dearden Chair, Rajan will maintain the position for three years and serve as faculty adviser to the Society of Dearden Scholars, comprised of business, accounting and economics students with high academic accomplishments, who also demonstrate strength of character and leadership befitting a business leader of tomorrow.
Rajan will develop and coordinate, in conjunction with the Dearden Scholars, special events and programs for the society, including activities to enhance business education and bolster career and networking opportunities. She will also manage and administer the Dearden Honors Society endowed fund to support the activities of the society and its awards.
“I am honored to be named the holder of the William and Mary Dearden Chair in Business,” said Rajan, in a statement. “This role will give me an opportunity to work with our brightest business students. We will continue to create opportunities for our students by connecting with alumni and the corporate world through networking events.”
A native of India, Rajan earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Madras, and her masters of business administration from Bangalore University.
William Dearden, who came from humble beginnings, graduated from the Milton Hershey School and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Albright. He went on to graduate from Harvard School of Business. Milton Hershey once said that his fondest wish was that “one of my boys will come down from the hill and run my company.”
Dearden would fulfill that hope. He returned to Hershey and helped revitalize and revolutionize the chocolate company, even creating its first national advertising campaign and strategic plan. In 1976, Dearden was appointed CEO, and by his retirement in 1985, Hershey was the leading confectionery brand in the United States.
Dearden said his support for Albright was “like repaying a debt,” noting that he wouldn’t have been able to attend college without his scholarship to Albright.