The Illinois Institute of Technology has a new leader.
Rajagopal “Raj” Echambadi will be Illinois Tech’s 10th president after the college’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve him on Monday. His first day on the job will be Aug. 16.
Echambadi comes to Illinois Tech from Northeastern University, where he was the school’s Dunton Family Dean at the D’Amore-McKim School of Business. During his tenure, he created a student engagement office to help students from diverse backgrounds build entrepreneurial skills.
Echambadi’s appointment comes after Illinois Tech executed a nationwide search for its next leader. Outgoing President Alan W. Cramb announced his retirement at the end of last year after leading the college for six years.
“One of the most meaningful parts of the Illinois Tech ethos to me is the commitment to accessible and affordable technology education,” Echambadi said in a statement. “My career has been dedicated to inclusive and collaborative innovation, and Illinois Tech’s commitment to creating pathways and infinite possibilities for a vast diversity of students not only brings greater representation to technology but also drives the greatest innovation.”
Before working at Northeatern, Echambadi served as the Alan J. and Joyce D. Baltz Professor and the senior associate dean of strategic innovation at Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He helped expand U of I’s online MBA program, which is now accessed by students across the world.
Echambadi holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from Anna University in India, and a doctorate in marketing from the University of Houston.
“Raj’s experience in attracting strong researchers, corporate and philanthropic partners, and most importantly diverse students and faculty is undeniable,” said Michael P. Galvin, chairman of the Illinois Tech Board of Trustees, in a statement. “Throughout his career, he has delivered extraordinary innovation with broad impact and has demonstrated a deep commitment to higher education as a mechanism for creating access and economic mobility.”
In fall 2020, Illinois Tech reported it enrolled more than 6,300 students.
