Manoj Malhotra named Dean for Lehigh’s College of Business

Manoj K. Malhotra, the John R. Mannix Medical Mutual of Ohio Professor of Operations Management and former Dean of the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, has been named the next Dean of Lehigh’s College of Business.

He will begin his tenure July 1, 2024, succeeding Georgette Chapman Phillips, who will retire June 30, 2024, according to a university press release.

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Nathan Urban said: “Manoj is the ideal person to lead Lehigh’s College of Business in its efforts to become a national leader in business education and research with a focus on the intersection of business and technology. Manoj is an outstanding scholar whose highly quantitative research focuses on areas such as the effective deployment of resources in manufacturing and service firms, supply chain strategy and the interface between operations management and other functional areas of business. He is also an experienced academic leader who has led the development of innovative and market-relevant academic programs and partnerships. I am very excited to have Manoj join Lehigh as the next dean of Lehigh Business.”

Malhotra brings a breadth of experience from holding significant academic and administrative roles at Case Western Reserve University and the University of South Carolina, the release stated.

As the Dean and Albert J. Weatherhead III Professor at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, he oversaw a period of significant change and growth, setting new enrollment records and launching innovative programs such as a healthcare focused online MBA. His leadership led to notable improvements in research productivity and a significant increase in undergraduate enrollments during his tenure.

“I am honored to be selected as the next Dean of Lehigh College of Business,” said Malhotra. “I was attracted to the Dean’s position at Lehigh Business because of its impressive growth trajectory in academic programs and faculty, its student focused curriculum, and several centers of excellence in diverse functional areas of business.”

“The three directional strategies of Lehigh Business that revolve around life-long learning for students, high impact research by faculty, and community engagement that promotes societal good are well aligned with my own thinking and values,” he continued.

“I am also impressed by the university’s leadership that is driven by an innovative and collaborative mindset. It is an exciting time and opportunity to work with outstanding faculty, staff, students, university leadership, and external business community at Lehigh University.”

During his tenure at the Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina (USC), Columbia, Malhotra introduced many programmatic innovations and steered the management science department to national recognition.

He established the influential Center for Global Supply and Process Management (GSCPM), garnering significant industry support from firms such as BMW, Coca Cola Bottling, Delta Air Lines, Ingersoll Rand, Johnson & Johnson, Michelin, Siemens, and Walmart.

His strategic initiatives increased enrollments and propelled the school’s supply chain programs into Gartner’s top 10 rankings, marking a significant leap in academic and research prestige, according to the release.