I am pleased to share that Senior Associate Dean Aravind Chandrasekaran (AC) will begin a two-year term as interim dean of the Max M. Fisher College of Business effective June 1, pending approval by the Board of Trustees. He also will hold the John W. Berry, Sr. Chair in Business.
During my first few months at Ohio State, I have heard from many of Fisher’s highly engaged faculty, staff, students, alumni, friends and industry partners about their ambition for the college and its potential for continued growth. Fisher already is a strong business college, and even given its successes, it still has great capacity to strengthen its distinction and impact. In fact, Fisher’s upward trajectory is critical for Ohio State’s collective success and ambition to helping define the future of higher education under President Carter’s leadership.
Being mindful of the high aspiration we have for Fisher and needing to move quickly, I am thrilled to have Professor Chandrasekaran in place as the right leader for this moment. Drawing from his expertise in enhancing organizational performance and his positive energy and drive, AC will lead efforts alongside his colleagues, industry partners, alumni and friends to lay the groundwork for this bold vision. Under his leadership, Fisher will:
- Create an innovative undergraduate experience that builds entrepreneurial confidence and capability in Fisher’s students through experiential learning infused into the curriculum, industry connection and AI applications.
- Nurture, retain and hire thought leaders and industry luminaries to be on our faculty at Fisher.
- Enhance and deepen connections with industry — ensuring Fisher is a business college for businesses by sharing knowledge, expanding the college’s recruiting pipelines of well-trained undergraduate and graduate students, and providing exemplary executive education and training for working professionals.
- Envision and commence the future of the college’s physical environment to ensure it can provide the stellar learning and collaboration spaces its students, faculty, staff and partners deserve.
A Fisher Distinguished Professor of Operations in the Department of Operations and Business Analytics, AC has earned the respect of colleagues and students alike since he joined the faculty in 2009. His research focuses on health care operations, product and process innovation, AI and operational excellence, and organizational learning and ambidexterity. As the college’s senior associate dean, he leads several critical areas at Fisher, including faculty life, research and non-degree executive education.
He has received several external awards for his excellence in scholarship, and he has published two books and authored numerous articles in academic journals. His previous leadership roles at the college include serving as associate dean for graduate programs and executive education, associate dean for executive education, and academic director of the Master of Business Operational Excellence program.
I want to thank Trevor Brown for his service as Fisher’s interim dean over the past year, and I appreciate the commitment of the search advisory committee, chaired by Damon Jaggars, vice provost and dean for University Libraries, as well as the numerous stakeholders who have been involved in this important search.
Please join me in welcoming AC to his new role. Guided by his leadership, and with support from all of you, the college will expand its success and accelerate the advancement of President Carter’s vision.
Ravi V. Bellamkonda
Executive Vice President and Provost