E. LaBrent Chrite has been appointed the ninth president of Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts. When he takes office on June 1. Dr. Chrite will be the first African American to serve as president of Bentley University in its 104-year history.
The university, with a curriculum heavily weighted toward business disciplines, enrolls more than 4,200 undergraduate students and slightly less than 1,100 graduate students, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Department of Education. African Americans make up just 3 percent of the undergraduate student body.
“I believe the beauty of business lies in its ability to create solutions to human problems,” said Dr. Chrite. “A Bentley University education weaves together business skills with the arts and sciences and empowers students to transform business, society, and their communities. I’m excited to join Bentley and build upon this mission.”
Since 2019, Dr. Chrite has served as president of Bethune-Cookman University, a historically Black educational institution in Daytona Beach, Florida. Before taking on that position, he was dean of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. Previously, Dr. Chrite served as dean at Montclair State University in New Jersey. He has also taught strategic management, leadership, and international business classes at the University of Arizona and the University of Michigan.
A native of Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Chrite is a graduate of Michigan State University, where he majored in community health services. He holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Missouri and a Ph.D. in management from the University of Michigan.
Bentley is a strong school for those wanting to go into accounting. Babson is perhaps a bit more well-rounded with strengths in entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, and management.