Building research excellence: Thapa’s vision for Spears Business
Thursday, November 13, 2025
Media Contact: Stephen Howard | Director of Marketing & Communications | 405.744.4363 | stephen.howard@okstate.edu
Dr. Brij Thapa brings a wealth of experience to his new role as vice dean for faculty, graduate programs, and research at the Spears School of Business. He also holds the Chuck and Kim Watson Chair and the William E. Davis Distinguished Chair.
Thapa’s academic credentials speak for themselves. The Carl and Marilynn Thoma Distinguished Chair spent the last five years leading the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management while also being named to the prestigious Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists List, a recognition reserved for the most impactful scholars in their fields.
Before joining Oklahoma State University, Thapa spent 20 years at the University of Florida, serving in various academic and administrative leadership roles at the department, college and university levels, where he honed his expertise in research enterprise development and academic administration at one of the nation’s top-ranked universities.
At OSU, Thapa has demonstrated his strategic vision by positioning the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management around “the business of hospitality,” emphasizing the practical, industry-relevant approach that defines his leadership philosophy. The school’s research, reputation and rankings substantially increased under Thapa, climbing to No. 8 in the U.S. and No. 22 in the world, according to the latest ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects. Now, as he focuses on the broader research enterprise across Spears Business, he brings this same commitment to translating academic excellence into real-world impact.
Spears Business: What are the biggest things you’ve been tackling since taking over the vice dean role in July?
Thapa: “I’m asking the question, What do we want the Spears School of Business to be from a research enterprise perspective? Do we have pockets of excellence that we can lean into? Absolutely, we do. We know there are certain areas, business analytics, AI and machine learning, sustainability and social responsibility, entrepreneurship and innovation, forecasting and risk analysis, organizational behavior and culture, where we are having major impact and relevance. How can we invest in those areas to really move the needle further, not incrementally, but radically move it? That means getting more resources to those areas. If there’s promise and potential of creating major impact and acceleration, we need to invest as a college toward that direction and really make an impact.”
Spears Business: How does your research vision align with OSU’s land-grant mission of serving the public good?
Thapa: “Research should have relevance so that a layperson should understand what it is that we do. When I speak with people in various industries or levels of government, they think research is academic, that it sits on the shelves. So, how do you get that reservoir of intellectual capital from the university into Main Street, into industry, into policymaking? I tell faculty members the same thing – always be guided by the ‘so what’ question. What am I doing this for? What application does this have for businesses and communities? We aim to advance business research for the greater good, focusing strategically on turning evidence-based findings into practical applications. By prioritizing real-world solutions, we seek to drive transformative change that benefits businesses, communities and society.”
Spears Business: Do you see opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration on the OSU campus?
Thapa: “Business serves as a foundational discipline that touches every field, each incorporating some aspect of business practice. I see meaningful connections between business and areas such as engineering, the arts and sciences, health sciences, and agriculture. The real opportunity lies in applying our business expertise to strengthen and advance these disciplines, unlocking new possibilities for collaboration and growth.”
Spears Business: You have a passion for doctoral education. What are you hoping to accomplish in that area?
Thapa: “The success of doctoral alumni reflects the success of the academic department. If we’re placing a graduate at the University of Florida or other R1 institutions, that means we’ve done a good job training them in research and applications. Ph.D. programs are a major investment for an institution. The return on that investment should be that doctoral students assist and team with faculty for research engagement, which helps create publications and funded grants. Our primary goal is to focus on the quality of students we recruit, and to ensure they receive close mentorship and high standards of training. Faculty productivity often increases when they work with excellent doctoral students, making them more likely to attract additional high-quality students who want to collaborate with accomplished faculty members.”
Spears Business: What’s your approach to building research centers and fostering collaboration?
Thapa: “I aim to enhance the depth of our research centers. To achieve this, we should begin by consolidating current centers and creating new ones that can act as hubs for meaningful research and collaboration. These centers should have core faculty, affiliate faculty from other departments across the university, and even external collaborations with consulting companies and other academic institutions. My vision is for Spears Business research centers to be recognized across the industry as a dynamic network of expertise — an invaluable resource dedicated to helping businesses achieve success through cutting-edge research, practical solutions and collaborative partnerships.”
Spears Business: What gives you confidence in Spears’ research future?
Thapa: “We have a tremendous foundation to build on. Dr. Ramesh Sharda has been the bedrock of Spears Business for 45 years, not only a physical presence, but his work is enduring. He’s been the constant in promoting research, and expanding new frontiers in AI and emerging technologies. He has this aura of collaboration and helps faculty navigate the intricacies of research and external grant activity. He has a national, international brand, and when people say Spears Business, they think of Sharda. We need to build on that foundation while creating new opportunities for faculty to excel and make meaningful contributions to their fields and to society.
As vice dean, my commitment is to foster a collaborative environment that empowers faculty, supports graduate students and drives innovation, ultimately contributing to the advancement of research, rankings and the overall reputation of Spears.”
Story by: Stephen Howard | Discover@Spears Magazine
Photo by: Cole Weiberg