Indian American Rajagopal ‘Raj’ Echambadi Named 10th President of Illinois Institute of Technology
- Currently the Dunton Family Dean at D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University, he takes over the new role of Aug. 16 from incumbent president Alan W. Cramb.
The Illinois Institute of Technology recently named Rajagopal “Raj” Echambadi as its 10th president, to lead its efforts to empower students from different backgrounds to achieve their potential. Echambadi, the Dunton Family Dean at D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University, will take over the top administrative spot at Illinois Tech on Aug. 16. He replaces president Alan W. Cramb, who announced his retirement from the post in December 2020.
“One of the most meaningful parts of the Illinois Tech ethos to me is the commitment to accessible and affordable technology education,” said Echambadi in a university press release. “My career has been dedicated to inclusive and collaborative innovation, and Illinois Tech’s commitment to creating pathways and infinite possibilities for a vast diversity of students not only brings greater representation to technology but also drives the greatest innovation.”
In a video message, posted on the university website, Echambadi thanks the university management for selecting him “to lead such a singular institution that has built and sustained a legacy of excellence and inclusive innovation.”
Noting that there are “tremendous opportunities for Illinois Tech to serve and advance Bronzeville, Chicago, and the broader global community,” he said, “Illinois Tech has the requisite capabilities to build upon our historic strengths and chart a vibrant future.”
At Northeastern, Echambadi created the Office of Student Engagement, Affinity, and Inclusion and helped to launch its Building Belonging Fellows, Pathfinders, and Peer Affinity Cohorts to empower students from diverse backgrounds to utilize entrepreneurial skills to become change-makers, while cultivating a more supportive and inclusive on-campus experience for all students.
Before joining Northeastern, Echambadi served as the Alan J. and Joyce D. Baltz Professor and the senior associate dean of strategic innovation at Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As per the university press release, he was a driving force behind the University of Illinois’s scaled online M.B.A. (iMBA) program and has been instrumental in helping to provide increased access to an innovative education to students across the globe.
The majority of Echambadi’s academic research has focused on strategic innovation within organizations and how companies should balance current and future opportunities.
He received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from Anna University in India and a doctorate in marketing from the University of Houston. His research on employee entrepreneurship won the prestigious Academy of Management Journal Best Paper Award.