Dennis A. Ahlburg, dean of the Leeds School of Business. (Photo/Casey A. Cass)

One of the factors that attracted Dennis A. Ahlburg to the Leeds School of Business was a spirit of success.

"There is a sense of 'we're going to figure out how to do this; it doesn't matter what obstacles we face,'" said Ahlburg who became the dean of the Leeds School in August. That spirit will be critical as Ahlburg begins an ambitious agenda of enhancing the Leeds School to fulfill its enormous potential and become one of the great business schools in the world.

High on Ahlburg's priority list is working collaboratively across the university. Ahlburg is impressed by the "great ideas" that he sees coming out of CU research labs and centers. "There's something about this place that attracts incredible people," Ahlburg said, and he wants to help "see these great ideas to market" when Leeds School can provide expertise.

His other priorities are a new addition to and renovation of the Leeds School building, increasing financial support for the school and increasing diversity.

Ahlburg came to the Leeds School from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota where he was senior associate dean, the IR Landgrant Professor of Human Resources and Industrial Relations and the Fesler-Lampert Chair in Urban and Regional Affairs.

The author of more than 100 academic articles and books and the recipient of more than 30 research grants, Ahlburg has received many honors and awards including a 1975 Fulbright Fellowship. He also has been a Visiting Professor at the Australian National University and the University of Southampton (UK) and the Program on Population at the East-West Center. Ahlburg has consulted extensively with a variety of prominent organizations including the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Bank and the governments of Great Britain and Australia.

Ahlburg's research interests include demographic economics, forecasting, labor economics and the economics of higher education.

While at the Carlson School, he had administrative responsibilities for faculty and research, budget, human resources, executive development, information technology, learning excellence and the Ph.D. program.

A native of Australia, Dean Ahlburg received his bachelor's in economics with first class honors from the University of Sydney, a master's in economics from the Australian National University, and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Ahlburg's wife, Penelope Harley, is an attorney specializing in alternative dispute resolution and restorative justice.