Raj Echambadi

Borders, Blockbuster, Kodak, Polaroid. They were all iconic companies once, all devastated because they struggled with simultaneously exploiting existing markets while exploring new ones. It's a tough balance, but it's a necessary strategy so that innovative firms can renew themselves successfully over time, one that Raj Echambadi's research focuses on. His research articles have been published in some of the top business and statistics journals. In 2004, Raj's paper on the organization of capabilities in the creation of disruptive innovations in the disk drive industry won the award for the best paper published in the Academy of Management Journal. Utilizing key principles from his research on innovative organizations, Raj's team at Illinois was instrumental in conceptualizing and launching the "first of its kind" MOOC-based online MBA (iMBA), in partnership with Coursera. This online model incorporating both degree- and non-degree offerings targeted at different segments has been referred to as a "breakthrough innovation" in graduate education. Raj is an accomplished teacher. He has taught a wide range of courses at the undergraduate, MBA, Executive MBA, and Ph.D. levels, and he has won numerous accolades at the University of Illinois for his teaching accomplishments. Raj has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from India and a Ph.D. from Houston.