IIT-Delhi alumnus named dean of Cornell's management school

New York, May 9 (IANS) Indian-American professor and IIT-Delhi alumnus Vishal Gaur has been named the Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean of the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management in Cornell University.

Gaur, who is the Emerson Professor of Manufacturing Management and professor of operations, technology and information management, will begin his role from July 1, a University statement said.

Gaur joined the Cornell faculty in 2007 and previously served as associate dean for MBA programs at the Johnson School.

"Vishal has demonstrated his outstanding commitment to the Johnson School time and again, as a distinguished scholar, as an award-winning educator and especially as an effective leader. I couldn't be more pleased that he'll lead the school into its next phase," Cornell SC Johnson College of Business Dean, Andrew Karolyi, said.

Gaur's research focuses on data-driven analysis of problems in supply chains, retailing, e-commerce and marketplace operations.

He created a method for benchmarking inventory turnover performance of firms, and his current projects involve the reduction of food waste and supply chain risk, according to the University statement.

"The Johnson School is a leader in graduate business education and scholarship. I'm really excited to work towards the mission of the school," Gaur said in a statement.

As associate dean for MBA programs from 2014-19, he launched the Digital Technology Immersion, in which MBA candidates and students earning their M.P.S. in data science or applied statistics develop skills in coding, databases and advanced analytics and learn to leverage them to tackle challenges faced by leading companies.

He also created the Master of Science in Business Analytics program offered through eCornell, which provides working professionals a hands-on opportunity to learn about data analytics tools essential to analyzing and optimising business decisions.

"The creation of these programs represents Vishal's forward-thinking leadership, which will continue to serve students well into the future," Karolyi said.

Gaur is the 2022 recipient of the Class of 1992 Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching, the 2020 recipient of the Stephen Russell Distinguished Teaching Award and a three-time winner of the Johnson School's Core Faculty Award.

A Ph.D. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Gaur is an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, and a B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT-Delhi.

Founded in 1946, the Johnson School enrolls nearly 1,600 students in MBA, executive MBA and advanced degree programs in management, accounting, business analytics and more.