By Colin Young and Gal Tziperman Lotan, News Staff

Thomas Moore, the recently retired dean of the College of Business Administration (CBA) and graduate of Northeastern’s MBA program, died June 15, university president Joseph Aoun announced in an email to students last Thursday.

Mr. Moore announced he was resigning in January, citing medical reasons. Moore was a husband, father and Naval veteran of the Vietnam War.

“I was always personally grateful for Tom’s willingness to work beyond the scope of his college,” Aoun said in the email. “He constantly provided me with ideas on a range of university-wide issues including online education, global experiential programs, and strategic partnerships.”

Mr. Moore became dean in 2004. Prior to that he worked at Babson College and the Arthur D. Little School of Management, and served as a Northeastern CBA associate dean and acting dean starting in 1975.

In his six years as CBA dean, Mr. Moore overhauled the university’s Master’s of Business Administration program to include an online curriculum and expanded the Bachelor of Science in International Business (BSIB) program. He taught marketing courses to undergraduate and graduate students and pushed the Social Enterprise Institute, through which students can seek work in developing nations.

“Tom wanted our students and our faculty to be successful,” William Crittenden, senior associate dean of the College of Business Administration, said in an email to The News. “He worked hard to gain and channel resources into programs and activities that would enhance the college’s reputation and our students’ marketability. The trajectory of CBA’s external rankings and reputation are evidence of his achievements.”

CBA’s undergraduate program was ranked 56th nationwide in the 2011 US News and World Report rankings. The BSIB program consistently climbed national rankings during Moore’s tenure as dean.

“Tom was a great guy,” Harry Lane, acting dean of the college, said in a university statement. “He put the college on a trajectory for tremendous success. He was very entrepreneurial, particularly in developing our online programs. He was a good manager also. He understood people’s strengths and he put in place an excellent management team and empowered them.”

Aoun hosted a reception Saturday to honor and remember Mr. Moore. Colleagues from the university and across the country attended.

“Tom lived life to the fullest, and he made an enormous impact on so many people he worked with here,” Kate Klepper, CBA’s associate dean of graduate business programs, said in a statement. “He cared deeply about education, and was a wonderful example of how to be a great leader.”

A university search committee began looking for a new dean in December but has yet to announce a selection. Lane, a professor of international business and director of the Institute of Global Innovation Management, is as acting dean.

A memorial service for Mr. Moore was held in Brookline Saturday. Mr. Moore leaves his wife, Carol; daughter, Kimberly Nolan; brother, John Moore; as well as nieces and nephews.