Following a national search, Swarn Chatterjee has been named head of the department of financial planning, housing and consumer economics in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, effective Nov. 1.

Chatterjee is a professor in the Online Master of Financial Planning program offered through the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. He has served as interim department head since January, and been a member of the department since 2007.

“I am delighted to begin working with Dr. Chatterjee in the permanent role of department head,” said FACS interim dean Sheri Worthy. “With his 14 years of experience in the department, he has a good grasp on the context of FHCE within the college and UGA. He is a team builder, an excellent mentor, and an internationally-known researcher.  He is respected and admired by students, faculty and administrators across campus as well as constituents outside UGA. I am confident he can lead FHCE into an even higher level of excellence.”

 Chatterjee holds an MBA and a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University. He received the college’s Bill and June Flatt Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award in 2018 and the Early Career Faculty Research Award in 2016.

Chatterjee believes there is an importance in trust and approachability between a client and their financial planner. He exhibits this behavior with all of his students as well. 

“Financial planners need to be people you trust, and I believe that starts in the classroom,” said Chaterjee. 

Chatterjee’s research focuses on performance evaluation across different stages of the financial planning process and the identification of factors that improve financial decision making among young adults and the elderly.

He has authored over 60 peer-reviewed articles and serves as president-elect of the American Council on Consumer Interests.

“I am honored to serve in my new role as the department head for financial planning, housing and consumer economics,” Chatterjee said. “Over the past several years, our department has experienced robust growth in numbers across our programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. In addition to this, our faculty have been incredibly productive in applying for and receiving grants, doing impactful research work, and have been committed to their public service and outreach efforts that is making a difference to the well-being of our community both locally, across the state, and nationally. My goal as the department head will be to continue this momentum, so we are positioned to achieve even greater success in the years to come.”

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