Illinois Tech Names Northeastern Dean Raj Echambadi as Next President to Lead Its Mission to Foster Inclusive Innovation

CHICAGO—June 16, 2021—Illinois Institute of Technology today announced that Rajagopal “Raj” Echambadi, Dunton Family Dean at D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University, will join Illinois Tech as its 10th president.

Founded to liberate the collective power of difference to advance technology for all, Illinois Tech selected Echambadi to lead its efforts to empower students from different backgrounds to achieve their potential. Under Echambadi’s leadership, Illinois Tech will further its legacy of excellence by educating the next generation of innovators and creators who will fuel Chicago’s rise as a global destination for technology and entrepreneurship.

After an extensive nationwide search, the Illinois Tech Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve Echambadi on Monday, June 14. He will take over the top administrative spot at the university on August 16 from outgoing President Alan W. Cramb, who announced his retirement from the post in December 2020.

“One of the most meaningful parts of the Illinois Tech ethos to me is the commitment to accessible and affordable technology education,” said Echambadi. “My career has been dedicated to inclusive and collaborative innovation, and Illinois Tech’s commitment to creating pathways and infinite possibilities for a vast diversity of students not only brings greater representation to technology but also drives the greatest innovation.”

“We have tremendous opportunities to serve Bronzeville, Chicago, and the world,” said Echambadi. “Illinois Tech has the requisite capabilities—intellectual, cultural, and social capital—and the right values embodied by our entire community to build upon our historic strengths, to chart a vibrant future, and to strengthen our role as a leading technological institution. My family and I are delighted to be part of this exciting journey and to be calling Illinois home again.”

Prior to joining Northeastern, Echambadi served as the Alan J. and Joyce D. Baltz Professor and the senior associate dean of strategic innovation at Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As a driving force behind the University of Illinois’s scaled online M.B.A. (iMBA) program, Echambadi has been instrumental in helping to provide increased access to an innovative education to students across the globe. The iMBA program has been lauded as a breakthrough in graduate education and one of the best disruptive innovations of the past decade.

A leading academic research expert in organizational strategic innovation, Echambadi has developed new and forward-looking academic programs designed to empower student success in a dynamic marketplace. The majority of his academic research has focused on strategic innovation within organizations and how companies should balance current and future opportunities. He received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from Anna University in India and a doctorate in marketing from the University of Houston. His research on employee entrepreneurship won the prestigious Academy of Management Journal Best Paper Award.

“Raj’s experience in attracting strong researchers, corporate and philanthropic partners, and most importantly diverse students and faculty is undeniable. Throughout his career, he has delivered extraordinary innovation with broad impact and has demonstrated a deep commitment to higher education as a mechanism for creating access and economic mobility,” said Michael P. Galvin (LAW ’78), chairman of the Illinois Tech Board of Trustees. “Raj’s authentic connection with Illinois Tech’s founding mission to empower students from all backgrounds and points of view to drive a more just and sustainable world through technology made him the perfect candidate for Illinois Tech’s next president.”

At Northeastern, Echambadi created the Office of Student Engagement, Affinity, and Inclusion and helped to launch its Building Belonging Fellows, Pathfinders, and Peer Affinity Cohorts to empower students from diverse backgrounds to utilize entrepreneurial skills to become change makers, while cultivating a more supportive and inclusive on-campus experience for all students.

“As Illinois Tech continues to further its reputation as a vital driver of innovation and economic impact in Chicago and beyond, I know that Raj’s ability to inspire an entrepreneurial mindset in all of our students will help further elevate Illinois Tech as Chicago’s premier technology-focused university,” said Alan W. Cramb, Illinois Tech president. “While I am proud of the progress we have made toward meeting our mission of creating a more vibrant and inclusive technology ecosystem, I know that under Raj’s leadership, Illinois Tech’s future is in very capable hands.”

About Illinois Institute of Technology

Illinois Institute of Technology, also known as Illinois Tech, is a private, technology-focused research university. Illinois Tech is the only university of its kind in Chicago, and its Chicago location offers students access to the world-class resources of a great global metropolis. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, science, architecture, business, design, human sciences, applied technology, and law. One of 22 institutions that comprise the Association of Independent Technological Universities, Illinois Tech provides an exceptional education centered on active learning, and its graduates lead the state and much of the nation in economic prosperity. Illinois Tech uniquely prepares students to succeed in professions that require technological sophistication, an innovative mindset, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Visit iit.edu.

Media contact

Jake DiGregorio
Communications Director
Illinois Institute of Technology
Phone: 508.414.8853
jdigregorio@iit.edu