Five Things to Know About Dhruv Grewal, One of Poets & Quants’ Best Undergraduate Professors

Dhruv Grewal has long been cited as one of the most prolific researchers in his field with more than 100,000 citations, according to Google Scholar. 

Now, the Toyota Chair in Commerce and Electronic Business and a professor of marketing at Babson College has been recognized as one of the best business professors. 

Grewal was named Monday to Poets & Quants’ list of 50 Best Undergraduate Business Professors of 2024. He was selected from more than 1,000 nominations, and Babson was one of 43 schools, including five international schools, represented on the seventh edition of the list.  

“I am honored to make the list of Best Undergraduate Professors,” said Grewal, who has been at Babson since 2000 and teaches Principles of Marketing and Marketing Research. “It’s wonderful to know that my work and the research I do with all my colleagues is making an impact.” 

Grewal also recently was recognized on Clarivate’s list of Highly Cited Researchers for the fifth consecutive year. He was one of only 41 researchers selected in economics and business on the 2024 list, which highlights authors of multiple papers that, over the past decade, rank in the top 1% for their field and publication year.  

“I’m grateful for the wonderful opportunities being a professor has provided me,” Grewal shared with Poets & Quants, as well as “the ability to teach and research interesting and fascinating topics, interact with bright and curious students, conduct research with researchers from around the globe, and engage with industry leaders. Most of all, I am grateful to have wonderful and supportive colleagues—to name a few at Babson College, Anne Roggeveen, Tom Davenport, Vicki Crittenden, Lauren Beitelspacher, Ellie Kyung, Anjali Bal, and Krista Hill—and a very supportive family.” 

Here are five more highlights that Grewal shared in his Poets & Quants profile: 

Love at First Class 

Grewal says he knew he wanted to be a business professor when he taught his first class as a PhD candidate at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), where he also earned his MBA. 

“I found it exhilarating interacting with students who were deeply interested in learning about marketing, and who wanted ideas about how their careers could benefit from applying these concepts,” he said. “Discussions pertaining to how to apply the various marketing concepts, as well as the new applications brought up by my students, continue to be very rewarding.” 

Applying Real-World Concepts 

Self-described as both learning- and student-centric, Grewal keeps evolving as a professor, incorporating real-world concepts to keep students on the cutting edge. 

“I continually develop and update my course content,” he said, “including thinking of applications to liven up the content so that students can recognize the relevance of the concepts they are studying and apply them in ways that help them stand out in the job search process and excel in their careers.” 

Turning Problems into Opportunities 

If he weren’t a business school professor, Grewal says he would likely be a founder of a marketing research firm. 

“I have always been a problem-solver, and a marketing research career would allow me to tackle novel problems and turn problems into opportunities for clients,” he said. “Alternatively, I would have enjoyed working for a multinational firm, managing projects around the globe.” 

Technology and AI Research 

Grewal’s current research focuses primarily on technology and AI-related issues. 

“One project focuses on how important in-store digital display ads are for enhancing purchases of advertised products. Another project seeks to understand generative AI better,” he said. “I am deeply interested in understanding the promises (e.g., new skills learned, time and energy saved), and the perils (e.g., biases, skills lost, ethical concerns, inequity in sharing of benefits) associated with AI. 

“I think AI is going to change the future of marketing, business, and society,” Grewal added. “I am delighted to see how my college is actively embracing AI in the curriculum, and to see so many of my colleagues working on all dimensions of AI.” 

Big-Screen Superheroes 

Outside of the classroom, Grewal has a particular affinity for the superhero movies of Marvel and DC, including Spider-Man, X-Men, Black Panther, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. 

“I have always enjoyed reading comics (from my early childhood days), and it is great to see them now on the big screen,” Grewal said. “The advancements in special effects are truly amazing!” 

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