Indian-Origin Academic Leaders: Key faculty appointments at top U.S. institutions in 2024

(September 16, 2024) Indian academics in USA are redefining the landscape of American higher education, not just as scholars and researchers, but as leaders, administrators, and institution-builders at the very top of the country’s most prestigious universities. The year 2024 marked a particularly significant chapter in this story, with a remarkable wave of Indian-origin appointments to deanships, directorships, and senior leadership roles across America’s most celebrated institutions, from MIT and Yale to Columbia and Georgia Tech. These appointments confirmed what data has long suggested that Indian academics in USA are among the most influential forces in global knowledge creation today.

According to research by Boston Consulting Group, approximately 22,000 Indian Americans, which is around 2.6% of all higher education faculty members serve in American universities. A review of the top 50 colleges in the United States revealed that 35 have an Indian American in their leadership ranks, occupying roles such as deans, chancellors, provosts, and directors. This representation highlights the extraordinary depth of Indian academic talent embedded at the heart of American intellectual life. The Global Indian puts a spotlight on some of the most significant Indian-origin academic appointments of 2024.

Vivek Sarkar 

Appointed as Dean of Georgia Tech’s College of Computing

Indian American professor Vivek Sarkar has been appointed Dean of Georgia Tech’s College of Computing, effective June 1. He also serves as a professor in the School of Computer Science. He previously served as the chair of the School of Computer Science and held the Stephen Fleming Chair for Telecommunications at Georgia Tech. Sarkar’s work has significantly advanced the academic understanding of high-performance computing systems and has influenced the development of technologies that shape modern society. His research has led to key breakthroughs in parallel computing, improving the efficiency of complex computations and making them easier to program. Along with his academic achievements, Sarkar is deeply committed to mentoring future computer scientists and engineers, with a strong focus on promoting diversity and inclusion within the computing field, ensuring equal opportunities for all to succeed.

Vivek Sarkar

Prior to joining Georgia Tech, Sarkar served as the E.D. Butcher Chair in Engineering at Rice University, where he also chaired the Department of Computer Science. He previously worked at IBM Research as a senior manager and was a member of the IBM Academy of Technology. Sarkar pursued his bachelors at IIT Kanpur and earned his Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford University and has been recognized with numerous awards and honours for his pioneering research.

Srinand ‘Sri’ Sreevatsan

Appointed as Dean of University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine

The University of Missouri has appointed Srinand “Sri” Sreevatsan as the dean of the University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine, effective August 1. The Indian American academician most recently served as the associate dean for research and graduate studies at Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where he was also a professor and chair of pathobiology and diagnostic investigation. A distinguished scholar, Sreevatsan is deeply committed to veterinary medicine and research that advances the health of animals, humans, and the environment. He previously spent seven years as the director of graduate studies in the veterinary medicine program at the University of Minnesota.

Srinand Sreevatsan

With nearly 200 scholarly publications to his name, he also holds leadership positions in the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association and the Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture. Additionally, he is a member of both the American Society for Microbiology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Sreevatsan earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in veterinary medicine from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore and holds a master’s degree in public health (epidemiology) and a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Minnesota.

Bhramar Mukherjee

Appointed as Senior Associate Dean of Public Health Data Science and Data Equity, Yale School of Public Health

Bhramar Mukherjee has been named Yale School of Public Health’s first Senior Associate Dean of Public Health Data Science and Data Equity. She assumed her position on August 1, 2024. A trailblazer in biostatistics, Mukherjee’s research focuses on integrating genetic, environmental, and healthcare data, with emphasis on chronic diseases, environmental epidemiology, and reproductive health. She has also made notable contributions to cancer and cardiovascular research, as well as the analysis of COVID-19 data. She has co-authored over 380 publications spanning statistics, biostatistics, medicine, and public health, and has served as principal investigator on numerous NSF and NIH grants.

Bhramar Mukherjee

Prior to joining Yale, she held multiple prestigious professorships and leadership roles at the University of Michigan. Mukherjee is the founding director of the University of Michigan’s Big Data Summer Institute for undergraduates, a program she has led for the past nine years. Last year, she was also appointed assistant vice president for research, where she designed a comprehensive data analysis service infrastructure for all three U-M campuses. She earned her B.Sc. in Statistics from Presidency College, Kolkata in 1994, an M Stat from the Indian Statistical Institute in 1996, and a Ph.D. in Statistics from Purdue University.

Hamsa Balakrishnan

Appointed as Associate Dean of School of Engineering, MIT

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has named Hamsa Balakrishnan as the associate dean of the MIT School of Engineering. She also holds the position of the William E. Leonhard Professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics leading the Dynamics, Infrastructure Networks, and Mobility (DINaMo) group, which focuses on modeling, analyzing, controlling, and optimizing modern infrastructure systems. Her group has played a key role in addressing issues such as advanced air mobility, air traffic congestion, and airport operations, collaborating with organizations like the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, NASA, and major airports. From 2018 to 2021, Balakrishnan served as associate department head in AeroAstro, overseeing both undergraduate and graduate education programs. She also directed Transportation@MIT in 2018-19, managing interdisciplinary graduate programs in transportation and focusing on faculty engagement and student recruitment.

Hamsa Balakrishnan

Prior to joining MIT, she held positions at the University of California Santa Cruz and NASA Ames Research Center. Balakrishnan’s research has earned her numerous accolades, including the NSF Career Award, AIAA’s Lawrence Sperry Award, and the American Automatic Control Council’s Donald P. Eckman Award. An alumna of the Indian Institute of Technology – Madras, Balakrishnan earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from Stanford University. 

Garud Iyengar

Appointed as Director of Columbia University’s Data Science Institute

Columbia University professor Garud Iyengar was appointed as the new director of its Data Science Institute (DSI), effective July 1. He is also co-lead of Columbia’s artificial intelligence initiative alongside Jeannette Wing and Shih-Fu Chang. Before this role, the Indian American academician served as the senior vice dean for research and academic programs at the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), a position he held since November 2021 at the Columbia University. He has also been the Tang Family Professor of Operations in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research since January 2020.

Garud Iyengar

Iyengar’s research focuses on understanding uncertain systems and leveraging data-driven control and optimization algorithms to make the most of available information. His work spans a wide range of fields, including machine learning, systemic risk, asset management, operations management, sports analytics, and biology. Iyengar earned his B. Tech in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology – Kanpur and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University.

Sakthivel Sadayappan

Appointed as Head of the Dept of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona

The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson appointed Sakthivel Sadayappan as the new head of its Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. He is also serving as a Professor and Associate Director, Sarver Heart Center at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Sadayappan comes to the university from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, where he led key research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association. His career has also included roles at the University of Cincinnati, Loyola University in Chicago, and the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Germany.

Sakhthivel Saddyapan

With over 170 published scientific papers and three patents, Sadayappan’s research focuses on developing therapies for genetically induced heart failure, as well as conditions like distal arthrogryposis and lethal congenital contracture syndrome. Recognized as Educator of the Year, he has mentored over 100 students and postdoctoral fellows. Sadayappan earned his PhD in Biochemistry from Madurai Kamaraj University in India, specializing in the molecular aspects of cardiac hypertrophy. He also holds an MBA from the University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business and completed a Certificate Course on Preparing for Future Faculty at the University of Cincinnati.

Indian academics in USA: a legacy of leadership

These six appointments represent just a fraction of the broader story of Indian academics in USA. Across medicine, engineering, data science, public health, veterinary medicine, and computing, Indian-origin scholars are not simply participating in American academic life, rather leading it at its highest levels. Their journeys from IITs and Indian universities to the deanships of MIT, Yale, Columbia, and Georgia Tech reflect a community whose intellectual ambition has consistently transformed every institution it has touched.

As the influence of Indian academics in USA continues to grow, their contributions will shape not just American universities but the global frontiers of knowledge, research, and human progress for generations to come.

Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and there are other notable appointments of Indian-origin academic leaders throughout 2024 leading to significant impacts in the field of education in the United States.

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