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Lakshmi Reddi named UNLV provost
The higher education leader will become the university’s chief academic officer on June 1.
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Anushka Pathak - Fri, 13, Mar 2026
- 14:28 EDT
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Lakshmi N. Reddi / Courtesy: UNLV
Indian-American academic leader Lakshmi N. Reddi has been appointed executive vice president and provost of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, effective June 1.
Reddi currently serves as interim provost at New Mexico State University (NMSU), a position he assumed after eight years as dean of the university’s College of Engineering.
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As provost, Reddi will serve as UNLV’s chief academic officer, overseeing academic priorities, policies, and budgets while working with university leadership, community partners, and industry stakeholders to advance initiatives supporting students, faculty, and staff.
UNLV interim president Chris Heavey announced the selection following a national search. Citing Reddi’s experience in faculty and administrative roles across large public R1 and land-grant institutions. He noted Reddi’s understanding of the role public universities play in advancing academic programs and research missions, as well as his focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and industry engagement.
Reddi said he is looking forward to taking on the role at UNLV and contributing to the university’s academic priorities. “I am excited about this opportunity to serve UNLV as its next executive vice president and provost,” Reddi said, describing the current higher education environment as complex.
He also praised the university’s faculty and staff for their commitment to access and excellence, adding that he hopes to help elevate UNLV as a leading national public research university.
Reddi brings more than 25 years of leadership in higher education. At New Mexico State University, he served as dean of engineering from 2016 before becoming interim provost about two years ago, where he helped lead strategic planning, student success initiatives, and partnerships aimed at expanding research and innovation.
Before joining NMSU, Reddi served as dean of the University Graduate School at Florida International University for five years and held a professorship in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Earlier in his career, he served as department head in civil engineering at both the University of Central Florida and Kansas State University, where he spent 15 years and advanced through the academic ranks after beginning as an assistant professor.
A researcher in geoenvironmental engineering, Reddi has secured more than US $25 million in external funding from organizations including the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Federal Highway Administration. He has authored more than 120 technical publications.
Reddi is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His recognitions include the Engineering Research Excellence Award and the Presidential Award for Outstanding Department Head at Kansas State University.
A first-generation college student, Reddi earned a bachelor of technology in civil engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in India in 1982. He later completed a master of science in civil engineering in 1984 and a Ph.D. in civil engineering in 1988, both from The Ohio State University.
His appointment comes as UNLV seeks to strengthen its position as a leading public research institution and expand interdisciplinary collaboration across academic programs.
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