Indian-American academic administrator
Neeli Bendapudi is an Indian-American academic administrator who is the 19th president of Pennsylvania State University. From 2018 until 2021, she served as the 18th president of the University of Louisville. In December 2021, Penn State announced Bendapudi as the university's president; she succeeded Eric J. Barron following his retirement. She assumed office in May 2022 and is the first woman and the first non-white person to serve as Penn State's president.
Early life and education.
Neeli was born in Visakhapatnam, India. Both her parents, T. Ramesh Dutta and Padma Dutta, were professors in English in Andhra University. She attended Andhra University, where she earned an undergraduate and master's degree. She moved to the United States in 1986 to attend graduate school at the University of Kansas, where she earned her Ph.D. in marketing.
Career.
Neeli held teaching posts at both Ohio State University and Texas A&amp;M University before returning to the University of Kansas to serve as the dean of the University of Kansas School of Business. From 1 July 2016, until her election as president at the University of Louisville, she served as provost and executive vice chancellor of the University of Kansas. Following her tenure at the University of Kansas, her successor cut 150 faculty and staff positions in the midst of budget strains.
Neeli was named president of the University of Louisville on 3 April 2018, and her first day was 15 May 2018. She replaced James R. Ramsey, who resigned after a 2015 sex scandal that implicated him. She is the first non-white president of the University of Louisville and indicated an intention to develop a culture of openness. On 13 July 2018, she, in response to Papa John's Pizza founder John Schnatter's use of a racial slur, announced that Schnatter's name would be struck from U of L's football stadium's name. She resigned as president of the University of Louisville on 13 December 2021, following her selection as the 19th president of the Pennsylvania State University. She was succeeded by interim president Lori Stewart Gonzalez.
She also previously served as executive vice president and chief customer officer for Huntington National Bank.
References.
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