Inaugural Dean Appointed for Warehime School of Business

Caddie Putnam Rankin, associate professor of business management, has helped lead the process of designing the school’s mission, composition, and curriculum over the past two years.

 The Warehime School of Business will welcome its first class of students later this month when the Class of 2030 arrives on campus. In preparation, Washington College has named Dr. Caddie Putnam Rankin as the founding dean for the interdisciplinary business school.

“Over the past several years, Caddie has led the evolution of the Warehime School of Business,” said Washington College President Bryan Matthews ’75 M’86 P’12. “She shaped the school’s academic vision and developed an innovative curriculum that prepares students to lead in a rapidly changing global economy while remaining grounded in the enduring values of a liberal arts education. Having helped envision the Warehime School of Business from its earliest stages, Caddie is uniquely qualified to serve as its inaugural dean.”

Previously, Putnam Rankin served as associate dean of the business program and chair of the business management department. Her research explores corporate social responsibility, organizational legitimacy, professionalization, and the role of business as a force for positive social impact.

Putnam Rankin earned her Ph.D. in Organizational Sociology from Emory University in 2011. In addition to courses on corporate social responsibility, she teaches strategic management and nonprofit management.

Established by a historic $15 million gift from alumna Beth Warehime Rizakos ‘13, the Warehime School of Business is set to become a regional anchor for business innovation, offering its graduates a launchpad to become ethical, globally minded, impact-driven leaders.

"The extraordinary generosity of Beth Warehime and her family has made it possible for Washington College to build a new model for business education," Putnam Rankin said. "The Warehime School of Business will prepare students not only to succeed in today’s economy, but to shape tomorrow’s. By activating the liberal arts through interdisciplinary learning, global experiences, and hands-on engagement with industry and communities, we are empowering graduates to become innovative thinkers, principled decision-makers, and catalysts for meaningful change."

The Warehime School includes the Department of Business Management, the Department of Economics, the Department of World Languages and Cultures, and the interdisciplinary International Studies program, creating a distinctive academic environment where students connect business with economics, culture, policy, language, technology, and the humanities.

This fall also marks another major milestone as construction begins on the Warehime School of Business's new home. Located on the former Quad residence hall site, the state-of-the-art facility will be designed to foster collaboration, innovation, experiential learning, and global engagement. Flexible classrooms, collaborative workspaces, and technology-enabled learning environments will bring students, faculty, entrepreneurs, and industry partners together to tackle real-world challenges while embodying the School's mission: activating the liberal arts to inspire business innovation. global leadership, and social impact.