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About Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla

Chancellor Pradeep Khosla
Eighth Chancellor, University of California San Diego

Biography

Pradeep K. Khosla became UC San Diego’s eighth chancellor on August 1, 2012. As UC San Diego’s chief executive officer, he leads a campus with more than 43,000 students within eleven academic, professional and graduate schools and eight undergraduate residential colleges. UC San Diego is also home to the prestigious Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the UC San Diego Health System. With annual revenues of $7.8 billion in fiscal year 2023, UC San Diego is an academic and research powerhouse, with faculty, researchers and staff attracting more than $1.76 billion in sponsored research funding in 2023. UC San Diego is recognized as one of the top 20 research universities in the world and is the largest civilian employer based in San Diego County.

Khosla initiated and led UC San Diego’s first-ever Strategic Plan and the ambitious 10-year, $2 billion Campaign for UC San Diego. The Campaign raised $3.05 billion, exceeding its original goal by more than $1 billion, and making UC San Diego the youngest institution ever to complete a multi-billion-dollar fundraising campaign. UC San Diego and UC San Diego Health are currently undergoing a $5 billion construction boom to expand healthcare services, classrooms, research space and double the number of on-campus housing units.

Khosla has significantly expanded college access and affordability for underserved populations, initiated interdisciplinary research initiatives to foster collaboration and solve societal challenges, and strengthened university and community relationships and partnerships.

An internationally renowned electrical and computer engineer, Khosla previously served as Dean of the College of Engineering and Philip and Marsha Dowd University Professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He spent the majority of his career at Carnegie Mellon, rising through the ranks from his first position as Assistant Professor in 1986 to his appointment as Dean in 2004. From 1994 to 1996, he also served as a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Program Manager in the Software and Intelligent Systems Technology Office, Defense Sciences Office and Tactical Technology Office, where he managed advanced research and development programs.

Khosla is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Engineering and the American Society for Engineering Education. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Association for Advancement of Science, the American Association of Artificial Intelligence, the Indian Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Inventors. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Indian Academy of Science. Khosla is also the recipient of numerous awards for his leadership, teaching, and research, including the 2012 Light of India Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the George Westinghouse Award for contributions to improve engineering teaching. In 2012, he was named one of the 50 most influential Indian-Americans by SiliconIndia.

View Chancellor Khosla's Full CV

Pradeep Khosla at a Glance

Education

  • Bachelor’s degree in technology from Indian Institute of Technology (Kharagpur, India), 1980
  • Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) from Carnegie Mellon University, 1984
  • Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, 1986

Previous Positions

  • Dean of the College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University (2004-2012) and Philip and Marsha Dowd University Professor, Carnegie Mellon University (2008-2012)
  • Founding Director, Carnegie Mellon CyLab (2001-2008)
  • Director, Information Networking Institute (2000-2004)
  • Head, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (1999-2004)
  • Philip and Marsha Dowd Professor of Engineering and Robotics (1998-2012)
  • Founding Director, Institute for Complex Engineered Systems (1997-1999)
  • Professor of ECE and Robotics (1994-2012)
  • Program Manager, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (1994-1996)
  • Associate Professor of ECE and Robotics (1990-1994)
  • Assistant Professor of ECE and Robotics (1986-1990)

Professional Societies

  • Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • Member, National Academy of Engineering (NAE)
  • Member, National Academy of Inventors (NAI)
  • Fellow, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
  • Fellow, American Association of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI)
  • Fellow, American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • Member, American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)
  • Honorary Fellow, Indian Academy of Science
  • Fellow, Indian National Academy of Engineering
  • Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

Awards and Honors

  • 2022 Apolitical’s 100 Most Influential Academics
  • 2012 Light of India Award
  • IBM Faculty Award
  • (Inaugural) Academic Excellence Award, Pan IIT
  • Lifetime Achievement Award, ASME
  • Cyber Education Award, Business Software Alliance
  • Distinguished Alumnus Award, IIT
  • W. Wallace McDowell Award, IEEE Computer Society
  • SiliconIndia Leadership Award for Excellence in Academics and Technology
  • ASEE 1999 George Westinghouse Award for Education

Other Recognition

  • Speech of Hon. Michael F. Doyle of Pennsylvania in the House of Representatives

Photos and Videos

The thumbnail photos below link to higher resolution RGB images.

Interviews and Podcasts

Technovation Podcast

Peter High interviews Chancellor Khosla for this twice-weekly podcast series that features conversations with top executives (CIOs, CDOs, CTOs) and thought leaders at the intersection of business, technology and innovation.

Forbes Magazine

Peter High interviews Chancellor Khosla on UC San Diego's remarkable rise in reputation and applications.