Iyer named dean of School of Management

Ananth V. Iyer, an expert in operations and supply chain management and senior associate dean at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management, has been appointed dean of the UB School of Management.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Iyer to UB in this important leadership role,” said President Satish K. Tripathi. “Dr. Iyer is an exceptional scholar and a highly respected academic leader who is uniquely suited to build upon the school’s strong research portfolio, prepare our students to address society’s grand challenges and elevate UB’s School of Management to new levels of excellence.”

The appointment, effective Aug. 1, was made today by A. Scott Weber, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, who said Iyer emerged from a highly competitive pool of candidates following an extensive national search.

“Dr. Iyer stood out because of his innovative and ambitious vision for the school, as well as his substantial administrative experience, impressive research and consulting record, and collaborative approach to leadership,” said Weber. “I am confident that Dr. Iyer will lead our School of Management in enhancing its impact and achieving even greater prominence in research and education.”

Iyer succeeds Paul Tesluk, who announced in November that we was stepping down as dean to return to his faculty role as Donald S. Carmichael Professor of Organizational Behavior in the Department of Organizational and Human Resources.

“I am humbled and excited at the opportunity to serve as dean of the School of Management at the University at Buffalo,” Iyer said. “The past accomplishments of students, alumni, faculty and staff at UB’s School of Management are a wonderful base to further build an excellent business and academic ecosystem, and I look forward to the opportunity to develop and implement plans with stakeholders for a successful future”

At Purdue, Iyer serves as the Susan Bulkeley Butler Chair in Operations Management and head of the management department. He is director of the university’s Dauch Center for the Management of Manufacturing Enterprises and the Global Supply Chain Management Initiative. From 2012 to 2016, he was director of Purdue NExT, a universitywide program that offers non-credit online courses for global distribution. He also served as associate dean for graduate programs.

A highly accomplished scholar in operations and supply chain management, Iyer is the author of numerous articles and five books.

His research currently focuses on analysis of supply chains, including the impact of promotions on logistics systems in the grocery industry, and analysis of the impact of competitors on operational management models and the role of supply contracts.

Iyer’s work developing analytical tools for forecasting and estimating outcomes has provided a deeper understanding for how change affects existing operations. His research interests also include inventory management in the fashion industry, effect of supplier contracts and the use of empirical data sets in operations management model building.

His work has been supported by grants from numerous agencies and foundations, including the National Science Foundation, U.S. Coast Guard and Indiana Department of Transportation. He has served as president of the MSOM Society of INFORMS and as an editor or editorial board member for numerous journals.

Iyer was an American Council of Education Fellow, a visiting professor at the Wharton School and MIT Operations Research Center, and a Purdue University Faculty Scholar. Prior to joining the faculty at Purdue in 1996, Iyer was a faculty member at the University of Chicago.

In addition to his academic credentials, Iyer has consulted for companies such as the Turner Broadcasting, Sara Lee and Daymon Associates. He also served the Chicago community as a pro bono consultant to the Chicago School System and the city’s Streets and Sanitation Department.

Iyer received his PhD in industrial and systems engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in industrial engineering and operations research from Syracuse University, and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay.