2024 Best 40-Under-40 MBA Professors: Gourab Mukherjee, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California

 

Gourab Mukherjee
Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California

“Gourab has been a stalwart in leading the analytics edge in modern business research, education, and practice. With vast amounts of data now readily available, companies in almost every industry are focused on exploiting data for competitive advantage. Gourab’s research has been pivotal in spring boarding the development of cutting-edge analytics methods for these new-age business problems. His research has contributed new methods and software for efficient pricing and user retention strategies in contemporary digital marketing problems. Leveraging recent advances in machine learning, Gourab’s research has produced improved strategic marketing techniques and operation policies for freemium business models that are now widely used in digital products and technology markets.” – Jinchi Lv, Kenneth King Stonier Chair in Business Administration

Gourab Mukherjee, 39, is Associate Professor of Data Sciences and Operations at Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California.

He created new statistical theories and methods for analyzing complex data types that arise in contemporary business challenges. This includes new phenomena and theoretical results in predictive inference and statistical shrinkage methods. He used these to develop efficient digital marketing strategies and develop cutting-edge algorithms for gaming analytics, churn analysis, and the pricing and monetization of digital goods and freemium products.

His research has been published in prestigious journals including the Journal of the American Statistical Association, the Annals of Statistics, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, and the Annals of Applied Statistics.

He is winner of the International Indian Statistical Association (IISA) Early Career Award in Statistics and Data Sciences, Adobe’s Data Science Research Award, and grants from the Institute for Outlier Research in Business and the National Science Foundation.

BACKGROUND

At current institution since what year? 2013

Education:

• PhD in Statistics, Stanford University, 2013.
• M. Stat, Indian Statistical Institute, 2008
• B. Stat, Indian Statistical Institute, 2006

List of MBA courses you currently teach: Data Science for Business

TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR

I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when … I visited Professor Edward George at Wharton’s Statistics department. Over the years, Ed became not only a wonderful collaborator but also a dear friend. Observing his enjoyment in interacting with MBA students and his passion for statistical research truly inspired me.

What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? We are currently researching how to optimize personalized digital communications to improve customer lifetime value. Our goal is to develop a data informed procedure for understanding the optimal interventions and the frequency with which firms should communicate with customers. Frequent communication can often lead to customer fatigue and diminished brand relevance. Our findings indicate significant heterogeneity among customers, but data informed selection, personalization, and optimal scheduling of interventions can create considerable improvements.

If I weren’t a business school professor, I would be … a professor in the statistics department, mainly researching on mathematical statistics concepts.

What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? My emphasis on both core logical and out-of-the-box thinking. I strive to nurture the best potential in my students and ensure that the spark of critical thinking and sound logical reasoning remains vibrant and alive in the rapidly changing business world, where complex, large-scale methods are increasingly used.

One word that describes my first time teaching: passion

Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: Use data to storyboard effectively rather than delving into rabbit holes.

Professor I most admire and why: Gareth James, my former colleague at USC and currently the Dean at Emory Business School. As a young academic, I was fortunate to have Gareth as my mentor during my formative years at USC. From him, I learned the importance of efficient multitasking and developed a keen interest in applying statistical thinking to real-world business challenges.

TEACHING MBA STUDENTS

What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? The students’ interest in monetization of quantitative ideas often provides fresh perspectives and new usages of the quantitative methods.

What is most challenging? Communicating yet not over communicating

In one word, describe your favorite type of student: responsible

In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: that’s the challenge, isn’t it?

When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as … sincere

LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM

What are your hobbies? Growing up, I used to play a lot of soccer, but now I find myself watching it more than playing. I support LAFC, whose home stadium is conveniently located next to our university, along with a host of clubs spread across different continents. I also enjoy playing card games, with Bridge being my current favorite. Additionally, I’ve recently taken an interest in photography and Nintendo, the latter largely influenced by our 5-year-old daughter.

How will you spend your summer? Wrapping up a few ongoing research papers and preparing a new data case on digital communications for my fall class. I will also try to squeeze in a mini family vacation.

Favorite place(s) to vacation: The foothills of the Himalayas hold a special place for me as they are filled with childhood memories.

Favorite book(s): I can’t pick a favorite! Here are some of books that come top of my mind:

• The Man from the Future: The Visionary Ideas of John von Neumann by Ananyo Bhattacharya.
• The Calcutta Chromosome by Amitav Ghosh.
• Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton.
• The Argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity by Amartya Sen.
• The Epic City by Kushanava Choudhury
• Who we are and how we got here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of Human Past by David Reich.

What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? I greatly enjoy the movie Margin Call. I watch it repeatedly, mainly for its stellar cast and the powerful performance by Jeremy Irons, as well as its surreal portrayal of a corporate crisis. Another recent favorite is Oppenheimer.

On the television side, I enjoy Halt and Catch Fire for its portrayal of entrepreneurship from the early days of desktop computing to the start of the internet era, brought to life through a well-written script. However, my go-to sitcom is The Office (US), which, in contrast to Margin Call, is non-intense but beautifully depicts the banality in our daily lives.

What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? Depends on my mood! I greatly enjoy listening to Indian classical music, Rabindra Sangeet, and Western classical music. I find that they help soothe the mind and aid concentration before I delve into work. Additionally, I often find myself listening to Bollywood songs.

THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS

If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of … industry specific case studies, practical implementation of business problems, and use more industry data to provide insights and analysis.

In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at … stepping out of age-old methods and techniques of data analytics and keep up to pace with newer methods.

I’m grateful for … my roots, my cultural heritage for shaping me into the person I am today. I am also grateful for my family, my biggest support system, which helps me keep grounded.

DON’T MISS: THE ENTIRE 2024 ROSTER OF THE WORLD’S BEST 40-UNDER-40 MBA PROFESSORS