Dr. Manoj Vanajakumari, Associate Professor
"Through teaching I want to impart knowledge to the students, help them generate interest in the subject matter, help students to self-discover, and help them to build a career in the subject matter that I teach. It is a profession where one needs to be on a path of nonstop learning."
Degrees Held
- Ph.D. in Management Science – The University of Texas at Dallas, 2007
- M.S. in Supply Chain Management – The University of Texas at Dallas, 2007
- M.Tech in Industrial Management – Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 2002
- B.Tech in Industrial Engineering – University of Kerala, 1999
Career Highlights
- First publication in Financial Times’ top 50 business school journals rankings, 2016
- Tenure and promotion at Texas A&M University, 2014
- Gave supply chain-and-logistics lectures in Mexico as part of the Texas-Mexico trade corridor project, 2008-2009
- First tenure-track faculty job, 2007
In which online programs do you teach?
Which class do you teach online?
- BAN 501: Prescriptive Analytics
- BAN 517: Supply Chain Analytics
What types of projects can online students expect in your courses?
Case analysis, discussion boards, group projects
What do you want students to learn in these courses?
What is the expected learning outcome?
- Be able to lead or contribute to successful internal supply chain projects
- Be able to develop strategic and operational level plans to meet a customer service level
- Be able to provide a competitive edge to their companies by utilizing appropriate analytic tools
- Be able to demonstrate problem-solving and critical-thinking acumen in supply chain decision making
- Be able to communicate clearly to a technical and non-technical audience the methods and solutions in a supply chain setting
Why did you start teaching?
Through teaching, I want to impart knowledge to students, help them generate interest in the subject matter, help students to self-discover, and help them to build a career in the subject matter that I teach. It is a profession where one needs to be on a path of nonstop learning.
What advice would you give to those considering this online program?
Involve and immerse yourself in the subjects that you learn. There is no use of half-baked knowledge, especially in Business Analytics.
What is the one book you think everyone should read?
“The Goal” by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
Tell us something interesting about yourself that your students might not know about you.
I love to watch soccer games.