By HEIDI KNAKE
UNK Communications
KEARNEY – Sri Seshadri wasn’t planning to stay at the University of Nebraska at Kearney for very long.
Now, more than three decades after his arrival, the marketing professor in UNK’s College of Business and Technology is preparing to retire as a Loper.
“I’m a big-city guy,” Seshadri explained. “I didn’t think I’d be here more than two years, but my faculty mentors inspired me to stay.”
Originally from Bangalore, India – with a population of more than 14 million – Seshadri came to the United States to earn a Master of Business Administration with plans to return home and continue his career as a site engineer. With a degree in mechanical engineering and more than a decade of industry experience, teaching wasn’t part of the plan either.
That all changed after a single week in the classroom when Seshadri guest lectured for his professor while enrolled in the MBA program.
“When my professor returned, he said the students had only positive things to say,” Seshadri said. “They really enjoyed the class.”
That experience led to his mentor suggesting he pursue a doctorate. Having only been in the U.S. for six months at that time, his first response was, “What’s a Ph.D.?”
After learning professors get summers off, he was convinced.
“I was mature enough by then to know that you can make a lot of money in the (engineering) industry, but it often lacks work-life balance,” he said.
Seshadri went on to earn his doctorate from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and accepted the position at UNK directly after in 1993.
Over the years, he’s served in multiple roles, including director of the MBA program, faculty and academic adviser for international business and visiting professor in China, South Korea, Bulgaria and Italy.
However, his favorite role was outside the classroom.
“I love advising,” Seshadri said with a smile. “I love understanding what my students’ strengths are, their passions and what they want to do. Then aligning those to their curriculum.”
His desire to help students succeed is what makes him and his classes memorable.
Seshadri recalls receiving cards from his students thanking him for his classes. He’s even had a student contact him 10 years after their graduation asking if he’d share an assignment they completed in one of his classes because they wanted to incorporate it into their own high school classroom.
“I feel humbled,” he said of the students’ praises. “It makes me feel good.”
As he prepares to leave UNK, Seshadri said the advice he’s given students over the years hasn’t changed.
If he had one final advising session, it would focus on three things:
1. Step outside your comfort zone
“Take classes that will expand your learning and push you beyond your comfort zone,” he said.
He often encourages his business students to add a minor or take as many liberal arts classes as possible to help expand their view beyond their field and learn more about themselves.
“Shakespeare is right – the world is a stage,” Seshadri said. “When you get to a job, you need to learn how to persuade, talk and speak in front of a crowd.”
2. Make mistakes while you can
“Take advantage of all these fantastic opportunities that you only get in college,” he said. “Now is the time to learn because you can make mistakes and learn from them.”
While mistakes in a professional setting can carry serious consequences, college provides a safe space to learn how to respond, adapt and grow.
3. Take advantage of the experience
UNK provides hundreds of opportunities for students to get involved, but Seshadri specifically encourages his students to study abroad.
“Study abroad for a semester, or even just a week, but definitely do it,” he said.
As an avid traveler, he’s been to 23 countries and lived abroad throughout different times in his life.
“I love to travel,” he said. “It expands your horizons.”
As he enters retirement, he’s looking forward to the same thing that persuaded him to become a professor – time. Seshadri plans to fill his infinite summers by traveling more with his wife, Kathy, and spending more time with his daughter, Devi, who lives in San Diego, California.
