Mukesh Bhargava, associate professor, marketing, passed away Feb. 25, after a long battle with cancer. A professor at Oakland University’s School of Business Administration since 1994, Bhargava is remembered as an outstanding professor, a good colleague and friend.
“Not only was Mukesh an outstanding professor in his field, he was inspiration to us through his illness, his continued dedication and support of the university and his students never wavered. It was clear he loved being here with his colleagues and friends. He leaves behind many heavy hearts,” says SBA Dean Mohan Tanniru.
The family is establishing the Mukesh Bhargava Memorial Fund at Oakland University. For those interested, donations can be sent to the SBA Dean’s Office (432 Elliott Hall, Rochester, MI 48309) or to Gift Accounting (John Dodge House, Rochester, MI 48309).
A viewing and funeral was held Friday, March 1, at A. J. Desmond & Sons in Royal Oak, Michigan.
Bhargava’s interests included advertising research, strategic market planning and marketing for non-profit organizations. His recent areas of research examined out-door advertising effectiveness and new techniques (Data Envelopment Analysis) for measuring efficiency in a variety of managerial settings. Bhargava published in the Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Sciences, Marketing Letters, and Journal of Business Research among others.
His professional experience included marketing research services for diverse clients such as Nestles, Goodyear Tires, Union Carbide and the World Bank. His academic credentials include University of Texas at Austin (Ph.D.), Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (M.B.A.), Delhi University (B.Sc.)
When Bhargava took a medical leave in 2010, his students launched a website as way to share their get-well messages with him while using the power of social media to reach out to past students.
“The main goal of the project was for Mukesh to realize how influential he had been in so many students’ lives,” Sheri Profant, Marketing ’10, MBA ’12, told the Oakland Post in 2010. Profant, a senior marketing student at the time, started the blog with fellow marketing student Brian Nguyen, Marketing ‘10. “We missed him terribly, but we wanted him to know he had a team supporting him,” Profant added.
Excerpts from the Thinking of Mukesh blog from 2010 illustrate the inspiration Bhargava was to students.
“I can say without a doubt that you have been one of my favorite and most influential professors in my college career. I have had the honor of having you as a professor for multiple semesters where each time you have managed to bring a different level of learning to the classroom. Your passion for teaching, along with your brilliance has made me excited to learn and eager to know what you have to teach next! How you relate the classroom to the real world with the various examples and speakers has given me hope of prevailing and becoming successful after graduation in this down economy. Thank you for your wisdom and influence, you have taught me things that I will carry with me and reflect on throughout life." -- Jessica Cercone
“You have been such a big impact in my life and I always tell people about you. So glad to have had so many marketing classes with you and absorb your knowledge. I wish there were more teachers out there that cared as much as you. … Thank you so much for taking everyone under your wing and providing so many ways of learning.” -- Kim Woodard, SBA ’08
“I can't even begin to tell you how much you've inspired me and what a huge impact you've instilled in me. … The first day of your Mrkt 302 class I didn't know what to expect, but what I walked away with was more than just understanding and applying concepts. I felt that I got to know you on a personal level and I saw first-hand how you truly care for your students. Your classroom was full of life, entertainment and surprises and it showcased how wonderful of a person you are. You showcased how wonderful learning can be! You've taught me to think outside the box- to explore. “ -- Racheal Stojanovski
“You are one of the most brilliant minds that I have had the honor to meet. Your genuine passion for helping students succeed is unrivaled. Your advice to ‘question everything’ has truly shaped my mind to delve much deeper than just the surface of any issue that I may encounter.” -- Sheri Profant
“… you are NOT just another professor. You are a person with incredible charisma, love of teaching, and love for his students. All this is evident in the way you teach your classes and share your stories.” -- Fenar Yatooma
Mukesh Bhargava, associate professor, marketing, passed away Feb. 25, after a long battle with cancer. A professor at Oakland University’s School of Business Administration since 1994, Bhargava is remembered as an outstanding professor, a good colleague and friend.
“Not only was Mukesh an outstanding professor in his field, he was inspiration to us through his illness, his continued dedication and support of the university and his students never wavered. It was clear he loved being here with his colleagues and friends. He leaves behind many heavy hearts,” says SBA Dean Mohan Tanniru.
The family is establishing the Mukesh Bhargava Memorial Fund at Oakland University. For those interested, donations can be sent to the SBA Dean’s Office or to Gift Accounting at Oakland University.