Our Team

Saikat Chaudhuri is the inaugural Faculty Director of the Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology (M.E.T.) Program, a flagship dual-degree program in engineering and business at the University of California at Berkeley. He is also the inaugural Faculty Director of the Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship Hub, a startup incubator that aims to make entrepreneurship accessible and easier for everyone across the campus. He holds the Grimes M.E.T. Chancellor’s Chair at the university, with a joint faculty appointment in the Entrepreneurship & Innovation as well as Management of Organizations groups at the Haas School of Business, along with the department of Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering.

Prof. Chaudhuri’s research specializes in corporate growth and innovation strategies, particularly high-tech mergers and acquisitions, high-value outsourcing and partnerships, and technological innovation in dynamic environments. His publications span both scholarly and managerial outlets, and his work has been recognized from the field’s leading professional associations including the Academy of Management and Strategic Management Society.

An award-winning educator, Prof. Chaudhuri has not only designed and taught popular undergraduate and MBA courses on corporate strategy, management of technology, and innovation. He has also led and delivered customized executive education programs to a myriad of top firms around the world. He has been the recipient of numerous teaching awards and accolades at all levels across his academic career.

Prof. Chaudhuri’s work has been cited by leading media, and he is often interviewed or quoted by the global press on contemporary business affairs. He is regularly invited to speak at corporate forums, industry events, and academic conferences across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Based on his research and experience, he advises leading global corporations and governments worldwide, including providing expert legal testimony.

Prof. Chaudhuri came to Berkeley in 2021 from the University of Pennsylvania, where he served on the faculty of the Wharton School for over 16 years, holding leadership positions including Executive Director of the Mack Institute for Innovation Management, and Interim Director of the Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology. His prior professional experience includes corporate development at Mannesmann AG, in addition to stints with Citibank, McKinsey and Company, and Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.

Prof. Chaudhuri earned his Bachelor’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Multinational Management from the Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology at the University of Pennsylvania, Master’s degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from Stanford University, and Doctoral degree in Technology and Operations Management from Harvard University.

Chris Dito is the Executive Director of the Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology Program at UC Berkeley, where she oversees the strategic and operational functions of the inchoate program, including student engagement, admissions, employer interface, career development, outreach, and campus partnerships.

She came to Berkeley from UC Davis, where she served as the Director of Career Services for the Graduate School of Management, working with MBA, Master of Professional Accountancy and MS in Business Analytics students. Prior to that, she was the Assistant Director of Employer Partnerships for the UCD Internship & Career Center. Chris is thrilled to be working with and learning from the M.E.T. community – donors, students, staff, and campus colleagues – and our newly minted alumni.

Dawn led the launch team for the M.E.T. program back in 2016, and as a result has developed strong relationships in the College of Engineering and Haas. She’s the go-to for all academic-related inquiries for the program, including advising, degree planning and progress checks, study abroad, department policies, and more. She helps facilitate connections for academic and wellness support and demystifies the complexity of navigating 2 degrees from 2 different colleges and 6 different engineering majors. Dawn helps our students stay informed about what they need to do to graduate on time while having an enriching academic experience.

Katie recently joined the M.E.T. team and her role will be to oversee the operations and administration of the M.E.T. program office. Before joining M.E.T., Katie spent several years in operations at Human Capital, a venture firm startup, whose mission is to help builders (i.e., entrepreneurs) turn great ideas into great companies, investing in founders, teams, and startups of like mind. Prior to Human Capital, Katie spent over a decade at Stanford University managing the Neuroscience Ph.D. program and the Public Policy Program. Katie has a Master’s degree in English and briefly taught writing at the community college level before transitioning to higher education administration. She grew up in Napa and currently lives in Oakland with her husband. In her free time, you can find Katie traveling (Portugal most recently), eating out, or cooking (usually trying a healthy take on something not so healthy).

Bryanna recently joined the M.E.T. team and her role will be to oversee Admissions and Marketing for the M.E.T. program. Before joining M.E.T., Bryanna graduated from UC Berkeley with a Legal Studies degree in May of 2021. She was part of many organizations on and off campus over her undergraduate career focused on helping underrepresented communities. As a Public Service Intern through the Public Service Center at UC Berkeley she was able to discover her passion for marketing, which led her to hold a couple of internships within the marketing field. She was also part of many organizations on campus such as Hermanas Unidas de UC Berkeley, Raices, Cal Rotaract, and more. Bryanna was born and raised in San Jose, California and currently resides in Berkeley, California with her partner. In her free time, Bryanna loves to travel with her family and friends, spend time with her dog Snoopy, find new places to eat, and play the guitar.