AFTER GRADUATING with a Master’s degree in economics from Madras Christian College in Chennai, I worked at a market research firm, IMRB, in Mumbai. It was there where I found my passion for market research. I realised that I wanted to know more, specifically the psychology behind consumer decision making under different scenarios, including in a survey context. I applied to and enrolled in a doctoral programme in marketing at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and minored in social psychology. I joined the Stern marketing faculty after graduating and have loved the entire experience of doing research, educating, and serving in leadership roles in the marketing profession at large and at NYU. I spent the first half of my life (and therefore my formative years) in India, and the second half in America. While in India, I moved a lot (10 schools in 10 years!) as my father was in the Indian Navy. This made me sensitive to differences in subcultures, and I learned to adapt to new situations. I have also been fortunate to be able to travel all over the world. So, culturally, I consider myself a citizen of the world. All of these experiences have helped me be flexible in my life and throughout my career, which is important because change is a constant. Regardless of backgrounds, people face different challenges that are unique to them as individuals. For me, I have looked at my life’s challenges as opportunities to break the mold in terms of expectations. I did this at a fairly young age, going through a divorce and raising a child by myself. Professionally, my challenges were more about living and working in a country where I had no family, juggling a demanding career in pursuit of tenure, caring for a child, and leading a balanced life, rather than my being “an Indian woman academic”. Throughout it all, I grew as an individual, flourished as an academic, and developed a great relationship with my son who is an NYU undergraduate student studying Film and TV at Tisch School of the Arts. I know there are many stories like mine—all different in the details—but all resulting in a sense of deep fulfillment in overcoming whatever challenges were faced. I have been a faculty member at NYU Stern for 22 years now and have taught undergraduates, graduates, and PhD students, while also conducting research and participating in professional associations. For five years during that time, I was the chair of the marketing department, which involved developing and co-ordinating a department strategy with my peers, the department’s faculty. I was also the President of the Association for Consumer Research, the largest international organisation of consumer behaviour researchers. My current role as Dean of the Undergraduate College is very different from any of these roles. While it also involves strategic oversight and co-ordination, and calls upon my experience as a scholar, researcher and educator, my focus is broader than ever as I work with my team to shape the entire experience of our undergraduate student body. My goals for the NYU Stern Undergraduate College are to ensure continued academic excellence, grow our global presence, and enhance community engagement. The biggest change for me in transitioning to the deanship is in how I spend my time. When I was a faculty member, I taught a full course load and had a prolific research life. As department chair, I had more administrative responsibilities, but I worked largely with my fellow faculty members. Today, my time is less and less my own as I work to balance the needs of many constituents: students, parents, colleagues and alumni. But it is all for the good of the students. I have a wonderful team and I know we can make positive change in our undergraduate community. The unique aspect of undergraduate students is that their college experience will stay with them for life. They are hungry for academic, personal, and professional experiences, so we can really make a difference. That belief has helped me make the shift. Every now and then, though, I still do miss being a full-time professor. I really believe in “the right place at the right time.” While I believe you have to set goals in life, there are opportunities that will arise for which you just can’t plan. In my case, my first job out of graduate school at a market research firm turned me on to a life-long professional passion that has guided much of my career path. It was this passion that spurred me to pursue a PhD here in the US, which has become my second home. I did not necessarily always envision myself as a professor, but after receiving my doctorate, I came to NYU Stern for my first job in academia. I have loved my time here and have grown so much as a scholar and an educator; it is also where I got tenure and raised a family. I also went to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business for two years to try something new and different. I could not have predicted that I would return to NYU Stern and then become the Dean of the Undergraduate College. As with so many other things in my life, the deanship came at the right time in my life when I wanted a new challenge and to make a mark on the School I had grown up with. It was my turn to give back to Stern, which had given so much to me. My personal mantra has been “Onward, forward, upward!” I do not believe that there is a set path to becoming an administrator. However, there are a few keys to success, in my opinion: the primary one is to have a passion for wanting to make a difference in the world. In my case, I wanted to make a difference in undergraduate business education. I also feel an intrinsic interest in wanting to understand the inner workings of the institution in which I work. You never know where this will lead. Also I have always striven to view challenges as opportunities. And I have encouraged those around me to do the same. I believe it is also imperative to view every life and work experience as progress, and the opportunity to learn and move on. You can’t get stuck on what doesn’t work—there is bound to be something that will work! Also, respect the people around you, and surround yourself with people whose strengths complement your weaknesses. Learn to trust and call on them. As a Dean, I have introduced the Stern Programme for Undergraduate Research (SPUR). It is a priority initiative that supports our undergraduates' active participation in top-tier research with Stern faculty and reflects our ongoing commitment to academic excellence. There are three opportunities for students to get involved in SPUR: The Honours Programme which is a year-long one established in 2001 by senior faculty member Marti Subrahmanyam that gives our top students the opportunity to conduct graduate-level research. Students can take graduate course work, participate in a weekly honours seminar, and develop an honours thesis. Only the top seven per cent of seniors are invited to enroll. The SPUR Database which was launched in Spring 2012 to connect undergraduates with faculty conducting research. Students work one-on-one with faculty on projects that directly support NYU Stern's ground-breaking research agenda. As a visiting faculty in some Indian schools there are some things I would like to suggest to a Dean of an Indian B-school. Use research in the classroom to demonstrate effects; it’s a fabulous way to get students intrigued about research. I do that when I teach the marketing core, marketing research or consumer behavior. Using current articles from the press shows the relevance of what we study in the classroom to real life as well and whets students’ appetites to understand and/or read the original research. Make sure that the research opportunities faculty can provide are of interest to the students. Find faculty champions who will support your initiative. Make it easy for both your faculty and your students to participate by making sure you have the right administrative support, policies, and procedures in place. In our case, launching a website to bring students together with faculty on projects worked well. Besides the initial website set up, it has been fairly painless. Track the metrics/numbers to see what they say about the success of the program. Success needs to be advertised to continue to build enthusiasm.