PROFESSOR FINDS community at NDSU

Rajani Ganesh Pillai has a passion for North Dakota State University and the Fargo community. When she arrived with her husband 10 years ago, she thought they would only stay a couple of years.

Instead, they’ve been here ever since.

Ganesh Pillai was born in India. She earned an undergraduate and two master’s degrees there. Her career took off in the marketing industry, but she decided she was ready for a new adventure — this time in a different country.

“I had an itch to try something new,” she says. She packed two suitcases and moved to Kansas for more education, while her husband stayed in India to work.

That was 2001. She spent two and a half years continents away from her husband and extended family. Social media, as we know it today, did not exist. Ganesh Pillai kept up with her family through phone calls, emails and letters.

“It was a tough few years to get started, but now it’s a fun journey to look back on,” she says.

Her husband left his career in India in 2004 and joined Ganesh Pillai as she finished her doctorate in Florida. She taught for one year in Missouri and then had the opportunity to move to Fargo in 2008 to teach at NDSU.

She’s an associate professor of marketing in the university’s College of Business. She teaches undergraduate courses in healthcare marketing, consumer behavior and international marketing.

Ganesh Pillai was instrumental in recently updating the Master of Business Administration curriculum, which includes her course in creating and marketing innovations. NDSU’s MBA program offers eight-week courses, designed for students to advance their careers through engaging, interactive classes delivered primarily face-to-face.

“These are exciting times in the College of Business,” says Ganesh Pillai. “I consider myself fortunate to be at NDSU and every year, we see all of the progress we’ve made.”

Students enjoy her first-hand industry knowledge and cultural experiences that are communicated in her teaching. She has them work on marketing projects for local companies, which prepares students for making decisions as marketing professionals. Her favorite part about teaching is the opportunity to see students develop their own passions and pursue their dreams through learning.

“Rajani Ganesh Pillai represents the very best of our college,” says Scott Beaulier, dean of the College of Business. “Her enthusiasm each day makes our college and NDSU a better place. We are fortunate to have Rajani, her husband Ganesh and their family in our community.”

It takes determination and hard work to move across the world, but there isn’t any doubt that Ganesh Pillai and her family are thriving in an area that was so foreign a decade ago. They’ve found a new home. They remain committed to the local community through their service work with the group called Simple Acts Make a Difference.

“We now consider ourselves proud Fargoans,” says Ganesh Pillai. “The people here are so good and I love my colleagues at NDSU.”

Earn your MBA from NDSU. Passionate faculty like Ganesh Pillai are ready to help you advance your career.

LEARN MORE at ndsu.edu/business.