“Don’t assume that as a woman being surrounded only by women is the best for you. It is very useful and extremely healthy to get diverse viewpoints.” Today’s woman dreamer, Dr. Raminder Luther, has led a dynamic career as a woman of academia, currently serving as the Interim Dean of Bertolon School of Business (Salem State University). She shares her exciting journey, from leading the university in its AACSB accreditation to the rush of excitement she felt in teaching her first class. Raminder reminds us, “Ensure equity, inclusion, and fairness in all decisions.” Enjoy Raminder’s inspiring story!

1) Tell us your story. You are the interim dean of the Business School at Salem State University, and have taught at various universities. What inspired your passion for business and teaching? 

My road to teaching, and now higher education administration has been a winding one and one that I never visualized for myself during my early years. I grew up watching my dad who was a math professor immersed in books all the time and remember thinking in my middle school years that I will never get into the teaching profession because I wanted to get away from books as soon as I could. 

After an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering and an MBA in Marketing, I worked for Voltas Ltd in Bombay before joining DCM Data Products in Calcutta. The move to Calcutta was necessitated by my desire to be in the same city as my husband. At the insistence of a colleague in DCM, who wanted to come to the US, I took the GMAT, applied to a few schools, and came to the US for Ph.D. leaving behind my husband and my three-year-old son. The plan was to explore international trade opportunities while pursuing my PhD, so my husband and I could fulfill the passion that we developed during our MBA days together.  However, another opportunity came knocking.

In second semester of my PhD, I taught my first class in Statistics as a graduate teaching assistant. I prepared for that class more than I ever prepared for any exam. I felt extreme confidence in the classroom when looking into the fixated eyes of some of my graduate students as I explained some concepts using everyday examples. I felt the rush of happiness and satisfaction when engaging in discussion with my students and realized that my passion was teaching and not international trade. I have never looked back since then and enjoyed every moment of it. Being paid to enhance my own knowledge and watch the impact of my contributions through the growth of my students has been extremely satisfying. 

And now as the Dean, I have the good fortune to have led the school through AACSB accreditation last year. I am fortunate to be working with a very diligent and caring team of faculty and staff with whom I can strategize for the success of our students, for excellence in teaching and scholarship by our faculty and for ensuring a collegial and happy environment while raising the profile of our school.  

2) What has your time as Interim Dean been like? What were some of the key learnings you had? And what was it like being a woman leader in an educational setting?

I took over as Interim Dean of Bertolon School of Business during the pandemic in May 2020 at the request of the Provost and Academic Vice President of Salem State University. It was very challenging and pinnacle time for our school as we were finalizing our self-evaluation reportand planning for the peer review team visit in November2020 in our pursuit for AACSB accreditation. I did not have a long ramp to take off from because our final report to AACSB was due within two months. However, this challenge was easy to undertake because everyone’s social life had come to a halt due to the pandemic and I was at a stage in life when I did not have other family responsibilities, and my husband was fully supportive. 

I have been in this role now for almost twenty months, and during this time I have discovered myself more, and learnt several human traits that I did not have an opportunity to see as a professor.

Some key lessons that I learnt in the process are: 

1. If an opportunity knocks, make sure you open the door, peek inside, get a good glimpse and then decide whether you want to go in or not.

2. Don’t give up even if you must prove your mettle multiple times to some people. Also understand that teamwork is always more powerful than individual work.

3. Don’t assume that as a woman being surrounded only by women is the best for you. It is very useful and extremely healthy to get diverse viewpoints

4. Take time to evaluate your own strengths and create a team that complements your strengths. Having people disagree is healthy when everyone is focused on the same goal, so consider the different points of view before taking a decision.

5. Ensure equity, inclusion, and fairness in all decisions.

3) As a woman in the academic world, what are three things you would tell your "younger self" as a business student? 

I have realized that three Cs can take you far - Confidence, Compassion and Collaboration

4) What do you do outside of work? What are some of your hobbies? 

I have very simple hobbies that connect me to God’s creations. Walks by the ocean, growing and tending to the vegetables in my kitchen garden, hosting friends for gup shup (socializing) and food, and spending time with family

5) As the platform for women dreamers, what is your next big dream? 

I dream about equality in opportunity, accessibility, and a sense of belonging for all without any consideration of gender, race, religion, financial background, or other discriminations. I am fortunate to be in a position where I can work towards this equality every day in the higher education setting. I hope I am standing in front of the door when opportunity knocks to make this difference on a larger scale.

Thank you Raminder for sharing your story. We are excited to have you in our global women’s network!

Bio: Dr. Luther took over as Interim Dean of Bertolon School of Business in May 2020 and successfully navigate the school through accreditation. Prior to her deanship, she served as a faculty member in the Accounting and Finance department for 22 years, where she has taught multiple undergraduate and graduate-level Finance courses and was the recipient of the McNamara Award for Excellence in teaching. During her tenure at SSU, she has served as the chair of over ten faculty-led committees, including the School of Business Steering Committee, and has been an active member of the University's tenure, promotion, and budget committees. Dr. Luther’s research interests center on the societal impacts of financial distress, individual investment strategies, healthcare finance, and financial pedagogy. She has presented her research at national and international conferences and has been the recipient of multiple peer-reviewed scholarly awards. Her seminal papers on the financial difficulties faced by enlisted members in the U.S. Department of the Navy have also been widely quoted in the press and in works published by the Federal Reserve. Dr. Luther holds a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Mississippi, an MBA in Marketing from University of Delhi, and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Panjab University. She is a Certified Financial Planner and an active member in her community where she serves on the boards of multiple non-profit organizations and provides her services as a pro-bono financial planner. 

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