‘Academic entrepreneur’: Sharda leaves impact as outgoing Spears Business vice dean for graduate programs and research
Monday, June 23, 2025
Media Contact: Hallie Hart | Communications Coordinator | 405-744-1050 | hallie.hart@okstate.edu
Dr. Ramesh Sharda stepped into Oklahoma State University’s Classroom Building to teach his first MBA course in 1981.
Long before the Spears School of Business established itself as a leader in online education, Sharda’s lectures reached remote learners at offices in Bartlesville, Ponca City and Tulsa. These graduate students watched his class on TV screens while using phones to call in and ask questions, hearing the young assistant professor reply in real time.
Course delivery methods were evolving, and Sharda embraced the chance to try something new.
“I have loved being an academic entrepreneur,” Sharda said.
The Regents Professor of Management Science and Information Systems knows he didn’t invent that clever term — academic entrepreneur — but he certainly embodies it.
Sharda, who is choosing to return to faculty in July after more than 11 years as the Spears Business vice dean for graduate programs and research, has shaped decades of innovation at OSU as a professor and administrator.
He rejuvenated the MBA program, leading the creation of an active alumni advisory board and helping the online MBA soar to No. 11 in U.S. News & World Report rankings. He co-authored textbooks and studied artificial intelligence before it entered the everyday lexicon. Sharda also led or coordinated the development of multiple new Spears Business academic programs, including the Doctor of Business Administration that launched last year.
“As one of the longest-serving faculty members in Spears, Ramesh has led by example as a scholar-teacher and has demonstrated his servant leadership in helping others over his career,” said Dr. Jim Payne, Spears Business dean. “I sincerely appreciate his dedication to the Spears School of Business over the past four decades.”
In 1979, then-management department head Dr. Wayne Meinhart called Sharda and asked him to visit for a campus interview. Until then, Sharda didn’t know what to expect at OSU. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Udaipur in Rajasthan, India; a master’s degree from Ohio State University; and an MBA and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
When Meinhart recruited Sharda, the 27-year-old scholar took a chance on Stillwater, arriving in fall 1980.
Forty-five years later, Spears Business and Sharda have mutually benefited from that decision.
Graduate programs
“You are supposed to create something that meets the market need. That’s what an entrepreneur does. They identify a need. They develop a product or service. They have to figure out how to market it and eventually go through the whole sales-service-support cycle.”
Sharda welcomed a challenge when Spears Business named him as interim vice dean of the Watson Graduate School of Management in December 2013.
The now-prestigious Master of Business Administration program was unranked. The enrollment numbers had dipped so low that OSU’s MBA wasn’t on U.S. News & World Report’s radar.
Sharda, who quickly proved himself worthy of the interim tag’s removal, took on the massive undertaking of bringing the program back to prominence. He didn’t stop there.
With a team effort, Sharda helped lift OSU’s MBA to unprecedented heights while expanding the Watson curriculum.
Recently, the full-time MBA climbed 18 spots to No. 58 nationally, its highest-ever standing and top in the state, in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. The No. 11 online MBA has risen steadily over the past six years in U.S. News & World Report rankings, while the master’s in business analytics and data science program is No. 2 nationally, trailing only Harvard University, according to Fortune.com.
“Ramesh has led Spears Business graduate programs to experience high enrollment, high rankings and the strongest of reputations in their history,” said Dr. Rick Wilson, Management Science and Information Systems department head. “Ramesh, graduate program directors and the Watson staff have fostered innovations within programs as well as collaboration between programs. As someone who has taught in graduate programs for nearly 35 years, our students and graduates are achieving even greater things now and will continue to thrive upon graduation because of these innovations.”
OSU’s MBA holds a special place in Sharda’s heart. Since teaching his first MBA class, he has grown up with the program, he said. Over the years, he mentored students who matured into CEOs, chief information officers and leaders in academia.
Sharda knew reengaging those distinguished alumni was a key to revitalizing the program, so the MBA Advisory Board sprung to life.
That’s where his entrepreneurial side helped. For example, when prospective students had questions, Sharda directed them to advisory board members whose successes served as powerful testimonials and recruiting tools.
In 2019, Sharda selected Dr. Matt Bowler as MBA program director, and they collaborated to strengthen OSU’s three distinct MBA pathways. OSU’s full-time MBA provides a traditional Stillwater campus experience, while the Tulsa-based hybrid program and the fully online program offer flexibility for working professionals.
As Sharda helped the online MBA flourish, he never forgot the in-person program’s unique value.
“Today, OSU has an on-campus MBA program because of Ramesh,” said MBA alumnus Matt O’Brien, a founding member of the advisory board. “It would have been shuttered like many others were at that time as online and distance learning became so mainstream. We all felt that while the online program was vital to OSU, the on-campus experience brought a different dimension to the degree that was special and worth preserving.”
Sharda has constantly advocated for growth. He led the development of many dual-degree programs and 4+1 pathways, which allow students to receive undergraduate and graduate degrees in a total of five years.
He isn’t afraid to build something from scratch, either.
In 1995, Sharda welcomed OSU’s first cohort of master’s in telecommunications management students, meeting a need based on the era’s technological advancements. Sharda directed the program from 1995-97 before handing the keys to Wilson.
Because there were few similar programs nationwide, Sharda said he didn’t follow a template. Instead, his office is home to a large binder detailing his original plans for the program, which was active in Spears Business for many years. He applied similar ingenuity to OSU’s Ph.D. in Business for Executives, which officially debuted in 2012.
Then, in 2019, Sharda worked alongside Dr. Goutam Chakraborty and Spears Business faculty to combine the MS in Business Analytics and the MS in MIS with a Data Science option. The fused result is the award-winning MS BAnDS program, offered in person and online.
Sharda’s entrepreneurial spirit has guided him through every endeavor, but he hasn’t worked alone.
To understand market needs, an entrepreneur must interact with the market. That’s exactly what Sharda has done, looking out for the best interests of colleagues, students and alumni.
“His leadership style in this role is very different than many other people’s leadership styles, and it comes because of his very humble attitude and his personality,” MS BAnDS director Chakraborty said. “He is very unassuming, but he’s a good listener. Part of the reason of the success of many of the graduate programs under him has been because of that.”
Research
“We are all students. We teach other students, but we need to be students ourselves.”
Sharda pointed at the thick textbook on the round, wooden table in his Business Building office.
“Everything that’s in this book, except for about half of a chapter, is stuff I didn’t know about when I was working on my Ph.D.,” Sharda said. “It keeps you young because you are constantly learning.”
To keep up with rapid industry advancements, Sharda didn’t simply read the book.
He wrote it.
Sharda is the lead author of “Business Intelligence, Analytics, Data Science, and AI: A Managerial Perspective,” co-written with Spears Business Regents Professor Dr. Dursun Delen and Dr. Efraim Turban. The trio also wrote the textbook, “Analytics, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence: Systems for Decision Support.”
When Sharda’s title of Vice Dean for Graduate Programs expanded to include research, it was a natural fit.
“He himself is a great researcher,” Chakraborty said. “That helps when the person leading the research program is one of the eminent researchers in their field and being recognized at the national level because of his fantastic research and service to the community.”
Sharda’s groundbreaking MSIS scholarship and editorial service have brought him many accolades. Along with his Regents Professorship and the ConocoPhillips Chair of Technology Management, he has held the Chuck and Kim Watson Chair as vice dean.
In 2018, Sharda accepted the prestigious title of Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) Fellow for his exemplary research, educational contributions and outstanding service to INFORMS. In 2019, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Association for Information Systems.
He also received Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame induction in 2016, OSU’s Eminent Faculty Award in 2020 and the Fulbright Distinguished Chair Award in 2022. Sharda, who completed his Fulbright Program at Aalto University in Finland, was only the second OSU faculty member to hold this honor.
Sharda has influenced generations of researchers. Through decades of change, he taught his students how to conduct thorough, timely research with help from cutting-edge technologies.
In the early 1980s, he had one of the few portable IBM computers on campus. In 1999, he taught a course on launching a dot-com company. In 2008, Sharda’s students were developing mobile apps in their lab — only a year after the debut of a little gadget called the iPhone.
While fueling innovation in his field, Sharda’s passion for research impacts all eight Spears Business academic units. He has championed the annual publication of Discover@Spears magazine, highlighting research throughout the school. Sharda elevated the business school’s commitment to faculty grants, introducing the Spears Sponsored Research Initiation Program in 2022.
“He has maintained his own stellar research activities while being vice dean,” Wilson said. “He understands the importance of the research mission of a land-grant school and has actively created programs that encourage Spears Business faculty to increase their output and help spur new studies and faculty grantsmanship.”
Mentorship
“If we are not thinking about people, then we are in the wrong business because all of our products and processes involve people.”
When asked about his proudest career achievement, Sharda didn’t glance at the many wooden plaques on his office wall.
He didn’t open one of the numerous books citing his research, either.
Instead, Sharda’s eyes gleamed as he rattled off a list of names. They live around the world with different careers, but these esteemed leaders share a bond.
At one time or another, they were Sharda’s students.
This is the reason for Sharda’s tireless academic entrepreneurship.
Auburn University professor Dr. Ashish Gupta, who has a Ph.D. in MSIS from Spears Business, said he sees Sharda as an “academic father.” Gupta isn’t alone.
“His impact isn’t just seen in rankings or programs — it’s felt in the lives and careers he’s helped shape, including mine,” said Balaji Dhamodharan, a 2010 MS in MIS graduate who serves on the MSIS Department Industry Advisory Board.
When Sharda sees his innovations fueling student success, it’s the ultimate mark of his success. From the 1980s Talkback Television era to today’s online classrooms, Sharda has maintained his passion for improving student experiences and preparing career-ready professionals who want to stay involved with OSU.
When he launches an academic program, he’s already wondering what the 10-year reunion will look like, he said.
“I certainly try my best to keep the people perspective in mind,” Sharda said. “I will never say no to meeting anybody if I can find the time. I just consider that to be part of our work, making a difference in people’s lives and celebrating it as your success, too.”
As he returns to faculty, Sharda has the chance to keep guiding students and inspiring the colleagues who follow him. Dr. Brij Thapa, professor and head of OSU’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, will succeed Sharda as vice dean for faculty, graduate programs, and research starting July 1.
“I thank Dr. Sharda for his longtime service and leadership,” Thapa said. “I look forward to standing on the shoulders of someone who has dedicated so much to Spears Business."
Thank you, Dr. Sharda!
Colleagues and students share their stories
“For the last six years, Dr. Sharda has served as my leader, mentor and friend by being a sounding board for ideas, helping me know which ideas and battles to take on and which ones to let roll off my back. He has helped me to lead the MBA as a better version of me. I know he always has my back and will be a confidant to me and the Watson team long after he steps away from his leadership role.” - Dr. Matt Bowler, OSU MBA director
“I have worked with Dr. Sharda for more than 10 years now, and I appreciate how he has always been supportive and encouraging of his staff. Whether it was professional development opportunities or a chance to take on more responsibility or new roles, he has always been an advocate for his people as they work toward their professional goals. He also very much has a heart for students and higher education and has helped many students reach their goals and become successful in both industry and academia.” - Dr. Sarah Chabinak, manager, Watson Graduate School of Management
“I had a very bad accident a long time ago in Stillwater. Usha (Sharda’s wife) and Ramesh brought me food for the first week or two so I didn’t have to go out, because I couldn’t walk without a lot of pain. I will never forget that. I’m very, very grateful. It shows their personality type. I’m not even in his department. I was just a faculty friend.” - Dr. Goutam Chakraborty, MS BAnDS director
“Dr. Sharda believed in me before I believed in myself, and that made all the difference. One of the most pivotal moments in my journey was when he made me the database administrator for a major research project. At the time, I barely knew anything about databases, and I was terrified. But he simply said, ‘It’s all right — I know you’ll figure it out. And if you need help, I’m here.’ That trust, that calm confidence, pushed me to rise to the challenge. I went from a novice to a subject matter expert in databases, and that experience directly led to my first full-time job.” - Balaji Dhamodharan, Global software analytics leader at AMD and 2025 MSIS Cumulus Award winner
“Ramesh took me under his wing shortly after I arrived at OSU in 1984. Spears Business had launched a new Ph.D. program called management information systems with Ramesh as a relatively junior professor pioneering it. Ramesh is innately a mentor. Because of his natural curiosity and drive to explore generational technologies, he tirelessly advocates for their inclusion into the school’s curriculum, helping to make it a national standout. His research and teaching contributions truly have been gifts to society; perhaps that is his greatest legacy.” - Dr. Brian LeClaire, executive vice president & chief information officer at Centene Corporation, Spears Business Ph.D. graduate and MSIS Cloud of Honor inductee
“I was spectacularly fortunate to be Ramesh’s first research assistant at OSU. He assigned me the literature review section for a research article he was writing – what an eye-opener for me to actually contribute and write that section. The confidence I gained from that experience is still relevant today, 45 years later. Our families exchange Christmas cards every year, and we’ve followed the lives of each other’s children. Ramesh is in a league of his own.” - Matt O’Brien, vice president emeritus and former chief financial officer at Sandia National Laboratories, and “Spears School Tributes: 100 For 100” honoree
“Back in 1990, Dr. Sharda took a newly minted, naive recent Ph.D. graduate who had just joined OSU’s faculty under his wings, partnered with him on a novel project involving this new AI technology called neural networks and helped this faculty member learn how to do quality research. Obviously, that new, naive faculty member was me. My career trajectory was put on track by Ramesh’s generous mentorship. I know he’s done the same for many. I am forever grateful of his taking a chance on me.” - Dr. Rick Wilson, MSIS department head