Dr. Angappa Gunasekaran

Biography

Dr. Angappa Gunasekaran served as the director of Penn State Harrisburg’s School of Business Administration from August 16, 2021, to December 31, 2023. Prior to joining Penn State, he served as the special assistant provost for Academic Affairs and Student Success at California State University, Bakersfield, where he was also the dean of the School of Business and Public Administration and the principal investigator for the Small Business Development Center. Additionally, he has experience as a professor of operations management. Previously, he was the dean at Charlton College of Business and chairperson of the Department of Decision and Information Sciences, as well as the founding director of the Business Innovation Research Center at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Gunasekaran has over ten years of global work experience in higher education, focusing on creating student-centered learning environments, building new academic programs, and enhancing community partnerships. He provided leadership for AACSB accreditations and has a strong international network that promotes collaboration in research and student recruitment. He has published more than 450 journal articles, contributing significantly to his field, and has served on the editorial board of 30 peer-reviewed journals. Gunasekaran holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Government College of Technology, Coimbatore, India, a master’s in industrial engineering from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, and a doctorate in industrial engineering and operations research from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, India.

Research Interests