Gautam Ahuja, PhD

One of today’s foremost scholars in the strategy field, Gautam Ahuja not only graduated from Michigan Ross, he also taught here for 16 years. 

He’s currently the editor-in-chief of the pre-eminent journal Organization Science, just one highlight in a distinguished career that has included a lengthy list of publications, awards, presentations, and other honors. Perhaps most important, he has advised many doctoral students who are now senior scholars in their own right.

The doctoral program and the strategy area have a long history and tradition of close faculty-student interaction as well as using the fantastic multidisciplinary resources of the university to provide a great doctoral experience.

Drawn to Michigan in part by the collaborative, interdisciplinary nature of the university, Ahuja still speaks fondly of the intellectual community he found here. 

“I had heard great things about the program, the strong linkages across units of the university and disciplines, and also that Ann Arbor was a wonderful place to live,” he recalls. “Indeed, it was a wonderful interdisciplinary experience, with very friendly and accessible faculty always willing to engage with you, and great speakers in a variety of seminar series that really provided fascinating exposure to research in progress.”

Ahuja says the strategy PhD program proved to be excellent preparation for his career. “The doctoral program and the strategy area have a long history and tradition of close faculty-student interaction as well as using the fantastic multi- disciplinary resources of the university to provide a great doctoral experience. As a student, too, I benefited from the generosity of the strategy faculty, who were always willing to find time to engage in discussing research ideas, providing research suggestions, and overall mentoring and guidance,” he says. “Indeed, my decision to invest significantly in coursework in the Economics Department as well as getting an exposure to structural sociology in the Sociology Department (two decisions that I think worked out really well for me) were both due to faculty advice and encouragement and to Michigan’s disciplinary resources.”

Ahuja has some advice to anyone considering the Michigan Ross PhD program in strategy: “Join, and make sure that you use the wonderful resources of the broader university, not just the business school. And enjoy the delight that is Ann Arbor — the combination of peaceful but fun life that Ann Arbor uniquely provides.”