PhD Candidate · Operations Management

Nikhil Sharma

Operations Management & Business Analytics

Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University

Hello and welcome. Thank you for visiting.

I am on the 2026–2027 job market.

I am a phenomenon-driven researcher with an interest in research questions important to society. I use a broad empirical toolkit, including applied econometrics, causal inference, and field and laboratory experiments, to produce evidence useful to managers and policymakers.

Before beginning my PhD, I spent 12 years working across information systems, production operations, and business analytics in healthcare and insurance domains.

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Nikhil Sharma
01

Research

Research Interests

Supply Chain IntermediariesThird-Party Payment ContractsPro-Environmental Operations (AI)Behavioral Operations

Job Market Paper

2026
Job Market Paper · Target Submission: October 2026 · M&SOM

Regulating Powerful Intermediaries: An Empirical Assessment in the Retail Pharmacy Supply Chain

Sharma, N., Gray, J., & De Jong, J.

Request Draft

Working Papers

2026
Preparing for Resubmission (Reject and Resubmit) · M&SOM

Improving Recycling Quality through AI and Green Nudges: Evidence from a Field Experiment

McKie, E., Sharma, N., Chandrasekaran, A., & Cho, S.

  • Presented at the UIUC Supply Chain Management Conference 2025
2026
Preparing for Resubmission (3rd Round Major Revision) · Journal of Business Logistics

Supply Chain Intermediaries' Value Contribution: A Review and Future Opportunities

Sharma, N., Hughes, M., Gray, J., & De Jong, J.

2026
Preparing for Resubmission (Revision Granted) · Health Affairs Scholar

Generic Drug Supply Chain Quality and Market Dynamics: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study of Metformin

Gray, J. V., Handfield, R., Divey, S., Sahebi-Fakhrabad, A., Sadeghi, A., Sharma, N., Light, D., Butler, P., Teasdale, B., & Schulman, K. A.

Research in Progress

2026

Multiproduct Retail Decisions under Aggregate Contracts

Sharma, N., Hill, J., & Mallipeddi, R.

  • Dissertation Chapter 2 · Lab Study 1 complete, Lab Study 2 in planning
  • Presented at POMS 2026
2026

The Impact of Curbing Intermediary Practices on Retailers' Performance

Sharma, N., Gray, J., & De Jong, J.

  • Dissertation Chapter 3 · Data collection complete
2026

Multi-contract Retail Decisions under Third-Party Payments

Sharma, N., Hill, J., & Mallipeddi, R.

  • Experiment design complete

Research Awards

2025

First Place, Edward F. Hayes Advanced Research Forum, The Ohio State University

Business category, for the dissertation paper "Regulating a Powerful Intermediary: The Effectiveness of Laws to Eliminate Adverse Pharmacy Benefit Manager Practices."

2025 Winners

02

Teaching

Instructor, Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University

2025

BUSMGT 3230: Introduction to Operations Management

Instructor of record for 36 students. Student Evaluation of Instructor (SEI): 4.8 / 5.0.

"Professor thoroughly explained all topics and math involved in work. He always welcomed questions and would answer them thoroughly." (student evaluation)

"He was very passionate about what he is teaching and truly cares about his students. Having a professor like this makes me want to learn." (student evaluation)

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Fisher College of Business

2022–2025

BUSMGT 3230: Introduction to Operations Management (x2)

Including one fully online recitation.

2022–2025

BUSMGT 7223: Project Management

2022–2025

BUSMGT 2320: Decision Sciences: Statistical Techniques

2022–2025

BUSOBA 2321: Business Analytics

2022–2025

BUSOBA 4234: Service Operations

2022–2025

BUSOBA 4254: Sustainable Projects

2022–2025

MBA 6273: Data Analysis Management

2022–2025

BUSOBA 7201: Service Operations

Earlier teaching experience: Ad hoc instructor, Accenture Learning & Knowledge Management (2013), coached professional classrooms on mainframe technology. Mentor, Starbase CT (2016–2017), public speaking and robotics at Betances STEM School and Jumoke Academy, Hartford, CT.

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Conferences & Presentations

Upcoming

2026

INFORMS Annual Meeting

Regulating Powerful Intermediaries: An Empirical Assessment in the Retail Pharmacy Supply Chain.

"Supply Chains, E-Commerce, and Intermediaries" Session, 2:45–4:00 PM, Sunday, November 1 (Moscone South-202, Level 2).

2026

DSI Annual Conference

Regulating Powerful Intermediaries: An Empirical Assessment in the Retail Pharmacy Supply Chain.

Multiproduct Retail Decisions under Aggregate Contracts.

2026

AI in Business Conference, Fisher College of Business

Session Chair.

Past

2026

ISA Annual Meeting

Regulating Powerful Intermediaries: An Empirical Assessment in the Retail Pharmacy Supply Chain.

2026

POMS Annual Conference

Regulating Powerful Intermediaries: An Empirical Assessment in the Retail Pharmacy Supply Chain.

Multiproduct Retail Decisions under Aggregate Contracts.

2025

DSI Annual Conference

Regulating Powerful Intermediaries: An Empirical Assessment in the Retail Pharmacy Supply Chain.

2025

UIUC Supply Chain Management Conference

Improving Recycling Quality through AI and Green Nudges.

2025

POMS Annual Conference

Regulating Powerful Intermediaries: An Empirical Assessment in the Retail Pharmacy Supply Chain.

2025

Indian School of Business (ISB) – POMS Workshop

Regulating Powerful Intermediaries: An Empirical Assessment in the Retail Pharmacy Supply Chain.

04

Academic Service

2025–present

Emerging-Scholar Ambassadorial Core (ESAC), Journal of Operations Management

Involved in the creation of "The Doctorate in Operations Management Embassy (D.O.M.E.)," making transparent the opportunities available to emerging scholars pursuing OM faculty careers.

2025–2027

Session Chair

POMS (2027, 2026), INFORMS Annual Meeting (2026), DSI Annual Conference (2025, 2026), AI in Business Conference, Fisher College of Business (2026).

2026

Panel Co-Moderator

DSI Panel on AI in Healthcare.

2026

Ad-Hoc Reviewer

Decision Sciences Journal.

Professional Memberships

INFORMS, Production and Operations Management Society (POMS), Decision Sciences Institute (DSI), Industry Studies Association (ISA).

05

Education

2022–present

Ph.D., Operations Management & Business Analytics (expected May 2027)

Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University.

Dissertation Committee: John Gray (Chair), James Hill, Jurriaan De Jong, Rakesh Mallipeddi.

2005–2009

B.E., Electronics and Communications

Institute of Technology & Management, Gurgaon, India (Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak)

06

Industry Experience

Accenture, India & USA (2009–2022): 12 years across information systems, production operations, and business analytics, with exposure to Financial Services, Life Sciences, Communication/Media/Technology, and Health & Public Services domains.

2014–2022

Business Analytics Consulting, Travelers (Business Insurance), Hartford, CT

2013–2014

Business Analyst, Biopharmaceutical Research, Covance (LabCorp), Bangalore, India

2012–2013

Product Development, KPN (Communication, Media & Technology), Bangalore, India

2009–2012

Production Operations & Quality Analyst, United Health Group, Bangalore, India

Industry Awards

2019

Top 5 Finalist Team, Accenture Global Tech Innovation Contest (North America)

Chicago, IL, out of 350+ entries. Pitched in the "Innovate for Society" category:

  • Enhancing transparency in CSR donations
  • Providing a digital identity for street vendors using blockchain platforms

Collaborators: Prakash Trivedi, Saurabh Gaikwad, Surendra Kushwaha, Ravindra Pratap Singh.

2018

Top 5 Finalist Team, Accenture Global Tech Innovation Contest (North America)

Chicago, IL, out of 350+ entries. Pitched in the "Innovate for Society" category:

  • Transforming the Public Distribution System in developing countries using blockchain to fight corruption

Collaborators: Prakash Trivedi, Saurabh Gaikwad, Ravindra Pratap Singh.

07

Get in Touch

I'd be glad to hear from you, whether about research, a possible collaboration, or my job market materials. Email is the best way to reach me.

Fisher College of Business
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH