In this issue of STERNbusiness we mark the passing of Peter Drucker, the prolific and brilliant management theorist who spent the most productive portion of his remarkably long and influential career at New York University Graduate School of Business Administration, as Stern was then known.

Drucker had a transformative impact on the field of management, and on the broader business culture, because he was a creative and innovative thinker who did not confine his analysis to the standard theories of the day. While he spent much of his career based at universities – he taught at the School from 1950 to 1971 – he never fit conveniently into the academic mold.

Whether the topic was the impact of technology or the management of large corporations, he always offered a bold and fresh viewpoint – one in which close observation and experience informed theory. The same process worked in reverse. Through his writings, teaching, consulting, and lectures, Drucker brought theory and academic research outside the walls of the university to an extraordinarily broad audience.

Drucker encapsulated much of what we regard as our mission at NYU Stern – bringing together the best of academic research and real-world experience to provide the best business education to the brightest business students. It’s a mission we’re uniquely positioned to carry out by virtue of our location in New York. We see New York, in all its complexity and dynamism, as our classroom. In and around the city, the huge concentration of companies, managers, and executives serves as a vast source of knowledge – and as an audience eager for the future talent we provide.

As seen in this issue’s alumni pages, Stern is actively connecting with a community that spans the globe. But we also have our sights set closer to home. In September, our Langone Part-time MBA Program, which already offers evening and weekend-only options at our Washington Square Campus, will return to Westchester County. This location will make it more convenient for working professionals in the area to advance their careers without stepping away from them. Students in Westchester will benefit from the same excellent curriculum and faculty and receive the same degree as all NYU Stern MBA students.

Making it easier for busy professionals to integrate a first-rate business education into their working lives is the sort of project that would surely have intrigued Peter Drucker. With this issue, we honor his legacy and contributions to the School and to the communities we serve, and we highlight the many exciting efforts and initiatives underway at Stern.

Thomas F. Cooley
Dean