To assume new role from March 31.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Sanjeev Kulkarni was named last week as the new dean of the Graduate School at Princeton University.
Kulkarni is currently a professor of electrical engineering and is the director of the school’s Keller Center, which is a sub-division of Princeton’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. His appointment came highly recommended by Christopher L. Eisgruber, President of the university, and he was officially confirmed by the school’s Board of Trustees on January 25.
A faculty member at the school for over 20 years, Kulkarni joined Princeton University in 1991. He has held several administrative positions during his tenure with the university, which is considered by many rankings systems to be among the five or ten best institutions in the nation. Kulkarni was the associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Engineering and Applied Science from 2003 to 2005, and was the master of Butler College – one of the undergraduate residential colleges – from 2004 to 2012. In 2011, he became the director of the Keller Center, a title he has held ever since.
Kulkarni earned his two bachelor’s degrees, both from Clarkson University, in electrical engineering and mathematics. He also completed a master’s degree in mathematics from the same institution. He then went to Stanford University, where he earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering, and then earned his Ph.D. in the same field from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
“Sanjeev Kulkarni will be a spectacular dean for Princeton’s Graduate School,” said Eisgruber, in a statement. “Sanjeev has a well-deserved reputation for excellence as an interdisciplinary scholar, a versatile administrator and a constructive colleague. He cares deeply about the welfare of students, and he will be a thoughtful and effective advocate for graduate education in the years to come.”
He will be replacing William B. Russel, the current Dean of the Graduate School, and will report to Provost David Lee. Princeton’s graduate studies program enrolls roughly 2,600 students spread across 42 departments, all of whom are pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees.
“I am thrilled with the appointment of Sanjeev Kulkarni as our new dean of the Graduate School,” said Lee. “Sanjeev has excelled in every aspect of faculty endeavor. He is known as a community-builder, working collaboratively with different groups within the University community, and so I am excited to have him as a partner in advancing the mission of the Graduate School through our commitment to diversity.”
Kulkarni will officially assume his new role in the Graduate School on March 31.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com