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By Joy Vann

On July 25, С��Ƭ��Ƶ welcomed Kuntal Bhattacharyya, Ph.D., as the first Director of the new School of Supply Chain, Logistics and Maritime Operations (SSCLMO).

Dr. Bhattacharyya comes to Virginia from Indiana State University where he served as the project director of the Logistics 4.0 Innovation Hub@Plainfield. Previously he was the Scott College of Business School’s executive director of graduate programs and chair of the department of marketing and operations.

Elspeth McMahon, Old Dominion’s associate vice president for maritime initiatives, said bringing Bhattacharyya onboard is an important milestone as the University launches the interdisciplinary school.

“Leveraging our strategic location, the SSCLMO will work closely with maritime, supply chain and logistics companies to support the shipbuilding and ship repair, transportation and defense industries as well as others to best prepare our students for exciting careers that are so vital to our country’s blue economy,” McMahon said. “While preparing our students to step into these important roles, we will also be keeping some of the best and the brightest minds in Hampton Roads. Dr. Bhattacharyya’s experience directly corresponds to that mission.”

С��Ƭ��Ƶ Provost Brian K. Payne agreed.

 “Dr. Bhattacharyya brings experience in strategic sourcing, supply chain management, financial economics, humanitarian logistics, and Industry 4.0 applications in manufacturing to lead the new school, which will prepare students for impactful careers in the supply chain and maritime industry,” he said.

Bhattacharyya, a certified risk manager, holds a doctorate in operations management from Kent State University and a master’s in management from the University of Akron.

Highlights from his 17 years in academia include designing a new curriculum that aligned with the needs of Midwest manufacturing corridors; the development of an advisory board and a new center for supply management research; creation of an online MBA program that experienced 150% growth year-to-year; corporate fundraising; and forging partnerships with international companies such as GEODIS, Toyota Material Handling, Eli Lilly and North American Lighting. 

Of his work in Indiana, Bhattacharyya said, “The Innovation Hub joins higher education and industry for workforce development, teaching and research, and I would like to continue that model at С��Ƭ��Ƶ because experiential learning and hands-on research are vital to the study of supply chain and maritime operations.” 

He began his career with The Timken Company, a multi-national producer of bearings and steel. He was a global sourcing analyst, managed $2 billion capital budgets and charted global sourcing strategies.

“I always wanted to be in the industry first before I could take my two cents of knowledge into the classroom,” he said, noting that when he was an MBA student, his professor and mentor planted the seed of a career in academia.

Developing a problem-solving mindset

To be successful in the ever-evolving world of global supply chain and logistics, students must be ready to face any challenge with critical thinking and core competencies, according to Bhattacharyya.

He said developing certain skill sets is vital for supply chain and maritime workers who face constant disruptions that require innovative solutions.

“Imagine yourself in a situation where you have parts arriving from an Eastern European country and suddenly you get a phone call that a strait is blocked. What do you do? You must have a problem-solving mindset,” he said.

“The way I have always prepared my students is very much ‘outside-of-the-box-thinking,’ giving them real projects, working with companies to deliver an outcome that is not necessarily within the scope of a textbook. That keeps students on their toes. When they come through that kind of rigorous training and enter the industry, it becomes a very seamless integration. “

Bhattacharyya said the second most important skill supply chain students need to develop is a constant willingness to learn.

“I always tell my students, ‘I can teach you the statistics. I can teach you the technical aspects, but you must bring in that attitude of learning.’ They must have that inquisitive nature,” he said. “When they come to class, they can't just regurgitate the reading material.  They need to think beyond it. That thinking process is so critical to be successful in supply chain management.”

Global Perspective

Bhattacharyya said supply chain management is more than moving an object from point A to point B. It’s an intertwined mesh encircling the world.

“We live in a global landscape. You have people from all around the world who are collectively working towards solving business problems, regardless of what time zones they are in. They don’t speak the same language. They don't eat the same food. They don't read the same books,” he said.

“They don't look the same, but understanding what it takes to do business with them will move mountains and that aspect of understanding history, the geography of people, the demographics, how to interact with them, what works, what doesn't work—that’s so critical in successfully managing a supply chain.”

To launch the school in “full steam ahead” mode, Bhattacharyya is focused on his strengths including industry engagement, workforce development, managing the skills gap, fundraising and designing industry-focused curricula.

“My expectation is to build on those skill sets and create what I call an inclusive framework, which is grounded in innovation, education and research,” he said. 

Beyond that, he wants to continue Old Dominion’s engagement with K-12 students. Those students may know about business in terms of marketing or accounting career possibilities, he said, but they need to know about supply chain and maritime jobs such as engineers, port and terminal supervisors, naval architects, project managers, oceanographers, transportation analysts, cybersecurity analysts, warehouse specialists and ship agents.

Bhattacharyya said Old Dominion has made progress in that regard with the development of the Maritime Engineering and Environmental Studies Academy (MEESA) in Newport News’ Brooks Crossing, slated to open in fall 2025.

“Integration with the local school systems is imperative. We can integrate the opportunities that one can have after graduating with a degree in supply chain so that they can see themselves doing the work,” he said. “I developed that dynamic in Indiana and I'd like to replicate that here.”

While Bhattacharyya loves talking about the ins-and-outs of the blue economy, it’s the role of mentor and the opportunity to work with students that really motivates him.       

“The best part about working with students is that they are like balls of clay. Imparting knowledge is like molding them and you can see the transformation, see them gaining experience, getting exposure, and most importantly, gaining confidence,” he said.