Dr. Dipak C. Jain, PhD’86, MS’86, was recently selected as the recipient of the Naveen Jindal School of Management’s Inaugural Eminent PhD Alumnus Award.

Selecting Jain was easy, according to Dr. Sumit Sarkar, JSOM’s director of PhD programs and the Charles and Nancy Davidson Chair and a professor in the Jindal School’s Information Systems Area. The idea for the award was originally floated by Dr. Hasan Pirkul, Caruth Chair and Jindal School dean. The decision was made by the PhD Committee, and its members were unanimous in their decision that Jain was the right alum to be the first to receive this honor.

“Of course it was a no-brainer,” Sarkar said. “We are extremely proud of him. He is fantastic.”

The honoree gave two lectures during his visit and was entertained at receptions in celebration of his achievements. During one of his lectures, Jain showed a photo of a dog-eared letter dated April 7, 1982. It is so important to him that he has kept it for forty-plus years.

The one-paragraph letter invited him to further his education at The University of Texas at Dallas and was signed by “R. Chandrasekaran,” who at the time was a professor of operations research in the School of Management.

Dr. Chandrasekaran is now Ashbel Smith Professor in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. “That man made me what I am today,” Jain told students and faculty during his recent visit to the Jindal School. It was at UT Dallas that he earned an MS and PhD in management science in 1986. “A small letter like this brought me here. I consider this a place of opportunity.”

Eventually, Jain will be honored in a “PhD Hall of Fame” that will be created in the School of Management building, said Pirkul. “It is really great to see him come back because he is an ideal role model for young PhDs,” Pirkul said after presenting Jain with the award at an afternoon reception attended by faculty, students and other stakeholders.

“While you’re successful, think about how you can make a difference in the peoples’ lives who work with you and for you.” – Dr. Dipak C. Jain, PhD’86, MS’86

“He has not only been very successful in research, but he has also been a well-known and highly respected leader in terms of managing schools. But more importantly, he’s a genuinely nice guy. Everyone likes him. If the PhDs only remember that, that would be the best contribution to their lives.”

Currently, Jain resides in Chicago and serves as president emeritus of China Europe International Business School (CEIBS); distinguished professor of marketing, CEIBS; codirector of CEIBS Social Security and Aging Finance Institute; and co-chair of CEIBS Academic Council. Previously, he was the dean of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management from 2001 to 2009. Since then, he has served as dean of INSEAD, an international business school with campuses in France, Singapore and Abu Dhabi, from 2011 to 2013.

After Pirkul presented Jain with his commemorative plaque, Jain became reflective. Thinking of his career, his UT Dallas education and a 1982 letter inviting him to further his education at he University of Texas at Dallas, he smiled, saying he was grateful. “Not to be too emotional, I think of being here as paying back to the institution that gave me an opportunity,” he said. “… My first thought today was I didn’t let those people down.”