Purdue University has named Indian American civil engineering professor Rao S. Govindaraju as vice president for Institutes and Centers at Discovery Park District at Purdue.
Govindaraju, who currently serves as the Bowen Engineering Head of Civil Engineering and the Christopher B. and Susan S. Burke Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering, will begin the role in January, according to a media release from West Lafayette, Indiana—based university.
As vice president, Govindaraju will build upon the foundation of Discovery Park District’s one-of-a-kind research and educational facilities, fostering collaboration across disciplines and driving research that advances Purdue’s strategic priorities.
READ: Asha Jadeja Motwani establishes Institute for American Studies in India (
He will forge greater coordination and productivity among the resident research facilities, advance incentive-based budget planning, and partner with center and institute directors to generate new revenue sources.
“Professor Govindaraju’s experience and vision will be instrumental in developing and advancing strategic partnerships that strengthen Purdue’s leadership and support key national initiatives,” said Dan DeLaurentis, executive vice president for research.“We are proud to welcome him to this important role.”
Govindaraju has been a member of the Purdue faculty since 1997 and has led the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering since 2012. His primary areas of research include surface and subsurface hydrology, contaminant transport, watershed hydrology, and climatic influences.
READ: Grishma Shah named Associate Dean of Manhattan University business school (
His work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Defense, and Department of Energy. He has earned numerous national and international awards as well as appointments to several high-level national committees.
Govindaraju holds a PhD from the University of California, Davis; a Master of Science from the University of Kentucky; and a Bachelor of Technology from Indian Institute of Technology, all in civil engineering.
Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities.