Prof. Sudhir Venkatesh appointed new Academic Director
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Prof. Sudhir Venkatesh to the leadership role of Academic Director at the Berlin School.
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Prof. Sudhir Venkatesh, the William B. Ransford Professor of Sociology at Columbia University in the City of New York, to the leadership role of Academic Director at the Berlin School. Sudhir was introduced to the Berlin School by Prof. Doug Guthrie in 2010 and has since then been our Director of Research, overseeing the master thesis work. Over the last 12 months with us he has impressed everyone involved, from participants to faculty and our administration, with his insights, breadth of knowledge and helpful guidance of our participants.
"Sudhir brings to the school an incredible mixture of academic achievement, innovative research subjects & methods and creative presentation of his work," says Michael Conrad, President of the Berlin School. "We're excited to work with him to continue developing our executive MBA and other programs to be the most innovative learning experiences that they can be."
Sudhir is known far beyond his chosen field of Sociology through his research and popular books and articles looking primarily at economic subcultures. His most recent book "Gang Leader for a Day" received a best book award from The Economist; he is contributor to Slate.com and WIRED, and he writes a column titled "Underground" for the i-Pad publication The Daily. He is currently completing an ethnographic study of policing for the U.S. Department of Justice, and he has released several documentary films on issues such as public housing in the U.S. and democracy and human rights in the former Soviet state of Georgia. He is also a frequent guest on US television news programs, such as this interview on PBS about the nature of economic recovery.
"My involvement with the Berlin School community has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my scholarly life-- for which I am indebted to Doug," says Sudhir. "I look forward to my continued work with all the students, and to helping the school move forward into its next exciting phase. I'm humbled to be given this chance to work with such a wonderful group of colleagues, students, staff and board members."
Sudhir is replacing Prof. Doug Guthrie, who has stepped down from his role leading the Berlin School's academic team to focus on his work as Dean of the Business School at George Washington University School of Business. Prof. David Slocum, the Faculty Director of the EMBA program, will remain in his role with the school, and we're grateful to him for his work in leading our curriculum and faculty.
"I want to thank you all for the time I have been privileged to spend with you all over the last two-and-a-half years," says Doug. "It has been wonderful to be part of such a forward thinking and innovative institution. Unfortunately, my position as Dean of the School of Business at The George Washington University has become too demanding for me to play a formal leadership role at the Berlin School. I will continue to serve as an informal advisor to the academic leadership of the school and also look forward to teaching when I can.
"I am quite certain that the school is being left in excellent hands. David Slocum and Sudhir Venkatesh are close friends, trusted confidants, and the perfect combination of high profile academic leadership and deep knowledge of how to build and maintain outstanding specialized executive MBA programs. David, as you all know, has been the operational architect of the program since he joined the school with me in the fall of 2008. I continue to believe he is one of the most innovative thinkers in the area of customized executive education. Sudhir is a world famous academic and has been learning the ins and out of the school since he joined us last Fall. And, of course, you will always have Michael and the rest of the excellent faculty we have assembled over the years. I look forward to seeing you all and to being a resource for you all in the future if you need it."
Please join us join us in thanking Doug for his years of service to the school and welcoming Sudhir into his new role.
For those who want to get to know more about Sudhir, here is a link to his recent articles and media appearances: http://www.sudhirvenkatesh.org/mediaevents