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Bridging Domains
Karen and Sanjeev (MBA 1986) Mehra
Karen and Sanjeev Mehra (MBA 1986) perceive both great opportunities
and serious challenges at the nexus of business, science, and
engineering. Their endowment of the Mehra Family HBS/SEAS
Collaboration Fund was inspired by their interest in fostering
partnerships between HBS and the Harvard John A. Paulson
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS)—including
the nascent MS/MBA joint degree program—at a time, notes
Sanjeev, “when leaders who have expertise across these
domains are sorely needed.”
From his perspective as the recently retired vice chairman
of global private equity investing at Goldman Sachs, Sanjeev
observes, “Every business in the world is interacting with
science and engineering today. There’s a tremendous need for
managers to become more conversant in how science and technology
can positively and negatively affect their companies,
and for scientists and engineers to better understand how businesses
can enhance the impact of their ideas.”
Karen, Sanjeev’s classmate at Harvard College, majored in
government as an undergraduate and holds a master’s degree
in cultural anthropology from Columbia University. She hopes
increased knowledge sharing across Harvard will spark multidisciplinary
consideration of societal issues brought on by the
rapid development and commercialization of technology and
science. “I believe Harvard is well placed to help lead a national
discussion on the philosophical and ethical issues that so
frequently arise in growth markets,” she says.
The Mehras view their 30th Reunion gift as a way to give back
to an institution that has played an important role in their lives.
Both received financial aid as undergraduates and have enjoyed
lifelong connections with HBS and College classmates. In
addition, two of their four sons have attended Harvard College.
But beyond personal gratitude, Sanjeev explains that because
“the world is increasingly divided, the need for the kind of objective,
fact-based research and analysis that Harvard does best is
greater today than ever before. We want to support that.”
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