(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — March 28, 2024) Hitesh Rai Kathuria, Ph.D. will join Empire State University as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs on Monday, April 15, 2024.

Currently, Kathuria serves as provost and senior vice president of academic and student affairs for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system, which includes four Connecticut state universities, one community college with 12 locations, and an online state college. At CSCU, he oversees the academic and student affairs portfolio.

A provost, Kathuria will be responsible for supporting faculty and staff to advance the university’s commitment to high-quality, accessible education in the state, region, and world. As provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, he will champion SUNY Empire's distinctive academic mission and support the faculty and staff who are instrumental in fulfilling that mission. Kathuria will also lead strategic plan implementation efforts within the Office of Academic Affairs, support initiatives to improve retention and graduation rates, and recruit, retain, and develop a diverse academic workforce.

Kathuria earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology and was a postdoctoral research fellow in the biochemistry department at Purdue University and at the Cancer Research Institute at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis.