Govindaraju named VP for Institutes and Centers at Discovery Park District at Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Dan DeLaurentis, Purdue University’s executive vice president for research, has announced the appointment of Rao S. Govindaraju as vice president for Institutes and Centers at Discovery Park District at Purdue.

Govindaraju, who currently serves as the Bowen Engineering Head of Civil Engineering and the Christopher B. and Susan S. Burke Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering, will begin the role in January and report to DeLaurentis.

As vice president, Govindaraju will build upon the foundation of Discovery Park District’s one-of-a-kind research and educational facilities, fostering collaboration across disciplines and driving research that advances Purdue’s strategic priorities. He will forge greater coordination and productivity among the resident research facilities, advance incentive-based budget planning, and partner with center and institute directors to generate new revenue sources.

“Professor Govindaraju’s experience and vision will be instrumental in developing and advancing strategic partnerships that strengthen Purdue’s leadership and support key national initiatives,” DeLaurentis said. “We are proud to welcome him to this important role.”

Govindaraju has been a member of the Purdue faculty since 1997 and has led the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering since 2012. His primary areas of research include surface and subsurface hydrology, contaminant transport, watershed hydrology, and climatic influences. His work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Defense, and Department of Energy. He has earned numerous national and international awards as well as appointments to several high-level national committees.

Govindaraju holds a PhD from the University of California, Davis; a Master of Science from the University of Kentucky; and a Bachelor of Technology from Indian Institute of Technology, all in civil engineering.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.