This is a moment for India to cheer. Indian-origin professor Neeli Bendapudi made history when she was appointed as the next president of the prestigious Pennsylvania State University in the US. Her appointment as a first woman and first person of colour is a historic achievement as she will become Penn State’s 19th president in 2022.
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She hails from Visakhapatnam and had left US in 1986 for higher studies after completing her Bachelor’s and an MBA from India. Currently, she is the president and professor of marketing at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. She is a well-known personality in the higher education space and specialises in marketing and consumer behaviour.
On her success, she said, “Penn State is a world-class university, and I couldn’t be prouder and more excited to join this vibrant community of outstanding students, faculty, staff and alumni throughout the commonwealth and beyond.”
“Thank you to the Penn State community and Board of Trustees. I am grateful for this opportunity and will make it my mission to help Penn State reach new heights across each of our campuses,” she added.
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Her career as an educator spans almost 3 decades and she has also held prestigious positions at the University of Kansas, dean of the School of Business at the University of Kansas, and founding director of the Initiative for Managing Services at Ohio State University.
Photo Credits: Penn State Alumni Association
