Dr. Ramesh Kolluru is the new interim president of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Kolluru was appointed to the position during a special meeting of the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors on Thursday at UL Lafayette.
The UL System will form a committee to conduct a search for a permanent replacement for Dr. Joseph Savoie, who stepped down in July after 17 years as UL Lafayette president. Dr. Jaimie Hebert had served as UL Lafayette’s interim president since Aug. 1. Hebert will return to his previous role as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, a position he’s held since 2018.
Kolluru, the University’s longtime vice president for Research, Innovation and Economic Development, said Thursday: “For 127 years, this University has evolved with purpose. Our job right now is to build it for the next 127 years – and that work starts today.
“We will build a faculty-first, staff-supported, student success-centric university – not just a student-centered university, but one laser focused on ensuring student success from enrollment to employment and everything in between,” he continued.
Kolluru has deep, longstanding ties to the campus community. His time at UL Lafayette began in 1992 as a student. He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in computer science from the University. Kolluru went on to become a professor and researcher before moving into a succession of leadership and administrative positions.
As vice president for Research, Innovation and Economic Development, he was integral in steering the University to its position as a national research leader. Kolluru spearheaded UL Lafayette’s rise to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education’s prestigious R1 status, which places it among the top 5% of the nation’s research institutions. Under his leadership, the University established three national research centers.
Kolluru also has a proven track record for success in economic development and fostering public-private partnerships in a range of areas and industries, including health care innovation, cybersecurity, biotech and energy.
His work with state and federal leaders is equally strong. Kolluru has forged productive relationships with five Louisiana gubernatorial administrations. He has also served as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ chief innovation officer.
Kolluru has spent his adult life in Lafayette and at the University. His wife Padma is also a UL Lafayette alumnus and has served as an IT systems analyst for the city of Lafayette since 2001. Their twins, Roma and Paresh, both graduated from Lafayette High School and are currently pre-med students at Tulane University.
Photo caption: Dr. Ramesh Kolluru, interim president of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Photo credit: Doug Dugas/University of Louisiana at Lafayette