William and Judy Docking teaching professor selected at KU

LAWRENCE -- An award-winning University of Kansas professor hailed for his teaching and mentoring has been named the inaugural William and Judy Docking Teaching Professor at the KU School of Business, announced Business Dean William L. Fuerst.

Deepak Datta, a KU business professor for 17 years, has been chosen for the professorship. The award provides a salary stipend and support for teaching and research for five years and is renewable.

"Professor Datta provides the core faculty support for a successful Ph.D. program in business strategy, and he publishes high-quality, widely cited research in the leading journals in his field," Fuerst said. "His appointment to the Docking professorship also recognizes his impressive mentoring of students, particularly at the Ph.D. level."

To be selected for the honor, an individual must be a full professor; demonstrate a history of high-quality teaching and student support; be involved in a distinguished and active research program; and have a record of service to the school and the university.

Datta teaches in the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs of the business school. His research interests include mergers and acquisitions, CEO selection, top management demography, strategic decision processes, international entry strategies and strategic human resource management. His most recent research focuses on understanding how firm and industry conditions impact CEO selection, and how CEO characteristics influence the choice of firm strategies.

Datta obtained his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, and his master's degree in business administration from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta. He received his Ph.D. in business from the University of Pittsburgh.

He has received the KU Graduate Business School Outstanding Educator Award for Teaching and the Association of Business Doctoral Students Outstanding Mentor Award. A recipient of the Mabry Award for Outstanding Research, he has published more than 35 articles and presented his research at more than 30 conferences. Datta also has been a visiting professor at several international universities.

The William and Judy Docking Teaching Professorship is funded through a gift of $500,000 to the KU Endowment Association from Kansas Board of Regents member William Docking and his wife, Judy, of Arkansas City. Their gift for the School of Business is part of a $1 million commitment for various areas. KU Endowment is an independent, nonprofit organization serving as the official fund-raising and fund-management organization for the University of Kansas.