Indian-American elected as head of top US education body

In yet another success story for the Indian-American community, Renu Khator has been elected as the chairman of the board of directors of the American Council on Education (ACE), the premier coordinating body for US colleges and universities.

Born in Uttar Pradesh, Khator earned her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Kanpur. She received her masters and PhD in political science from Purdue University, Indiana. Khator boasts an impressive resume, which includes a stint as the president and system chancellor at the University of Houston in 2008, and a board chair during ACE’s 97th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. She ceeds James H. Mullen, president of Allegheny College, Pennsylvania, and will serve for one year. Before becoming the ACE Board chair, she served as vice chair of the institute.

“It will be a privilege to serve as chair of the American Council on Education during a period of major challenges and enormous opportunities for higher education,” Khator said.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues on key issues such as college completion, global competitiveness and innovation.” She added.

Being the first woman in the UH system and the first Indian immigrant to head a comprehensive research university in the US, Khator assumed her post in January 2008.

As president, Khator is the chief executive officer of the largest and the oldest of the four UH system universities.

As a chancellor, she oversees a system that serves nearly 70,000 students with an annual budget exceeding $1.5 billion and has a $3.8 billion-plus economic impact on the Greater Houston area every year. During her tenure, the university has experienced a record breaking research funding enrolment and private support.

A noted scholar in the field of global environmental policy, Khator has published numerous books and articles on the subject.

Prior to her appointment in the ACE, she was provost and senior vice president at the University of South Florida, capping a 22-year career at that institution.

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