STATESBORO, GA ( TIP): Georgia Southern University has announced the appointment of Avinandan (Avi) Mukherjee, Ph.D., as its next provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. Mukherjee will assume his new role on July 1, bringing with him over 16 years of leadership experience in higher education.

Mukherjee, a seasoned academic leader, has held key positions including provost and chief academic officer at a public research university, dean of two AACSB-accredited business colleges, and department chair of marketing. His global academic experience spans teaching at undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral levels in the U.S. and abroad.
“Dr. Mukherjee’s extensive experience in academic leadership, global perspective, and commitment to discovery and innovation make him an outstanding choice to serve as our next provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs,” said Georgia Southern University President Kyle Marrero. “His vision for academic excellence, research advancement, and student success perfectly aligns with Georgia Southern’s values.”
Mukherjee joins Georgia Southern from Marshall University, where he has served as provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs since 2022. Prior to that, he was the dean of Marshall’s Lewis College of Business, where he led strategic transformations. His leadership history also includes serving as dean of the College of Business at Clayton State University and chairing the marketing department at Montclair State University, where he contributed to the development of an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in environmental management.
“It is a great honor to take on this role, and I do so with humility and excitement for the possibilities ahead,” Mukherjee stated. “Georgia Southern has achieved tremendous momentum under President Marrero’s visionary leadership, and I look forward to becoming part of this transformative journey.”
Mukherjee emphasized his commitment to fostering an environment that promotes academic excellence, student success, and innovative teaching. “Higher education today exists in an evolving landscape that requires innovation, adaptability, and resilience. I look forward to collaborating with faculty, staff, students, and stakeholders to navigate this dynamic landscape together.”
A distinguished scholar, Mukherjee has taught full-time or as a visiting faculty member in nine countries. His research has been cited over 7,000 times, and he has published extensively in top-tier journals. His scholarly contributions include co-authoring the book An Integrated Approach to Environmental Management and serving as founding editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing.
In addition to academia, Mukherjee has led executive development programs and consulted for corporations in the U.S., U.K., Denmark, India, China, Bangladesh, Singapore, and Malaysia. His leadership roles include serving as president of the Society for Advancement of Management and the Midwest Business Administration Association.
Mukherjee holds a doctorate in marketing from the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, India, with part of his research conducted at ESSEC Business School in Paris and MIT Sloan School of Management. He also has a graduate certificate in higher education administration from Harvard’s Institute for Management and Leadership in Education.
With his appointment, Georgia Southern University anticipates continued growth and excellence in academic affairs, research, and student success under Mukherjee’s leadership.