Business management professor Shanthakumar Palaniswami dies at 61

Central Michigan University business management professor Shanthakumar Palaniswami, 61, died Dec. 23 at McLaren-Central Michigan Hospital following a long bout with an illness.

Born Dec. 29, 1950, Palaniswami started working for CMU’s business department in 1984 and worked for the university for 28 years. He served as chairman of the management department at CMU for six years and was an instrumental part in creating the Center for Supply Chain Management, also serving as director.

Business management department chairman Mahmood Bahaee praised Palaniswami’s accomplishments over his career.

“His resume is very thick,” Bahaee said. “His accomplishments were very extensive and important to the university, college and department.”

Palaniswami was very active in research and in scholarship in his department. He made more than 50 presentations during his career and had his work published countless times.

Palaniswami was also known as a great professor and a mentor to many of the students he taught.

“He was a terrific teacher, and he cared deeply about his students,” Bahaee said.

Palaniswami advised many student organizations in his field of operations management and supply chain management.

“He was a terrific colleague and wonderful teacher,” Bahaee said. “We will really miss him.”

A service for Palaniswami was held at the Clark Family Funeral Chapel on Dec. 24.

An event will be held by the department to honor him at 2 p.m. Friday in Grawn Hall’s Pierpoint Auditorium.

Palaniswami is survived by his wife, Premalatha; son, Satish; daughter, Sathya Bama; son-in-law, Sathish Kumar; granddaughter, Adhira; niece, Uma Velu; son-in-law, Karthiganathan; and granddaughters, Mrithula and Maanya.