Aneil Mishra, Dean of College of Business and Economics, dies
By Murat Sari, contributing writer
Aneil Mishra, Dean of the College of Business and Economics and a respected member of Towson University’s community, died on Aug. 4. A long-standing love for academia, he spent much of his professional life in higher education.
“He really enjoyed teaching,” his wife Karen Mishra said. “He enjoyed learning himself, and helping students learn and grow and become the best version of themselves.”
Mishra joined TU as the CBE Dean in 2023. He aimed to foster student growth within the college, and started the Student Ambassador Program. The program aims to create opportunities for CBE students who want to enhance their communication, leadership skills and professional development opportunities.
“His academic area of expertise was ‘trustworthy leadership’ and he was always willing to put his research into practice through the mentorship of faculty and staff,” Judy Harris said. She’s the associate dean of the college and will serve as interim dean during this time. A search for a new CBE dean will commence later this fall, according to a university wide email on Aug. 12.
Mishra’s focus was on student growth. He told TU News when he first arrived at Towson that he wouldn’t be where he was if not for the interest faculty took in him during his undergraduate and graduate studies.
“That was one thing he was really passionate about,” Karen Mishra said. “Was also making sure that students were, you know, not only academically prepared but also prepared for careers.”
“He was eager to increase connections with the business community and to provide opportunities for students from all walks of life,” Harris said.
Before coming to TU, Mishra received his PhD in business administration from the University of Michigan. Mishra worked as the Dean of the School of Management at the University of Michigan-Flint and helped secure more than $250K for scholarships and internships.
“I’ve just heard from a lot of people since he passed away, about how much, you know, they just appreciated what a great mentor he was and how much he cared and how much he helped them and their careers,” Karen Mishra said. A former TU professor herself, she was married to Mishra for 39 years, and they had two children together, Maggie and Jack.
“The kindest person that you could ever meet,” Karen Mishra said. “He loved puns…there was somebody on Twitter who did this pun-of-the-day thing, so he was always sharing his favorite pun of the day with us.”
Mishra’s service took place on Sept. 1, and his obituary can be read here. His time at Towson was valued greatly by the programs and people he helped.
“He will be greatly missed,” Harris said.
Sarah Sternhagen contributed to this story.
