"AI is going to be as profound as fire or electricity. Even if that's one-millionth true, we have to take it seriously."

In this episode of Inside the GMAT, GMAC Zach sits down with David Marchick, Dean of the Kogod School of Business at American University, to explore how business education is being reshaped by AI, career pivots, and the skills that truly matter over a lifetime.

Marchick reflects on his unconventional career path and how those experiences shape his student-first approach to leadership. He explains why "psychic income," not just financial return, drives his work in higher education, and why helping students experiment, fail, and grow outside the classroom is just as important as mastering core business fundamentals.

A major focus of the conversation is Kogod's rapid and award-winning integration of artificial intelligence into every aspect of the business school—from curriculum and faculty research to operations and student learning. Marchick shares how Kogod moved quickly to embed AI literacy across disciplines, partnered with tools like Perplexity, and created a culture where experimentation with emerging technology is encouraged rather than feared.

The discussion also tackles broader questions facing prospective students: how AI is changing leadership, why business degrees still matter in a non-linear career world, and how graduate education can empower creatives, career switchers, and non-traditional students to reinvent themselves. Marchick closes with advice for ambitious young professionals weighing business school, urging them to find the overlap between what they love, what they're good at, and where they're willing to keep learning—and relearning—over time.

About David Marchick:

David Marchick serves as Dean of the Kogod School of Business at American University. In this role, he leads the school's work to support more than 2,000 students and offer more than two dozen undergraduate and graduate degree and certification programs. He previously was an Adjunct Professor at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth University. 

Since Marchick took on the role of Dean in August 2022, the Kogod School of Business has unveiled major initiatives in sustainability, AI and entrepreneurship; raised more than the previous 10 years combined; attracted its largest-ever first-year undergraduate class; and almost doubled the number of endowed chairs for the school. Under Marchick's leadership, Kogod faculty and staff developed and implemented what Poets & Quants called "the most consequential AI transformation in business education."

Helpful links:

The Kogod School of Business: https://kogod.american.edu/

AU's Institute for Applied Artificial Intelligence: https://kogod.american.edu/iaai

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Personal Reflections
02:29 The Evolution of Business Education
05:35 AI's Impact on Business Schools
08:30 The Importance of Communication Skills
11:35 The Changing Landscape of Graduate Education
14:10 Integrating AI into the Curriculum
17:20 Real-World Applications of AI in Education
20:22 Preparing for the Future of Work
23:15 Advice for Aspiring Business Students
26:11 Future Initiatives at Kogod School of Business