Sridhar Narasimhan is the co-director of the Business Analytics Center and teaches Data Analytics for Managers (MGT 6213) in the Online Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics.
1. Who has had the greatest influence on your career path?
My dissertation advisor and also my ITM (Information Technology Management) area colleagues at the Scheller College of Business.
2. When did you start becoming interested in business analytics?
Our ITM area at Scheller held a strategic retreat in 2010. We discussed new topics on the horizon for teaching and research. We identified business analytics and hired a world-class scholar in that space, and we also started developing and offering courses in business analytics. In 2014, we launched the Business Analytics Center at Scheller, which helped us partner with businesses in Atlanta. All these piqued my interest in business analytics.
3. Which issue in this field are you most passionate about?
Understanding the interesting ways in which businesses are using analytics and then trying to do research on emerging issues. For example, I am working with a recent Ph.D. graduate to understand how chatbot sessions can be better understood using new AI technologies.
4. What is the biggest lesson that you've learned since you started teaching?
I have to constantly keep up to date on the topics I teach. The impacts of IT and analytics on organizations have become deeper and wider. I also have to figure out how best to get students excited about these topics so they can be successful in their careers.
5. What advice do you have for your students to be successful in this program?
You really need to be keen on business analytics, dealing with data, and building and understanding models that provide insights. Please pay careful attention to the instructions of the instructor. The course is taught at a fast pace. Make sure to watch the videos in a module and complete the readings and homework assignments. You will need to comprehend the materials in each module before tackling the next module since they are in a sequence.
6. What would students be surprised to learn about you?
I have been at Georgia Tech since 1987. I do the New York Times Spelling Bee daily and also love doing a lot of the puzzles daily in the (UK) Times.