Haslam College of Business - UT Haslam ProMBA Alum Bridges the Gap Between Science and Business

Jaydeep Kolape (ProMBA, ’23) has built a career on curiosity.

After completing a Bachelor of Pharmacy program in Mumbai, India, Kolape worked for a year at Johnson & Johnson before traveling across the world to complete a biology master’s program in the U.S.

In graduate school, one glance in a microscope changed his career trajectory. He found himself increasingly drawn to the advanced tools that allow scientists to study what the eye can’t see, including DNA sequencers, microscopy platforms and precision imaging systems.

“Looking at those tiny structures was my ‘aha’ moment, and it led me into the world of microscopy,” Kolape says.

That fascination with the minute would ultimately have a gigantic effect, defining his career path and leading him to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

An Unstoppable Drive to Learn

Upon graduating from his master’s program, Kolape secured a position as a research associate at Noble Research Institute, a nonprofit in Oklahoma researching regenerative agriculture. His work centered around improving farming processes to improve sustainability and crop resilience. Although he had only student-level microscopy experience, what he lacked in training, he more than made up for in motivation and the desire to learn.

Kolape proved himself to be a talented scientist. After four years with Noble Research Institute, he joined the University of Nebraska–Lincoln as research technologist II. He was then offered a role with UT, where he now directs the university’s Advanced Microscopy and Imaging Center. Kolape and his team support researchers across campus, helping them use complex instruments, solve technical issues and make scientific discoveries that advance UT’s land-grant mission and role as a research leader.

“My day-to-day work involves training researchers on complex instruments and ensuring they get the data needed to publish research, secure grants or push the boundaries of their fields,” explains Kolape.

As Kolape took on more responsibility in his scientific work, he was also making increasingly important business decisions. High-end research facilities rely on business functions like financial planning and staffing, and Kolape saw an opportunity to expand his career in new ways. Seeing an MBA as an opportunity to strengthen his scientific career, he enrolled in the Professional MBA program at the Haslam College of Business.

Putting Classroom Concepts to Work

Haslam’s ProMBA curriculum is defined by experiential learning, and Kolape started putting classroom concepts to work right away. His class projects aligned with real process improvements within the microscopy center, and he began to see immediate results.

“We streamlined and updated many of our processes,” he says. “This improved our financial numbers and made an incredible impact on our research outcomes.”

According to ProMBA program director Molly Kinard, Kolape’s real-time application of his degree is exactly what the program was built for.

“Jaydeep’s experience is a powerful example of a professional student translating classroom learning into meaningful impact at work,” Kinard says. “It’s been a pleasure watching him grow within the university and leverage his ProMBA experience to lead his team to success.”

Building a Business Foundation

As part of his ProMBA experience, Kolape worked with leadership development coach Jennifer Monroe to expand his leadership insight. Through their partnership, Kolape developed both as a businessperson and a manager, building leadership tools that rounded out his skillset.

“I greatly enjoyed working with Jaydeep during his time in the ProMBA program,” says Monroe. “As a student who was eager to learn and develop his leadership, he actively applied discussion points to his work. I have appreciated staying in touch as he shares updates and works through new challenges.”

Building a strong business and leadership foundation was transformational for Kolape’s lab. The facility became known for both its cutting‑edge instruments and its efficient, thoughtful operations.

Kolape’s hard work and expertise ultimately led to a promotion. He now serves as assistant director of UT’s core facility program and is responsible for high-impact decisions spanning multiple facilities under the Office of Research.

“I always felt there was a disconnect between science and administration,” Kolape says. “Now, I can help to bridge the gap between scientific curiosity and administrative processes.”

Leadership that Stands Out

One of Kolape’s favorite aspects of his ProMBA experience was learning alongside classmates from other industries, because they expanded his skill set by offering new perspectives.

He recalls learning that senior leaders from the university were planning to visit his facility, and that he would have 10 minutes to present information about the lab’s work. Scientists, he jokes, like to explain things slowly and methodically, so he reached out to his classmates for ideas about how to best use his time.

His classmate suggested he consider using infographics to tell the story of the lab’s work, and together, they designed a clear infographic for the campus decision-makers.

“A few days after their visit, I started getting emails from department heads,” he says. “They asked if I could teach other core facilities how to make infographics. The connections I built with my ProMBA classmates have truly served my career.”

Now is the Time

After completing Haslam’s ProMBA program, Kolape approaches every major decision with a strategic mindset.

Looking back, he says ProMBA became a turning point that carried his career far beyond the boundaries of the lab, and he encourages everyone considering Haslam’s ProMBA program to seize the opportunity.

“Don’t wait,” he shares. “There will never be a perfect time, but after you take the leap, you’ll realize it’s one of the best decisions you could make for yourself and your career.”

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Author:

Ashley Slimp, assistant director of business development, aslimp@utk.edu