Mark Zupan has long fought the brain drain at the UA and tried to save the Eller College of Business and Public Administration from losing its ranking as one of the top 25 business colleges in the country by finding ways to retain faculty.

But soon Zupan, dean of the business college, will be leaving, too.

In an e-mail addressed to faculty and staff Monday, Zupan announced that he will be leaving the UA Jan. 1 to accept a position as the dean of the University of Rochester's William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration.

In the e-mail, Zupan said, "Less than five years is insufficient time to have a meaningful impact. More than 10 years and the institution needs new blood while the individual needs to find new challenges to tackle."

Zupan came to the UA over six years ago from the University of Southern California, where he had served as the associate dean of the MBA program and taught economics.

Among the things that Zupan cited in his e-mail as his accomplishments at the UA was his work to help instate differential tuition fees within the college.

Zupan's call for a $500 fee for in-state business students and a $1,000 fee for out-of-state business students, which was approved by the Arizona Board of Regents approved the fees with a close 5-3 vote, set a precedent by establishing the first undergraduate program fees in UA history.

Zupan also cited his work to help decrease the brain drain.

"Faculty retention is one of the greatest things we need to work on," Zupan said in February.

As Zupan explained the details of his work at the UA, he maintained a positive outlook regarding the business college's progress toward achieving that goal, saying "We have been able to make some marvelous additions to our ranks thanks to a combination of fundraising, differential fees, and a new institutional commitment to rebuilding those ranks through University tuition increases."

"This progress should continue with some appropriate execution," he added.

Zupan has been out of town when he made the announcement and could not be reached for comment Monday or Tuesday, but President Pete Likins said the University of Rochester "made him an offer he could not easily refuse."

"Mark has been a superb dean for the Eller College, and a valued friend and colleague. I wish him every success at the University of Rochester · " Likins said.

Zupan was born in Rochester, and his mother earned her doctorate from the University of Rochester.

Until Jan. 1, Zupan will continue to take an active role to "ensure a productive and seamless transition."