Dr. Brent Chrite has been named the first-ever Black president of Bentley... Bentley University, that is, in Waltham, Massachusetts. Dr. Chrite is an experienced higher education leader who believes business can change lives for the better. He served most recently as the president of Bethune-Cookman University (2019-2021) and dean of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver (2014-2019).
Over the course of his career, Dr. Chrite has helped governments, universities, and foundations to develop programs and research initiatives aimed at bolstering emerging markets, entrepreneurism, and capital development and reducing poverty. He has worked to strengthen economic conditions and improve business education around the world, including in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Namibia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and for the Tohono O’odhom Nation on the Sells Reservation in Arizona.Dr. Chrite believes strongly that business can be a powerful force to solve problems that plague humanity.
As the president of Bethune-Cookman University, Dr. Chrite led the institution through an accreditation review that strengthened institutional governance and fiscal integrity. Under his leadership, the university secured continued accreditation while eliminating deficits and achieving institutional stability. In partnership with the university’s faculty senate, he overhauled faculty governance and consolidated academic units to allow more efficient operations and administrative leadership.
While serving as dean of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver, Dr. Chrite oversaw the development of a strategic plan aligned with the changing higher education landscape, leading to new programs as well as increased enrollment, student satisfaction, and revenues.
Bentley University has been educating business-minded students since Harry C. Bentley first convened 30 accounting students on Huntington Avenue in Boston in 1917. From those humble beginnings, they’ve continuously adapted to become one of the top business universities in the U.S. for over 100 years.
Learn more about Bentley University at Bentley.edu