Ideas with Impact
UNB Faculty of Management

If you studied finance at UNB’s Faculty of Management between 1987 and 2018, chances are you remember Dr. Gopalan Srinivasan, known affectionately as “Srini.” Whether you were one of his MBA students grappling with International Financial Management or a BBA student learning the fundamentals in Principles of Finance, Srini’s sharp intellect and signature wit left a lasting impression.

Upon retirement UNB recognized Srini’s academic contributions by naming him Honorary Research Professor. He has since moved to Mississauga, Ontario, and has turned his storytelling talents to a new audience, his family, friends, and former colleagues, with the release of his memoir, Musings of Mannarkoil Professor: Now and Then, Here and There.

The book traces his journey from rural South India to the classrooms of UNB, weaving together slice-of-life vignettes that are as insightful as they are endearing. Readers will find themselves chuckling at tales of childhood mischief involving immature coconuts turned into rockets, and the milestone moment when schoolchildren were finally allowed to use pens, Srini’s being a fountain pen, not the typical BIC most of us remember.

But this memoir is more than nostalgia. It’s a reflection of a life shaped by curiosity, scholarship, and community. Before joining UNB, Srini was an Associate Professor and Area Chair of Finance at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. His academic career spans continents, with teaching roles in India, Canada, and the Netherlands, and over 100 published academic articles, with several of them in top-tier journals such as Decision Sciences, Management Science, and Journal of Business Finance and Accounting.

At UNB, Srini was recognized for both his research and teaching excellence. He was named University Research Professor in 2003, received multiple Merit Awards, and was honored by both the Faculty and the MBA Society for his contributions. His colleagues also knew him as someone who could defuse a heated debate with a perfectly timed, humorous insight.

Beyond academia, Srini served the broader community, leading the Association of Indo Canadians, contributing to faculty governance, and serving on the Academic Employees Pension Board for over a decade.

His memoir is a gift, not just to his family, who will treasure these stories for generations, but to all of us who had the privilege of learning from and working alongside him. It’s a reminder that behind every professor is a rich tapestry of experiences, values, and memories that shape the way they teach, lead, and connect.

Congratulations, Srini, and thank you for sharing your journey with us.

Photo: Since retiring from UNB’s faculty of management, Dr. Gopalan Srinivasan has written his memoirs, Musings of Mannarkoil Professor: Now and Then, Here and There.

Musings of Mannarkoil Professor: Now and Then, Here and There by Gopalan Srinivasan is available on Amazon.