This Indian American Professor’s Rise To UCLA Dean Will Make Every Indian Proud

by Sejal Parikh · November 19, 2015

An Indian-American professor Jayathi V Murthy has been appointed as the next dean of the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of California, effective January 1, 2016.

Image source: ucla.edu

Murthy has received a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota, an M.S. from Washington State University and a Bachelor of Technology degree from the Indian Institute of Technology. She is also the recipient of many honors including the IBM Faculty Partnership Award 2003-2005, the 2012 ASME EPPD Clock Award, the 2009 ASME EPPD Woman Engineer of the Year Award and numerous best paper awards.

Succeeding Vijay Dhir, Murthy had, hithertofore, served as the first woman head for the mechanical engineering department at the university of Texas at Austin since early 2012. She was also the director of PRISM: NNSA Center for Prediction of Reliability, Integrity and Survivability of Microsystems, from 2008 to 2014. A member of the faculty at Purdue University from 2001 to 2011, Murthy served as the Robert V. Adams Professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering. The current dean, Dhir, has welcomed the move, stating:

“Jayathi Murthy is a terrific choice to guide the school to the new and greater heights,” Dhir said. “UCLA Engineering will soon get to know a passionate teacher and dedicated scholar – someone who is a proven leader deeply committed to excellence in education and research. In turn, Professor Murthy will find that UCLA Engineering faculty, students and staff, as well as our alumni and friends, are working together to push the boundaries of innovation and address the greatest challenges facing society. I look forward to working with her during her transition and will help in any way I can to ensure her success.”

The university has said that Murthy has plans to launch significant initiatives to expand hands-on and project-based learning opportunities as well as increase female enrollment.

We wish Jayathi V Murthy all the luck!