Georgia Tech is heralding a new era with the construction of Tech Square Phase 3. But this development is more than just a new building. For Dean Anuj Mehrotra, it's a bridge connecting his past as a Ph.D. student at the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) to his present role as dean of the Scheller College of Business.
From Mechanical Engineering to Operations Management
Mehrotra completed his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and developed a passion for operations management from inspiring professors at Virginia Tech, where he received his master's in operations research.
"There were two professors, Ralph Disney, Jr., an expert in the stochastic processes and applied probability side of operations research, and Hanif Sherali, who was teaching the optimization classes, that ignited the passion for me to study operations research," he reminisced.
This passion led him to Georgia Tech for his Ph.D. in operations research, where he conducted his doctoral research on large-scale optimization techniques, working under the guidance of Professor Emeritus Ellis Johnson and the A. Russell Chandler III Chaired Professor and Professor Emeritus George Nemhauser, both in ISyE.
Back then, the Tech environment was different. Mehrotra recalls it as an urban campus with parking lots everywhere. As for the area where Tech Square now exists, he said with a smile, "I remember driving through that part of town praying for a green light."
The Transition to Business Education
Mehrotra's journey from engineering to business was organic. After graduating from Tech, he took a visiting position at the Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business and taught modeling and operations classes to MBA and Ph.D. students.
"Operations research is fundamentally interdisciplinary, so it is applicable in a variety of fields, including healthcare, the sciences, the arts, engineering, and, of course, business. I was teaching in a business school and interacting more with business faculty," he said. "It opened my eyes to the practical applications of operations research and helped me to understand the role of business better."
This experience shaped his approach to teaching and research, blending theoretical knowledge with practical applications—a philosophy he now brings to Scheller.
Collaborations and Connections
Mehrotra is excited about Tech Square Phase 3, seeing it as a prime opportunity for enhanced collaboration between Scheller and ISyE students and faculty, making it easier to work together. "There are a lot of synergies between the two groups that we can expand, and it will become easier when you're right next door," he said.
He believes the new environment will not only bring cross-collaboration but will encourage more engagement with innovation centers and business leaders. "Students often adapt to their physical surroundings. So, this new environment will lend itself to making them more professionally oriented and more entrepreneurially inclined," he observed. He sees students benefiting from a balance of classes on the main campus and Tech Square, providing the best of all worlds.
Looking to the future, he also envisions the new building as a hub for community engagement. "I look at Tech Square, and I think of it as Times Square," he said, imagining a vibrant space that draws people together for talks, events, and networking.
A Personal Connection
For Mehrotra, the new building represents more than just progress for Georgia Tech. It's a personal full-circle moment. His journey from an ISyE student to Georgia Tech dean mirrors the evolution and growth of the Institute as it's poised to shape the future of Tech Square and the intersections of business, engineering, and technology.