Ramesh Kolluru
Dr. Ramesh Kolluru was appointed the seventh president of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on Feb. 27, 2026.
A nationally recognized higher education leader, researcher and innovator, Dr. Kolluru has more than three decades of experience spanning academic leadership, research advancement and economic development. A two-time graduate of UL Lafayette, he has dedicated his career to strengthening the University’s academic excellence, expanding its research enterprise and advancing its impact across Louisiana.
During his time as UL Lafayette’s interim president, he initiated reforms designed to strengthen long-term sustainability while prioritizing the student experience. He created a unified Division of Student Success, aligning recruitment, retention, advising and career services within an integrated enrollment-to-employment framework. He launched a campuswide mental health task force to enhance student wellness and expand support services. Alongside external partners, he helped secure nearly $25 million in federal appropriations to advance research, workforce and infrastructure priorities.
For more than a decade, he served as vice president for Research, Innovation and Economic Development. Under his leadership, UL Lafayette achieved and reaffirmed its Carnegie R1 designation, earned recognition among the National Academy of Inventors’ Top 100 U.S. Universities for patents and quadrupled research expenditures. He helped secure significant competitive external funding that strengthened the University’s research capacity and national profile.
Dr. Kolluru’s leadership extends beyond campus. He has worked closely with state and federal partners to advance initiatives in energy, manufacturing, health care, artificial intelligence and coastal resilience. He previously served as chief innovation officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and as a member of the FEMA National Advisory Council.
A tenured professor in the School of Computing and Informatics at UL Lafayette, Dr. Kolluru has advised more than 100 master’s research projects and mentored doctoral students who now serve in academia, industry and government.
Dr. Kolluru and his wife, Padma, have called Lafayette home for 33 years. They are the parents of Paresh and Roma.
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Ramesh Kolluru
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Six months on the LOUISIANA.edu job ... today.
Amazing job so far.
Thanks Ramesh Kolluru -
Does he go to basketball games?Comment
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How long was he interim? ps happy 6 month anniversary. edit nevermind I almost forgot about Hebert.Comment
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Our UL alumnus gov gave one of the finest quotes about Space X …. “In 1803 Louisiana gave America a Continent…. today Louisiana gives America the stars”……think that along with the quotes of our UL president are very worthy!!!Comment
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