Manoj Malhotra on Being the New Dean

Image by Christa Neu

 

In this episode of Lehigh University’s College of Business ilLUminate podcast, we're speaking with the new dean, Manoj Malhotra. Dean Malhotra was appointed the Kevin L. and Lisa A. Clayton Dean of the College of Business in July 2024. He is a professor in the Department of Decision and Technology Analytics in the College of Business. His research focuses on the flexibility of manufacturing and service firms, manufacturing strategy and supply chain management, the interface between operations and information systems and marketing, and healthcare management. 

Malhotra spoke with Rob Gerth, director of marketing and communications for Lehigh Business. Listen to the podcast here and subscribe and download Lehigh Business on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Below is an edited excerpt from that conversation. Read the complete podcast transcript [PDF]. 

Rob Gerth: We're recording this in mid-August of 2024, and you've been in the office since July 1st. How's the experience been so far?

Manoj Malhotra: I think it has been a wonderful experience, both in terms of settling in the Lehigh Valley, as well as what I've experienced at the college itself and the university. The warmth of the people has especially stood out for me, a sense of collegiality, a sense of belonging to Lehigh University and the feeling of a community. And I think there has been an amazing culture that I witnessed and a welcome that is with open arms. 

Gerth: What's made the opportunity here at Lehigh Business? What made that interesting to you when you saw it? I assumed you were approached by a headhunter.

Malhotra: This headhunter or the search firm already knew about me and my background. And they reached out to me towards the later part of last year. And they said, "Manoj, you're the first person, actually, I'm calling." That's one thing that stands out because you fit this to a T. And it'll be wonderful if you would consider it. And I knew a little bit about Lehigh University because I knew Georgette. And then one thing led to the other where I got a better understanding of the opportunity. And why did he think that my skill sets would be particularly attractive to the university and the college at this point of time, especially my ability to build programs, to spearhead research and make it as a top priority for the institution. My success in reaching out to the alumni community and fundraising. 

Gerth: Let's talk about the faculty for a second.

Malhotra: My sense is that the faculty culture here is good. That they are focused on the mission of the institution. They are research-focused and the transformation that has taken place in the last 10 years during the tenure of Georgette regarding perceptions about knowledge creation, serving the students, and all that has just kept getting better. Higher quality faculty have chosen to come here and stay. 

Gerth: How about the alumni? 

Malhotra: There's a general level of excitement and optimism about the school and its future, which I share, and which reinforces that my choice to come here at this point of time is the right choice. I think alumni are an important source of support, advice, and I hope to utilize all of them as best as I can, but also share and present a vision that I have of what will make a comprehensive business school like Lehigh stand out and build its reputational impact to be even stronger in the future. 

Gerth: What do you think the opportunities are in healthcare in this area?

Malhotra: if I look at the landscape of industries and corporations, healthcare is obviously one of the stronger networks here with Lehigh Valley and also St. Luke's. I think that's a strong cluster. There are insurance companies. There are supply chain and manufacturing companies. So, there's a very rich spectrum of firms that if you start going towards New York or even towards Philadelphia-- we are fortunate to be in the middle of that triangle. 

Gerth: What do you see as the opportunities in the graduate school program?

Malhotra: I think in the graduate programs, the level of activity and the level of placements that we can do for our students can be enhanced. I think we have been in a level situation, but I think there's a growth mandate both from the strategic plan of the university and what I think the College of Business needs to be matching its capabilities in the undergraduate program.

Gerth: Executive education is a critical pillar of how you view the college, right?

Maholtra: I think it is. In fact, in my visioning of the pillars, I think about graduate and undergraduate programs, PhD programs, faculty research. And I also think about executive education, because the comprehensive business school has all those pillars working at full cylinders. I think we have a lot of opportunity to do more expansion of the PhD programs. We have opportunity to expand our footprint in the executive education space. And there is also interconnectivity because executive education graduate programs can pivot off each other. When you do better relationship with companies, they're interested in more of their managers coming and recruiting in your programs or recruiting from our programs. I think it's a virtuous cycle that we can get onto if we link the two. When one rises, the other can rise also in tandem with it. 

Gerth: What do people who don't understand the importance of faculty research need to know?

Malhotra: I think research is critical because you want to make sure that you're preparing your students in the best way possible. When you have researchers who are learning and creating new knowledge, then you also have the opportunity to disseminate that knowledge to your students through the classroom.

If you were just translating them about the basics and principles without getting that new information or new paradigms or new ways of thinking, then we would be less differentiated than-- there are so many-- there are 800 colleges of businesses around the country. But when you think of the prestigious ones, which are highly ranked in the top five, a lot of Ivy League schools, the Harvards, the Whartons, the Kelloggs, or the Booth schools, and all that, Carnegie Mellons, every school without fail, has a very strong research imprint and reputation. And it's not a coincidence.