The Ohio State University parted ways with Walter ‘Ted’ Carter Jr., following backlash over an inappropriate relationship he had. Within a matter of a few days, the school has found a replacement. Meet Ravi Bellamkonda, who is all set to be OSU’s 18th President.

Bellamkonda is currently Ohio State’s executive vice president and provost. He has spent only a year at Columbus as provost and was called the “most important” hire, according to Ted Carter himself. The former president had spent a year looking to fill that position. 

Bellamkonda has been a known face in higher education. He was the dean of the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University. Before that, he worked as a professor and department chair of biomedical engineering at both Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory. At Ohio State University, Provost Bellamkonda oversees academic operations across six campuses. 

Here’s all we know about the probable new man in charge. It should also be noted that unlike previous leadership changes, this appointment is expected to be permanent rather than interim.

Where was Ravi Bellamkonda born, and what is his background? 

Bellamkonda was born in India in 1968. When he was young, he hoped to become a doctor, but also grew an interest in math. To combine the two, he pursued biomedical engineering. In 1989, a 21-year-old Bellamkonda landed in the USA to seek higher education.

Bellamkonda had only $800 to get by while he waited for his research fellowship to begin. He had no plans of becoming a citizen or even completing his PhD. But his pursuit of revolutionizing the medical field pushed him to stay on.

What is Ravi Bellamkonda’s educational and academic background? 

He earned a bachelor’s in engineering from Osmania University, Hyderabad, in India in 1989. Bellamkonda traveled 8,000 miles away from home to pursue a PhD program at Brown University. However, he soon developed notable connections, and he kept climbing the academic ladder. His dissertation was on nerve regeneration, and he went on to become a Markey Fellow at MIT’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.

Ohio became the starting point of Bellamkonda’s academic career. In 1995, he joined the faculty at Case Western Reserve University and served as an associate and assistant professor. Atlanta was the next chapter for Bellamkonda in 2003, and he marked stints at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory School of Medicine. By 2010, he was associate vice president for research at Georgia Tech and later served as chair of the Emory‑Georgia Tech Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering from 2013 to 2016.

His lab developed a “tumor monorail” device to treat pediatric brain tumors, which received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Transformative Research Award in 2021.

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What is Ravi Bellamkonda’s role at Ohio State University?

Following a year-long search after Melissa Gilliam became president of Boston University, Bellamkonda emerged as the choice to succeed her, stepping in after interim provost Karla Zadnik. As the university’s executive vice president and provost, his role was to oversee programs and initiatives in the Office of Academic Affairs. He came to Ohio State while he was still the provost at Boston.

At Columbus, Bellamkonda was looking after a massive portfolio of programs and initiatives in the Office of Academic Affairs. The deans of all 15 academic colleges and University Libraries reported to him. This includes over 8,600 faculty members. As Provost, he also served as a member of the President’s Cabinet.

One of Bellamkonda’s key interest areas is the growth of AI, and he has been leading initiatives in that field at Ohio State. This measure aims to see every OSU student graduate leaving the school as an AI-fluent individual. Apart from this, he also marked a record-setting year for research investment during this short tenure.

But being a provost is not the same as being president at Ohio State. The responsibilities are different as the president holds authority over the entire university administration, including the Wexner Medical Center, and enforces all Board of Trustees rules. They lead the President’s Cabinet on major policy decisions.

He also presides over the University Senate, appoints faculty committees, and recommends candidates for honorary degrees. There is oversight of fiscal management, leading fundraising, and acting as the primary liaison to government officials. Most importantly, for football fans, the Director of Athletics reports directly to the president.

Bellamkonda has some big shoes to fill as Carter, despite his short tenure, was able to create immediate impact. Under his leadership, the university saw an increase in research funding and improvements in national academic rankings. He also launched an ambitious 10-year strategic plan to position OSU as a national leader in research, teaching, and civic engagement.

What is Ravi Bellamkonda’s net worth and salary?

No information is available on Bellamkonda’s net worth. However, with the trustees’ backing him, his compensation, as reported by WDTN.com, climbed to $981,956, up from $853,875 as of August. Trustees also approved a $200,000 annual retention credit through 2029, along with a $50,000 fringe benefit allowance.

Is Ravi Bellamkonda married, and does he have children? 

He is married to Dr. Lalita Kaligotla, associate director of the Hart Leadership Program (HLP) in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke. The couple has two adult children. 

Ohio State’s Board of Trustees will take up Bellamkonda’s appointment on Thursday, March 12, with a formal announcement and news conference expected afterward. He seems to have beaten some of the most prominent voices in the OSU community to lead the prestigious university.