IU Kokomo names new dean for School of Business

Niranjan Pati, who began his position in July, brings two decades of academic and business experience to the IU Kokomo campus.

Pati began his tenure in 1990 at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and served as chairperson for the Department of Management. From 1986-90, Pati was a senior teaching fellow at Northwestern University. He also has instructed management students at Northeastern Illinois University.

Pati spent the 1980s in the business sector as a project manager for National Aluminum Company in India and a junior executive trainee for India’s Heavy Engineering Corporation.

“I am delighted Dr. Niranjan Pati accepted our invitation to join the IU Kokomo School of Business as its new dean,” said Stuart Green, vice chancellor for academic affairs. “Dr. Pati’s background in industrial engineering and operations management, and his experience in and enthusiasm for the digital economy made him a wonderful match for our campus and the region we serve. He is an experienced academic administrator who also has a wealth of real-world business experience.”

Pati holds a master’s degree and a doctoral degree in industrial engineering and management services from Northwestern University, a master’s degree in industrial engineering and operations research from the Indian Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in production engineering from Ranchi University in India where he was a National Scholar.

Pati has been published in numerous professional journals and given dozens of national and international conference presentations. He is also a member of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences and a member of the Production and Operations Management Society.

Pati has introduced a revised business major that will be offered beginning in the fall of 2002. The revamped undergraduate program will have a new E-business concentration in addition to the four concentrations currently offered. Management and Administration will become Management and Human Resources, while Marketing will become Marketing and Distribution. The two remaining concentrations, Accounting and Finance Economics, will benefit from the technology integration in the updated curriculum, (see page B1).

The School of Business launched its Distinguished Speaker Series in April with Jeff Owens, president of Delphi Electronics Systems, as the first speaker. Larry Glasscock, president and CEO of Anthem, Inc., is scheduled to speak in October, and Bill Polian, president of the Indianapolis Colts, will wrap up the series in November.