Subhashini Ganapathy appointed dean of Wright State’s College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies

Subhashini Ganapathy, a Wright State alumna and chair of the Department of Biomedical, Industrial, and Human Factors Engineering, will assume the role of dean of the College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies on May 1.

Subhashini Ganapathy, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical, Industrial, and Human Factors Engineering, has been appointed the dean of Wright State University’s College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies, effective May 1.

She will replace interim Dean Shu Schiller, Ph.D., who left Wright State for a position at another university on March 31.

Associate Dean Paula Bubulya, Ph.D., has agreed to serve as the college’s acting dean from April 1 to 30.

“I look forward to working with Dr. Ganapathy and Dr. Bubulya to elevate the visibility of our graduate and honors programs, increase enrollment, and ensure student success,” said Wright State Provost Amy Thompson, Ph.D. “As a university leader, Dr. Ganapathy has guided efforts to enhance student engagement and achievement, build internal and external coalitions and advocate for graduate and honors excellence.”

As dean of the College of Graduate Studies and Honors Program, Ganapathy said, she will champion a student-first approach by creating an academic experience underscored by compelling curriculum and training opportunities; being relevant to regional and national workforce needs; and maintaining accreditation and high-quality academic programs.

“With a deep-rooted belief in the transformative power of education and an unwavering commitment to fostering inclusive excellence,” Ganapathy said, “I am eager to contribute to Wright State University’s mission of academic innovation and student success.”

“As dean of the College of Graduate Studies and Honors Program, my vision is to create an environment that celebrates the richness of diverse perspectives, backgrounds and experiences and fosters a sense of belonging and mutual respect among all members of our community,” she said.

Ganapathy has served as chair of the Department of Biomedical, Industrial, and Human Factors Engineering since 2020.

She is also chair of Wright State’s Intel Initiative, the university’s effort to support the Intel Corporation’s relationship with Ohio colleges and universities, and president of the Faculty Senate.

Her areas of research include integrating technology to improve human performance, health and wellness, design thinking, user-experience assessment and human factors engineering.

She joined Wright State’s College of Engineering and Computer Science in 2011 after working as a senior user experience researcher at the Intel Corporation.

She received a 2014 Faculty Award for Excellence in Early Career Achievement from Wright State, the Outstanding Engineers’ and Scientists’ Award from the Affiliate Societies Council in Dayton, an Excellence in Teaching Award from SOCHE and a Microsoft Azure Research Award. The Dayton Business Journal honored her with its 2022 Diversity in Business Award: Outstanding Diversity Champion and named her to its Forty Under 40 list in 2017.

Ganapathy earned a Ph.D. in humans in complex systems and a master’s degree in human factors engineering from Wright State and a bachelor’s degree in instrumentation and control engineering from Madras University in India.