D’Amore-McKim School of Business, or DMSB, Dean David De Cremer and College of Engineering, or COE, Dean Gregory Abowd will leave their positions July 1, according to internal emails obtained by The Huntington News.
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Beth Winkelstein announced Jan. 12 in an email to DMSB faculty and staff that De Cremer has a “serious medical issue that necessitates extended medical leave.”
“In consultation with his doctors and family, Dean De Cremer has made the decision to step down from the Dunton Family Deanship effective July 1, 2026,” the email reads.
Deputy Dean Rajesh Aggarwal, who joined Northeastern in 2014 as a professor of finance and started as deputy dean in 2024, is currently serving in the interim role while De Cremer is on leave.
An email Winkelstein sent Jan. 13 to COE faculty and staff announcing Abowd’s departure, obtained by The News, did not specify the reason for his exit.
Abowd joined the university in 2021 after 26 years as a faculty member at Georgia Institute of Technology. As the 11th highest-paid employee at the university, Abowd was compensated $687,080 in the 2024 fiscal year, according to Northeastern’s Form 990.
Winkelstein thanked Abowd and wished him success in future endeavors.
“Over the coming weeks, I will share more information about the next steps regarding the launch of a global search and interim leadership for COE, if needed, until such time as the search is concluded,” the email from Winkelstein reads.
In response to a request for comment, Northeastern’s media relations department said the university “does not comment on personnel matters.”
A week after Winkelstein announced De Cremer’s departure, faculty senate representatives emailed DMSB faculty on Jan. 22, offering them the opportunity to view a report detailing faculty approval ratings compiled by the senate’s Administrator Evaluation Oversight Committee. The committee, which was made up of Northeastern faculty members outside of DMSB, developed an overall evaluation of De Cremer as a part of his third-year review.
The report, obtained by The News, details the results of an anonymous questionnaire sent to DMSB faculty Oct. 2 measuring their opinions on the dean. When asked whether De Cremer should remain in his current position, only 31% of 126 respondents answered yes. Of the remaining respondents, 47% said no, 21.6% answered “Not sure” and 7.8% did not respond to the question.
According to the college’s website, there are 221 faculty members at DMSB, less than half of whom are tenure track or tenured.
Approximately 25 to 30 respondents noted deficiencies in De Cremer’s leadership capabilities and communication with faculty. Comments included criticisms of his alleged interest in self-promotion over institutional service and concerns over a toxic work environment and his fundraising capabilities.
“The qualitative portion of the evaluation (i.e., respondent comments) suggests that, while the Dean has some accomplishments, particularly around college vision and Al integration, there are significant concerns about execution of his vision, operational effectiveness, resource allocation, communications, fundraising, institutional reputation, employee morale, personnel decisions, and advocacy that need to be addressed for the college to thrive going forward,” the conclusion of the report reads.
Eleven respondents explicitly called for De Cremer’s resignation or replacement. Of these respondents, one said that De Cremer’s resignation is “essential for the college to move forward.”
De Cremer’s total compensation amounted to $583,291 in the 2024 fiscal year, according to the university’s Form 990. He came to Northeastern in July 2023 from the National University of Singapore Business School, where he was provost chair and a professor of management.
Respondents who indicated that De Cremer should remain dean cited his visionary leadership, focus on AI, clear vision and strong communication skills.
“Much appreciation for his intellectual courage and his contribution beyond his personal interests to the school and the university. Great ambassador of NU” one comment reads.