PROVOST AVI

By Jack Houvouras

Dean Avi is now Provost Avi. Dr. Avinandan Mukherjee, known affectionately as “Dean Avi” by students and faculty across the university, recently transitioned from dean of the Lewis College of Business to provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. On April 6, President Brad D. Smith selected Mukherjee from a pool of five qualified candidates to steward Marshall’s future in higher education. He had held the interim provost role starting in July 2021.

As provost, Mukherjee oversees the development of all the educational programs at Marshall, including nine colleges and two schools, university libraries, enrollment, student affairs, student success and research. He oversees a budget of nearly $150 million for academic expenditures and research.

The university’s new provost first made a name for himself when he took charge of the Lewis College of Business in 2017. Just two years later, it was recognized as one of the nation’s best business schools by The Princeton Review in its annual rankings. In addition, Marshall was ranked in the top 3% of business schools in the world to be dually accredited by AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) in both business and accounting. Also during his time as dean, Mukherjee secured a $25 million gift from Brad and Alys Smith to fund a new 77,000-square-foot business school complex to be built in the 1400 block of Fourth Avenue. It is currently under construction and will open in January 2024.

In addition to those major accomplishments, Mukherjee brings a world of experience to his role as provost. He has circled the globe and taught in nine countries, including the United Kingdom, India, Denmark, Bangladesh,

Singapore and Malaysia. He is a distinguished researcher, having published and presented more than 100 scholarly articles in leading journals garnering 6,500 citations. Considering his resume, it’s easy to see why Mukherjee was tapped for such a prestigious post.

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Mukherjee was born in Calcutta, India, a city of more than 15 million people, and attended one of the largest secondary schools in the world. When he was young his father gave him a book about the U.S. Constitution, which piqued his interest in the United States.

After earning a degree in electrical and computer engineering at Jadavpur University, he earned his doctorate in marketing and international business from the Indian Institute of Management, one of the top 100 business schools in the world. He then taught at schools in nine different countries before moving to the United States, where he graduated from the prestigious Management and Leadership in Education (MLE) program at Harvard University.

“I really feel like a global citizen,” Mukherjee said. “One of the most important things I’ve learned is that despite our cultural differences, we all share fundamental values and desires. We all seek love, happiness, security and meaning in our lives. By embracing our similarities and respecting our differences, I believe we can build bridges of understanding and create a more peaceful, harmonious and inclusive world.”

Mukherjee was dean of the College of Business at Clayton State University in Georgia and chair of the marketing department in the School of Business at Montclair State University in New Jersey before being named dean of Marshall’s Lewis College of Business in 2017. After starting the job, Mukherjee said he had a handful of salient observations.

“The college needed a cultural shift from silos to teamworking,” he explained. “In addition, the business school was not as innovative or as connected to local economic development as many other business schools. Finally, there were no online programs, and there was not enough focus on research.”

As dean, Mukherjee led a comprehensive reimagination of the business program. Working with faculty, students and administrators, he formed six strategic task forces to explore a new building; the first online programs; a new doctoral program; an entrepreneurship and innovation center; global connections; and faculty excellence.

“One of the first things I did as dean was to reach out to Brad Smith,” said Mukherjee. “I found him to be so down to earth, inspiring and kind. He bought into our vision of a complete reimagination of the business school, and he supported our dream of building a state-of-the-art business school and innovation hub that would transform the regional economy.”

After securing the $25 million donation from the Smiths — the largest gift in the college’s history — Mukherjee set out to oversee the design of a new $40 million facility that would be named the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation.

“This building will help shape the future of business education,” said Mukherjee. “With its cutting-edge design and innovative technology, the Smith Center is a space where students, educators and professionals can come together to create, learn and grow. It’s also a symbol of our commitment to excellence in business, where students can choose from over 20 majors and accredited programs.”

The location of the new three-story building on Fourth Avenue is in keeping with the university’s continuing expansion toward Huntington’s downtown. Along with classroom space, the facility will feature a forum and auditorium; computer and finance labs; office space; meeting rooms; and study spaces for students. Its design will allow for more interdisciplinary collaboration among students and faculty, concurrently advancing research, 21st-century learning and community engagement.

On April 6, 2022, following the departure of Provost Jaime Taylor, who had accepted the presidency of Lamar University in Texas, Smith announced that Mukherjee had emerged from a nationwide search as the university’s new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

“I am delighted Dr. Mukherjee accepted the position,” said Smith. “He is the right leader to steward Marshall’s current and future position in the higher education arena.”

Smith cited Mukherjee’s interdisciplinary orientation and innovative approach, as well as his track record of progressive leadership, international education and experience, research and scholarly contributions, and fundraising experience as the main reasons for his selection.

“I am excited and honored at this opportunity to continue to work closely with President Smith and our dedicated faculty, staff, students and alumni to foster academic excellence,” said Mukherjee.

But his goals as provost extend far beyond academic excellence. His ambitious list includes:

• Promoting strategic enrollment management

• Student success

• Leadership development

• Research

• Fundraising

• In-demand knowledge and on-demand access

• Accreditation

• Diversity and inclusion

• Global partnerships

In his first year as provost, Mukherjee moved quickly to build an accomplished academic leadership team; he utilizing national searches to hire four new college deans, two new school directors and two new vice presidents.

University stakeholders are confident that their handpicked choice for provost will be as successful in his new role as he was in the College of Business. Meanwhile, Mukherjee continues to log long hours while taking time to appreciate his rapid ascent at Marshall.

“For me, Marshall is not just a workplace; it’s a community that feels like a family. One of the things I love most about working at Marshall is the strong ties with the Huntington community,” he explained. “Huntington is a charming city with a rolling, breathtakingly beautiful landscape. I wake up every morning feeling grateful for the comfortable lifestyle, the low cost of living and the stateof-the-art health care available here. There’s a warmth and welcoming spirit here that’s hard to find anywhere else.”

When he’s not working or serving on numerous boards, the worldly scholar said he is a huge soccer fan who enjoys following the Thundering Herd as well as the FIFA World Cup and other international soccer matches.

“There’s something truly special about seeing all the different countries come together to compete in the world’s most prestigious soccer tournament,” he said. “I think what draws me to soccer is the sense of unity and camaraderie that it fosters. No matter where you come from, soccer can bring people together and create a sense of community. It’s truly a beautiful sport.”

And while he may be Marshall’s second-most powerful administrator today, Mukherjee embraces a nontraditional leadership philosophy.

“True leadership is not about power or authority, but rather about serving others. It is about using my skills and abilities to make a positive impact on those around me,” he said. “I believe that through servant leadership, we can all make a positive impact on the world and leave it a better place than we found it.”

Jack Houvouras is the publisher of Marshall Magazine. He earned his B.A. in journalism from Marshall University in 1988