Dear Scheller Community,
On April 27, the Scheller community lost Steven A. Denning, a visionary alumnus, philanthropist, and namesake of the Steven A. Denning Technology & Management (T&M) Program. The Denning T&M Center launched in 2007 with Steven’s endowed support. Since then, over 1,000 students from six colleges across Georgia Tech have participated in the enriching program. We are grateful for Steven’s dedication to the Institute and for championing the next generation of Yellow Jackets.
As we turn the page to May and reflect on the close of another energizing academic year, I am struck by the momentum, creativity, and connection that continue to define Scheller. Even as the pace of campus life begins to shift toward summer, the impact of our faculty, students, and staff is anything but quiet.
U.S. News and World Report ranked our part-time Evening MBA program No. 9 in the U.S., up one spot from 2025 and maintaining the No. 1 spot in Georgia for the fourth consecutive year, reflecting the value of a Scheller education for working professionals.
We’ve expanded our efforts to integrate AI in the curriculum and have launched the international expansion of our immersive Executive Education AI for Business course with AI for Business – Europe.
Students are translating classroom lessons into tangible experiences and growth. The Full-time and Evening MBA students traveled to Belgium, Japan, and Rwanda during spring break for their International Practicum to work with their clients on real-world consulting projects. Meanwhile, the Executive MBA students went to Morocco and Portugal for their International Residency to get first-hand insights into international markets. At the same time, our on-campus M.S. Major in Management program is expanding its program offerings to better support students. These opportunities provide them with the skills, confidence, and valuable global mindset to set them apart in a global market.
Our Centers and initiatives continue to amplify Scheller’s impact. The Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business celebrated a decade of influence. I stepped behind the mic to interview Beril Toktay and Andre Calmon on The Intersection Podcast to discuss the Center’s work and the future of sustainable business education at Tech. The Center also co-sponsored the 2026 Super South conference, an Atlanta-based summit that unites global visionaries around transformative and resilient solutions.
The Institute for Leadership and Social Impact (ILSI) also reached a major milestone with its 20-year anniversary. To celebrate, Georgia Tech alumnus Joel Cowan joined The Intersection Podcast to discuss his journey with servant leadership. Our Centers are a testament to the power of interdisciplinary collaboration that is achievable at Scheller.
April was another energizing month for events. We hosted the Scheller Advisory Board and Young Alumni Advisory Board at the Scheller Tower. Adithya Pattabhiramaiah, Rohan Ganduri, and Karthick Ramchandran provided invaluable feedback on their visions for AI in Business, the Tony Kepano Joint Center for Real Estate, and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
We participated in several engaging opportunities with our community where connections thrived. We welcomed Hossein Fateh, founder and CEO of CloudHQ, LLC, for our final Tech Talk Business of the semester. We also hosted the Atlanta Athens Conference on Research in Information Systems (AACRIS) that brought together leaders from across Georgia to explore emerging trends at the intersection of AI and information systems. Presentations from our esteemed faculty D.J. Wu, Mingfeng Lin, and Maryam Alavi set the tone for the conference.
Faculty also participated in the Georgia Marketing Symposium, which convened marketing scholars from the state to share and discuss their latest research. To close the month, the College collaborated with the Center for Teaching and Learning for the Innovating Pedagogy in the Age of Symposium, led by Tatiana Rudchenko. The symposium focused on practical approaches to teaching and learning in an AI-enabled environment. These events reinforce Scheller's role as a leading business school, bringing together ideas, people, and industries in meaningful ways.
Recent research by Karthik Ramachandran explores how offering a smarter way to design product development teams can show that familiarity can either fuel flawless execution or quietly stifle creativity. This research underscores the relevance of Scheller scholarship in addressing real-world challenges.
Experiential learning was on display when our Full-time MBA students delivered impressive presentations to Boston Consulting Group (BCG) leadership as part of their practicum. And our students placed first in the NAIOP Georgia’s 34th School Challenge. The NAIOP Georgia Annual School Challenge is a commercial real estate case-study competition. It’s exciting to witness the impact our students are already making with industries.
The Scheller spirit was strong during the 18th annual Honors Day Celebration, where we recognized the remarkable achievements of our students, faculty, and staff. Supported by the generosity of our benefactors, this meaningful tradition allows us to celebrate and invest in excellence.
I also enjoyed seeing the courtyard overflowing with excitement during the annual MBA Crawfish Boil. I always look forward to this timeless event as an opportunity to welcome new students, connect with alumni, and celebrate our vibrant community.
As we look ahead, there is much to anticipate. Commencement is just days away, and we look forward to welcoming Joe Evans, Scheller Advisory Board and Emeritus Trustee member and proud alumnus, as our keynote speaker at the Scheller Master’s Graduation Celebration.
Commencement Schedule
- Ph.D. ceremony – Thursday, May 7 at 10 a.m.
- Bachelor’s ceremony – Friday, May 8 at 10 a.m.
- Master’s ceremonies – Saturday, May 9, with the Institute ceremony at 9 a.m. and Scheller graduation celebration at 4 p.m.
Please join me in celebrating our graduates and welcoming families and friends to campus.
Looking ahead, we have some upcoming events that will keep our community connected and engaged:
- Scheller in Your City is back. We’ll be in Fayetteville on May 12. Other Scheller in Your City events include Lawrenceville on June 2 and Roswell on June 11.
- We’ll have a special edition of Tech Talks Business in Paris on June 17 at the Palais du Luxembourg.
Thank you for all that you do to make Scheller a stellar place to learn and grow. Onward and upward!
Best wishes,
Anuj
Anuj Mehrotra
Dean and Stephen P. Zelnak Jr. Chair
Professor of Operations Management
Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business