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WINSTON-SALEM - Twenty years ago, Ajay Patel gave up his dreams of becoming a physician in India and came to the United States to learn about this country. Now he's a leading expert on finance who spends his days teaching students about the rest of the world.
Earlier this year, Patel, 45, was named interim dean of the Babcock Graduate School of Management, replacing Charlie Moyer, his mentor at Wake Forest University.
Until a permanent dean is named sometime between now and next fall, Patel is in charge of managing his fellow faculty, teaching international finance, researching controversial issues on Wall Street and expanding Babcock's interaction with Triad companies. At the same time, Patel also will be deciding whether he wants to throw his hat in the ring to become the permanent dean at one of the nation's highestrated business schools.
"Ajay is the linchpin at Babcock, whether he ends up as the dean or assistant dean, he's the key for reaching out to the alumni and uniting them to move Wake Forest up in prominence and the (business school) rankings," says David Dupree, an alum and managing partner of The Halifax Group, a leveraged buyout firm in Washington, D.C., as well as chairman of Babcock's board of visitors. "He would make an excellent dean."
In his tailored suits and French cuffed shirts, Patel comes across more formal than his predecessor, Charlie Moyer, who was known for his sweaters. But Patel impresses alumni, business leaders and other academics with his easy manner, broad knowledge of business and his gentle questions.
"He's intellectually curious to the -nth degree. He wants to know about everything, and people like that," Dupree says. "He's an intellectual giant, but
when he speaks, he speaks in paragraphs. When you deal with people in academia they tend to speak in long stories and arcane words. He's presentable anywhere you take him."
Life in Asia and Africa
Patel grew up in Calcutta, India, and Kenya. His father ran a photography business, but the younger Patel was more fascinated...