We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Prof. KB Akhilesh, Dean of Engineering, IISc, on the morning of November 12, 2019.
Prof. Akhilesh was an alumnus of the Institute. He completed his PhD in Organizational Development from IISc in 1980, and was awarded the Sir Vithal N Chandavarkar medal for the best thesis in engineering.
He joined IISc as a faculty member in the Department of Management Studies in 1982. He was also the Chairman of the Department of Management Studies from 1993 – 1999. He was appointed the Dean of Engineering in 2019.
Prof. Akhilesh was a senior professor of Human Resource Management, Organizational Behaviour and Technology Management, and has published over 140 papers in Indian and international journals. As a consultant and trainer, he has worked with several corporates, public sector units and government agencies, and participated in over 1,000 management development programs. As an institution builder, he has also contributed to the development of universities and organizations such as the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy and Defence Institute of Advanced Technology. At IISc, he has guided over 30 doctoral students. Apart from his numerous academic and administrative contributions, he also played a significant role in getting corporate support for projects, including a new women’s hostel block funded by BPCL under CSR.
He will be greatly missed by the Institute community.
