"Yash is an idea-a-minute guy and it's going to be difficult just keeping up with him," remarked Richard McCormick, former University of Washington President who was instrumental in recruiting Dr. Yash Gupta in 1999, as the new dean of the UW School of Business Administration. Among the reasons for selecting this former business school dean of the University of Colorado at Denver over two other finalists (Northwestern's Robert Duncan and Dartmouth's Robert Hansen) were Gupta's high energy, great work in creating collaborations between Denver's business community and its business school, vastly improving the executive MBA program and increasing the school's revenues and enrollment

I had the pleasure of meeting Dean Gupta in his Seattle office two weeks ago, and he shared his thoughts about the UW Business School going forward. In addition to being a gifted administrator, Gupta has been described as "an educational innovator and a proven fundraiser combining excellence in research with exceptional teaching skills."

Gupta received a BS in engineering from Punjab University (1973), an MS (Production Management) from Brunel University, West London and a PhD (Management Sciences) from the University of Bradford, U.K. (1976). Professional accolades include number one ranking as a production and operations management scholar in the country in terms of contributions made to the field (1996), Outstanding Research Award and Excellence Award of the Department of Management at the University of Louisville School of Business (1990), Distinguished Member listings in "Who's Who Worldwide," and "Who's Who Registry of Business Leaders," and author or co-author of more than 100 articles published in refereed journals.

What does the UW brand stand for? What is the value of an MBA today? Are there any reasons to get an MBA that are "right" or "wrong"?
A: We're in the knowledge management business. The value is what you learn. Our brand, the UW brand reflects quality. Take business-school rankings - these are certainly important, but they often look at the 'elephant from one angle only' and various grades are used to arrive at the ranking. Overall, rankings are important not individually, but collectively. Our brand equity has been created over time; multiple decades and resources have been invested in creating uniqueness and knowledge through innovation. There is never a wrong reason to obtain education. When you enroll at UW B-School, you're buying what I would call "a self-renewal process". Change, agility and responsiveness have positioned us where we are today.

Is it possible to teach ethics?
A: You cannot teach ethics, but it is possible to teach ethical behavior. Our reputation is always on the line, and if alumni do indeed behave irresponsibly, it is difficult to ignore those facts. Metaphorically speaking, I'm not interested in the bucket, but instead, the water in the bucket. Ultimately, we're humans teaching other humans, and in that sense we can't be responsible for our alumni's choices. Remember, if people are dishonest, then no course will make them honest.

Strategically, where do you see UW B-School positioned, over the long term?
A: We're confident that we will be in a unique position, from a brand perspective. We're in the people business - i.e., people hiring people to teach and learn from other people. I believe our human talent is among the best, and by extension, we will continue to recruit and attract the best, whether they be students, staff or faculty.

What keeps you up at night?
A: The trust bestowed on me is enormous! I have been given the awesome responsibility of not only maintaining the status quo but also in fact leading the B-School to become the best possible institution, period. So, the more complicated the problems, the higher the complexity.