Economist Garth Saloner will be the next dean of Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, the university announced Tuesday.

Saloner will succeed the current dean of 10 years, Robert Joss, starting in September.

"Garth Saloner helped to lead the development and transition to a new curriculum that is truly reinventing the path to an M.B.A.," Provost John Etchemendy said. "As dean, Garth will ably continue the momentum generated by Dean Joss and maintain the research excellence of our business school."

Saloner, who joined the Stanford faculty in 1990, is the Jeffrey S. Skoll professor of Electronic Commerce, Strategic management and Economics, and a director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Graduate School of Business.

He was one of the founders of the Stanford Computer Industry Project, a study of the worldwide computer industry, and a founder of the center for Electronic Business and commerce.

He received M.S. in statistics, an A.M. in economics and a Ph.D. in economics, business and public policy from Stanford University between 1978 and 1982.

Much of his current research has been focused on how established and start-up businesses set and change strategy.

Saloner is one of only two faculty members to have won the Distinguished Teaching Award at the Stanford Business School twice, first in 1993 and again in 2008. He has taught courses in entrepreneurship, electronic commerce, strategic management, industry analysis and competitive strategy to students around the world.

"His (Saloner) scholarship in the areas of entrepreneurship and electronic commerce is particularly pertinent to our times and the global economy," Stanford University President John Hennessy said.

The Stanford Graduate School of Business has more than 800 students, 100 faculty members and 50 lecturers and visitors. The school is currently building a new 360,000-square-foot campus -- the Knight Management Center -- to be completed by 2011.

— Kris Young