Sheena Iyengar

Sheena S. Iyengar is a distinguished scholar and author, globally recognized for her expertise on choice and decision-making. With a notable academic and professional journey, Iyengar has significantly contributed to the understanding of human choices, their implications, and how they shape individual and collective experiences.

Born and raised in New York City as a blind Indian American and the daughter of immigrants, Sheena Iyengar's exploration into the realm of choices began from her personal experiences. Her academic journey led her to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a B.S. in Economics. Following this, Iyengar pursued a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Stanford University. Her dissertation, titled "Choice and its Discontents," was honored with the Best Dissertation Award, marking the inception of a prolific career that would delve deep into the intricacies of choice and decision-making​.

Sheena Iyengar holds the prestigious position of the S.T. Lee Professor of Business in the Management Division at Columbia Business School​2​​3​. Her book, "The Art of Choosing," received the Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year 2010 award, and was ranked #3 on Amazon's Best Business and Investing Books of 2010 list. This work, among others, solidified her standing as a leading expert on choice, a subject she explores from various dimensions including its psychological, social, and cultural aspects​​.

Iyengar's contributions have been widely recognized. She received the Presidential Early Career Award in 2002. In 2011 and 2019, she was named a member of the Thinkers50, a global ranking of the top 50 management thinkers. Additionally, she won the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Core Teaching from Columbia Business School in 2012 and was named one of the World’s Best B-School Professors by Poets and Quants​​.

Her research is regularly cited in reputable publications such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Economist, and has also found mention in popular books like Malcolm Gladwell’s "Blink" and Aziz Ansari’s "Modern Romance." Beyond her books, Iyengar's insights reach the public through her appearances on television shows including the Today Show, the Daily Show, and Fareed Zakaria’s GPS on CNN. Her TED Talks have collectively garnered almost four million views, reflecting the global resonance of her work​1​.

Iyengar's expertise extends beyond academia as she engages with various organizations, providing consultation on methods for innovation. She has collaborated with a wide range of companies including Deloitte, Google, Bloomberg, Blizzard Entertainment, J.P. Morgan & Chase, and The North Face, emphasizing the application of her research in real-world settings​​.

In an innovative course called “Think Bigger,” Iyengar devised a six-step method teaching individuals how to leverage insights from neurological and cognitive science for ideation. This reflects her commitment to not only advancing understanding of choice but also equipping others to make informed, impactful decisions​​.

Through her pioneering research, insightful publications, and engaged teaching and consulting, Sheena Iyengar continues to elucidate the complexities of choice, shaping how academia, corporations, and individuals approach decision-making in a multifaceted world.