Valentina Salotti named new dean of Huntsman School

Utah State University introduced Valentina Salotti as the next dean of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at a reception on Sept. 18 at the L. Tom Perry Pavilion. The event also celebrated David Huntsman’s eight years of service on the university’s Board of Trustees.

Salotti, who will take over the role Jan. 1, 2027, comes to Utah State from Iowa State University, where she serves as senior associate dean for academic affairs at the Ivy College of Business after previously serving as associate dean for undergraduate programs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics, a master’s degree in banking and finance and a doctorate in finance, all from the University of Bologna in Italy, which she noted is the oldest university in the world, founded in 1088.

Salotti will be the second dean of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business since the business college was named nearly 20 years ago, following longtime dean Douglas Anderson.

In an interview with The Utah Statesman, Salotti said the appeal of Utah State began with its land-grant mission. Iowa State, like Utah State, is a land-grant institution, and Salotti said her own background as a first-generation college student shapes how she approaches the job.

“I see myself in the students,” Salotti said. “I really believe in the mission of a land-grant institution … and I think because of that, I’ve been more effective and just a better administrator, because you believe that you are part of something that is really transformative.”

She said a visit to Logan reinforced that sense of fit, particularly a lunch with a group of Huntsman students.

“The students at Huntsman are a very happy bunch,” Salotti said. “They also seem to be doing more than simply going to class … which is telling me that they feel like they belong to the business school, and they are having a really incredible experience.”

Salotti outlined three priorities for her first years as dean: improving student outcomes and internship opportunities, strengthening the school’s research output as part of Utah State’s status as an R1 institution, and deepening ties with industry and the state’s economic development efforts. She also said she wants to see the business school work more closely with other colleges across campus.

“It could be journalism, or it could be that you are an engineer,” Salotti said. “I think it would be a benefit for any student at Utah State to have the ability to be a specialist in their own discipline but also see how business is everywhere.”

Utah State Provost and Executive Vice President Chris Corcoran, who announced Salotti’s hiring to the Huntsman faculty and staff, said her experience at a similarly situated land-grant institution stood out during the search process.

“Iowa State is a very similar institution to us in a lot of ways,” Corcoran said. “I mean, the political climate there in the state is similar. The demographic makeup is similar, and so we knew that she could bring kind of a fresh perspective.”

At the reception, Corcoran read remarks from David Spalding, a former dean at Iowa State’s Ivy College of Business, crediting Salotti with launching new undergraduate and graduate programs, modernizing admissions and expanding online education during her time there. According to Spalding’s remarks, the Ivy College reached record enrollment by fall 2025 under her leadership, and its online MBA became the university’s largest online graduate program.

Corcoran also noted that Salotti, like him, is a first-generation college student. He noted that she shared a personal story with Huntsman students about not getting a banking job she had once been certain was hers. This setback eventually led her toward a doctoral program and an academic career instead.

“What I really found about myself is that what I love most, but also what I’m really good at, is creating opportunities for others to be successful,” Salotti said in her own remarks at the reception.

USU President Brad L. Mortensen, who also spoke at the reception, noted the timing of David Huntsman’s final meeting as a trustee coinciding with Salotti’s welcome. 

“I couldn’t be more pleased to be here,” Mortensen said. 

Huntsman, addressing the crowd, said he was confident in the university’s current leadership as he steps away from the board. 

“I’ve never been more hopeful in our leadership and our direction than I am today,” Huntsman said. 

Salotti will succeed interim dean Frank Caliendo, who has led the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business since Anderson’s departure and will continue in the role through the end of the year. 

“I can’t wait for Jan. 1 to come,” Salotti said.