College Leadership

Aravind Chandrasekaran on Fisher's campus

Aravind Chandrasekaran

Interim Dean

Aravind Chandrasekaran (AC) was named interim dean of The Ohio State University Max M. Fisher College of Business in June 2025, bringing more than 15 years of experience as an operations management expert and academic leader at the college. He will hold the John W. Berry, Sr. Chair in Business.

Before his appointment, AC served as senior associate dean for faculty, research and non-degree executive education ― a role in which he spearheaded innovative enhancements to Fisher's teaching, research and outreach priorities. 

Prior to that position, he was the college's associate dean for graduate programs and executive education, managing a diverse portfolio that included the Full-Time MBA, Working Professional MBA (WPMBA), Specialized Masters, Executive MBA, Master of Business in Operational Excellence (MBOE) and custom executive education offerings. He has also played a key role in developing tailored teaching and research programs for global organizations such as Tata Consultancy Services, Ford Motor Company and Zimmer.

In the classroom, AC is a highly respected educator who has been recognized with multiple college honors including the WPMBA's Outstanding Core Professor Award (2012, 2016) and the 2013 Pace Setters Award for Teaching Excellence. In 2017, he was named one of Poets&Quants' "40 Under 40" Top Business School Professors.

He was appointed the Fisher Distinguished Professor in Operations and Business Analytics in 2021.

As a researcher, AC's work explores innovation, organizational learning and knowledge creation across sectors such as high-tech R&D, manufacturing and health care delivery. His recent work focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence, ethics and operational excellence. His academic scholarship has been featured in top journals including Management Science, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management (MSOM), Journal of Operations Management, Production and Operations Management, Information Systems Research, Journal of General Internal Medicine, Journal of Surgical Research, and Harvard Business Review.

His research has earned numerous accolades, including the 2012 INFORMS-Industry Studies Best Paper Award, the 2013 Carol J. Latta Emerging Leadership Award from the Decision Sciences Institute, Fisher's 2015 Pace Setters Research Award as well as the 2025 Beacon Award for the most impactful research published in the Journal of Operations Management.

He holds a PhD in Business Administration and a master's degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Minnesota.
 

College leadership

Leadership Team

Roger Bailey
Associate Dean for Executive Education and Centers
(614) 292-6265
bailey.1117@osu.edu

Keely Croxton
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs
(614) 292-6610
croxton.4@osu.edu

Brian Mittendorf
Associate Dean for Graduate Programs
(614) 292-1720
mittendorf.3@osu.edu

Ben Tepper
Acting Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Research
(614) 688-2129
tepper.15@osu.edu

Department Chairs

Tracy Dumas
Chair, Department of Management and Human Resources
(614) 247-4294
dumas.35@osu.edu

John Gray
Chair, Department of Operations and Business Analytics
(614) 247-8021
gray.402@osu.edu

Bernadette Minton
Chair, Department of Finance
(614) 688-3125
minton.15@osu.edu

Tzachi Zach
Chair, Department of Accounting & Management Information Systems
(614) 292-4101
zach.7@osu.edu

Walter Zinn
Chair, Department of Marketing and Logistics
(614) 292-0797
zinn.13@osu.edu

Senior Executives & Associates to the Dean

Melanie DiFeo
Chief of Staff
(614) 292-7718
difeo.3@osu.edu

Gretchen Gombos
Executive Director of Finance and Administration
(614) 292-5984
gombos.2@osu.edu

Jennifer McLendon
Human Resources Business Partner
(614) 297-6122
mclendon.4@osu.edu

Jill O'Neill
Associate to the Dean
(614) 292-2714
oneill.139@osu.edu

Cynthia Turner, Ph.D., CPA
Executive Faculty Advisor to the Dean, Strategic Initiatives and External Relations
(614) 292-4023
turner.1278@osu.edu

Office of the Dean Support Staff

Patti Flinn
Executive Assistant to the Dean
(614) 292-2666
flinn.7@osu.edu

Executive Committee

The Fisher College of Business Executive Committee is comprised of the dean, associate deans and department chairs of all academic programs. Two at large faculty members and a representative of the Staff Advisory Council complete the committee.

The current executive committee includes:

Aravind Chandrasekaran
Interim Dean (Committee chair)


Nicole Adams
Chair of the Advisory Committee: Staff

Roger Bailey
Associate Dean for Executive Education and Centers

Keely Croxton
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs

Melanie DiFeo
Chief of Staff

Tracy Dumas
Chair, Department of Management & Human Resources (MHR)

John Gray
Chair, Department of Operations and Business Analytics (O&BA)

Jessica Kohlschmidt
Chair, Advisory Committee: Clinical Faculty and Senior Lecturers

Bernadette Minton
Chair, Department of Finance (FIN)

Brian Mittendorf
Associate Dean for Graduate Programs

Ben Tepper
Acting Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Research

Andrew Van Buskirk
Faculty Representative

Karen Wruck
Faculty Representative

Tzachi Zach
Chair, Department of Accounting & MIS (AMIS)

Walter Zinn
Chair, Department of Marketing & Logistics (ML)

Contact the Office of the Dean

The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business
201 Fisher Hall
2100 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210