Raj Biyani’s professional journey, which began with a move from India to a small liberal arts campus in Indiana, has come full circle. Biyani, a 1992 alumnus of Goshen College has returned to his alma mater as its first-ever chief innovation officer. The role tasks the veteran technologist with defining the ethical and practical integration of artificial intelligence within higher education.
For Biyani, the appointment is a homecoming that spans decades and continents. Born and raised in India, his foundational upbringing there paved the way for his arrival at Goshen College in the late 1980s.
After graduating with a degree in computer science and accounting, Biyani earned an MBA with honors from the University of Chicago and later completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
His career is headlined by a 17-year tenure at Microsoft, where he was a key figure in the company’s global expansion. Most notably, Biyani served as the managing director of Microsoft IT’s India operations.
His leadership there, which involved overseeing a 1,200-member engineering center, was so transformative it became a case study at Harvard Business School, the Indian Institute of Management, and Singapore Management University.
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Beyond management, Biyani’s technical contributions include holding multiple U.S. patents and serving as the founding product manager for the precursor to the Microsoft App Store.
He also co-produced the CNBC documentary “Inventing the Zero, Reaching for Infinity,” which chronicled the rise of the Indian IT industry for a global audience of millions.
“Raj brings strategic clarity, entrepreneurial energy, and humility in a rare combination,” said Goshen College President Rebecca Stoltzfus. “We are fortunate to have him not only as an accomplished alumnus but now as a colleague who will help shape our institutional strategy.”
Biyani’s return to campus began as a volunteer effort after he received the college’s Culture for Service Award in late 2025. Since then, he has guest-lectured in over 25 classes and designed a 12-part AI seminar for faculty and staff. His influence is already visible through the AI Innovators Program, which has sparked 45 funded projects across 14 academic departments.
The new position emphasizes a “human wisdom” approach to technology. While many institutions focus on AI as a tool for efficiency, Biyani intends to focus on the human responsibility behind the code.
“At Goshen College, we are not limiting ourselves by just asking what AI can do, but rather what we should do with it and why,” Biyani said. “I am excited to contribute to this mission because those are questions worth dedicating the next chapter of my life to.”