Dr. Ramesh Kolluru is the seventh president of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
The University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors unanimously approved his appointment during a special meeting Friday in Baton Rouge.
“I am deeply grateful to Chairman Mark Romero, President Dr. Rick Gallot and the Board of Supervisors for their trust and confidence,” Kolluru said. “I thank the members of the search committee for their dedication and thoroughness throughout this process. I am especially thankful to our students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners whose support has meant so much.”
Founded in 1898, UL Lafayette enters its next chapter under a leader whose connection to the institution spans more than three decades — first as a graduate student, then as a faculty member, researcher and senior administrator.
“This University shaped my life and prepared me to serve it in this role,” Kolluru said. “With clarity, discipline and optimism, we will strengthen our academic foundation, expand our research impact, elevate student success and ensure that UL Lafayette continues to serve as a powerful engine of opportunity for Louisiana.”
“Dr. Kolluru’s leadership comes at an important moment for UL Lafayette and for our state,” said Dr. Rick Gallot, UL System president and CEO. “His deep understanding of the institution, paired with a disciplined focus on growth and performance, positions the University to move confidently into its next chapter. We look forward to partnering with him to expand opportunity, elevate outcomes and strengthen the University’s contribution to Louisiana’s future.”
“Dr. Kolluru’s story reflects the very best of what higher education in America can make possible," added Mark Romero, UL System Board chair. "He came to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette as a graduate student, earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees here and, over more than three decades has grown alongside this institution. He understands this University not only as a leader, but as someone whose life and family are deeply rooted in this campus and the Acadiana community."
Romero continued: "Under his leadership, UL Lafayette has strengthened its research enterprise, achieved and reaffirmed Carnegie R1 status, and expanded its economic impact across our state. The Board has full confidence in his leadership and looks forward to seeing UL Lafayette continue to rise in strength, reputation, and measurable impact for the people of Louisiana.”
Kolluru has served as UL Lafayette’s interim president since November. In recent months, he led efforts to stabilize the University’s fiscal landscape, implementing immediate cost controls, executive salary reductions and operational reforms that strengthened the University’s finances while protecting its academic and research mission.
He reorganized Enrollment Management and Student Affairs into a unified Division of Student Success, established an accountability-driven budgeting model and convened recurring leadership meetings and campus forums to reinforce shared governance and transparency. He launched a campuswide mental health task force to prioritize student wellness. And, along with external partners, he helped secure nearly $25 million in federal appropriations to advance research, workforce and infrastructure priorities in fiscal year 2026.
Before serving as interim president, Kolluru was the University’s vice president for Research, Innovation and Economic Development for more than a decade. In that role, he led the strategic growth of UL Lafayette’s research enterprise, guiding the University to Carnegie R1 designation in 2021 and reaffirmation in 2024 — placing it among the nation’s top research institutions.
Under his leadership, research expenditures quadrupled, the University joined the National Academy of Inventors’ Top 100 U.S. Universities for patents, and nationally recognized research centers expanded across health sciences, energy, computing and coastal resilience. His work strengthened doctoral education, industry partnerships and workforce pipelines, reinforcing the University’s role as a driver of economic growth across Louisiana.
Kolluru earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Osmania University in India before coming to UL Lafayette for graduate study. He received his master’s and doctoral degrees, both in computer science, from the University and later joined the faculty in the School of Computing and Informatics.
Over the course of his academic career, he mentored students and secured more than $120 million in external research funding as principal investigator or co-principal investigator. Nationally, he served as chief innovation officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and as a member of the FEMA National Advisory Council.
Kolluru has spent his adult life in Lafayette and at the University. His wife, Padma, is a UL Lafayette alumna who has served as an IT systems analyst for Lafayette Consolidated Government since 2001. Their twins, Roma and Paresh, graduated from Lafayette High School and are currently pre-med students at Tulane University.
Kolluru succeeds Dr. Joseph Savoie as the University’s permanent president. Savoie served for 17 years before transitioning to president emeritus in July 2025.
Read Dr. Kolluru's message to the campus community.