As Penn State’s president, I serve the University’s modern land-grant mission of teaching, research, and public service across the commonwealth and the online Penn State World Campus. I have built a 30-year-career in higher education and business bolstered by my purpose-driven, people-first leadership style. I am committed to student success, academic excellence, and creating opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to thrive. Even as a child, I have always valued education. For my family, like so many others, education is so much more than a degree—it’s a pathway to a better life. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to help every Penn State student succeed academically, begin a meaningful career, and benefit their family and community. After earning my bachelor’s degree and MBA from Andhra University in India, I came to the U.S. to pursue my doctorate in marketing from the University of Kansas (KU). I launched my teaching career and am proud to have earned national and university recognition for my contributions in the classroom. Prior to coming to Penn State, I was president of the University of Louisville. I have also served as provost and executive vice chancellor at KU, dean of the School of Business at KU, and as founding director of the Initiative for Managing Services at The Ohio State University. My research—focused on how organizations can best serve their customers—has appeared in Harvard Business Review, Journal of Academic Medicine and Journal of Marketing, among other publications. With a background in customer loyalty and consumer behavior, I have consulted some of the world’s largest companies and organizations—from Proctor & Gamble to the U.S. Army—and became the executive vice president and chief customer officer for Huntington National Bank.