NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Cambridge, MA, June 18, 2025: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has announced the appointment of Professor Anantha P. Chandrakasan as its next provost, effective July 1, 2025. The Chennai-born academic becomes the first Indian-American to assume this top leadership role at the prestigious institution.
As provost, Chandrakasan will oversee MIT’s academic mission, including research, education, and long-term planning. He succeeds Cynthia Barnhart, who held the position since 2014 and will return to research and teaching.
Currently the dean of MIT’s School of Engineering, Chandrakasan also holds the title of Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Since taking over as dean in 2017, he has led the school through several major initiatives, including the creation of the MIT Climate & Sustainability Consortium, the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, and the AI Hardware Program. He also serves as MIT’s Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer.
Born in Chennai, Chandrakasan moved to the United States during his high school years. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering and computer sciences from the University of California, Berkeley. He joined the MIT faculty in 1994 and went on to serve as director of the Microsystems Technology Laboratories and later as head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
As a researcher, Chandrakasan is widely recognized for his work on energy-efficient electronics, including low-power circuits for mobile devices, biomedical applications, and the Internet of Things. He has authored over 500 papers and holds numerous patents.
His contributions to engineering and education have earned him several honors, including election to the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also a fellow of both the IEEE and the ACM.
In a statement, MIT President Sally Kornbluth praised Chandrakasan for his “strategic leadership, deep commitment to excellence, and ability to bring people together to solve complex problems.”
Responding to the announcement, Chandrakasan said he was “deeply honored” by the appointment and looked forward to shaping MIT’s academic future. “I am excited to support our faculty, students, and staff as we take on society’s most pressing challenges,” he said.
Chandrakasan’s appointment marks a significant milestone for MIT and the broader academic community, highlighting the increasing diversity in leadership at top-tier American universities.
