Rajagopal "Raj" Echambadi

Raj Echambadi became the 10th president of Illinois Institute of Technology in August 2021. Echambadi’s vision for Illinois Tech is centered on a new path to preeminence driven by four principles: first, honoring and strengthening the university’s role as an engine of opportunity and a national leader in economic mobility; second, pursuing growth through reimagining education to serve learners at all stages of life; third, fueling future innovation by empowering students; and fourth, exemplifying purpose-driven citizenship in service of the Bronzeville neighborhood, Chicago, and the world. Previously, Echambadi served as the dean of D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University. Before joining Northeastern, Echambadi served in various roles, including as senior associate dean of strategic innovation, at Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was a driving force behind a scaled online M.B.A. (iMBA) program that was lauded as one of the best educational innovations in the past decade.Echambadi received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Anna University in India and a doctorate in marketing from the University of Houston. His academic research focuses on strategic innovation within organizations and how firms should balance current and future opportunities. He has won numerous teaching and research accolades for his work on employee entrepreneurship.