Indian American academic Aravind Chandrasekaran (AC) is set to begin a two-year term as interim dean of the Ohio State University’s Max M. Fisher College of Business, from June 1, pending approval of the university’s Board of Trustees.
He also will hold the John W. Berry, Sr. Chair in Business, according to a university release. Chandrasekaran joined the faculty in 2009 and currently serves as the college’s senior associate dean and Fisher Distinguished Professor of Operations.
“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,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Ravi V. Bellamkonda.
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“Fisher is an already strong business college, and its upward trajectory is critical for Ohio State’s collective success and ambition for 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 AC in place as the right leader for this moment.”
Stepping into the leadership role of one of the nation’s top public business schools, Chandrasekaran drawing from his expertise in enhancing organizational performance, will lead efforts to lay the groundwork for this bold vision, the release stated.
“I am deeply honored to serve as the interim dean of the Fisher College of Business,” said Chandrasekaran. “Fisher has a strong legacy of excellence, and I’m excited to work with our outstanding faculty, staff, students and alumni to build on that foundation. Our scale and volume are a source of strength, and together we will continue to march forward expanding our corporate outreach, fostering innovation and driving meaningful impact in business education and practice.”
Under Chandrasekaran’s 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, the release stated.
It will also enhance and deepen connections with industry — ensuring Fisher is a business college for businesses by sharing knowledge, expanding recruiting pipelines of well-trained undergraduate and graduate students, and providing exemplary executive education and training for working professionals.
Chandrasekaran’s research focuses on health care operations, product and process innovation, AI and operational excellence, and organizational learning and ambidexterity. His research has been published in top operations management journals.
As the college’s senior associate dean, he leads several critical areas at Fisher, including faculty life, research and non-degree executive education.
He previously served as Fisher’s associate dean for graduate programs and executive education, overseeing all graduate programs including the Full-Time MBA, Working Professional MBA, Specialized Masters as well as executive master’s programs and non-degree executive education. He has developed several custom teaching and research programs for organizations such as Tata Consultancy Services, Ford Motor Company and Zimmer.