College of Business Administration Professor Named University’s Scholar of the Month

KENT, Ohio - June 4, 2014 - PRLog -- Pratim Datta, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Management and Information Systems Department, is Kent State University’s Scholar of the Month for June.

Each month, Kent State recognizes faculty scholars whose work has made a significant impact in their field and brought exposure to the university.

“It feels very good to receive this award,” Datta said. “Especially given that since Dean Deborah Spake has taken over, the College of Business Administration has put a higher emphasis on research and faculty engagement in research activities.”

Datta’s research focuses on security and technology strategy and how technology can be used in organizations to increase competitiveness.

“Technology drives competition,” Datta said. “I have always had a curiosity of how companies currently use technology and how businesses can strategically use it in the future.”

With the continued emergence of new software, analytics, robotics and drones, technology keeps fuelling curiosity and further research. The ever-changing landscape of the technology industry supports the relevancy of Datta’s research, which is why he tries to incorporate his findings into the courses he teaches.

Datta, who teaches mostly Ph.D. and graduate students, said he tries to incorporate his research into his classes so students can take what they learn and apply it to their careers. His research has appeared in 28 journal articles and 27 conference proceedings. Datta also has 11 sole-inventions and patent applications in the areas of biometrics authentication, military solutions, electronic voting and green recycling.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the London School of Economics and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Alabama. Datta also holds a Master of Science and a Ph.D. from Louisiana State University.

“Dr. Datta is a prolific researcher who has had a notable impact on the information systems discipline in the areas of global technology and supply chain management,” said Deborah Spake, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business Administration. “His consulting and project management experience prior to entering academia continues to foster ongoing engagement with the business community.”

Prior to coming to Kent State, Datta held consulting and project management positions at several multinational companies, including IBM Global Solutions and SAP Consulting. He said he chose to come to Kent State because of its Ph.D. program and the balance between research and teaching.

“Spearheaded by existing leadership and research driven faculty, I think the College of Business Administration is on its way to becoming an upper tier research school,” Datta said.