“Leadership is not displayed by title or designation but rather, leadership is demonstrated through impact and transformation of organization and people’s lives”

– Magesh T. Rajan

IMPACT

Faculty Success

Throughout my higher education leadership, I have equipped faculty with the most current and innovative resources to advance their teaching, research, and professional experiences. Having raised through the faculty ranks, I am fully aware of the needs and challenges of faculty’s competing priorities. In a dynamic environment that places numerous competing demands on their time, faculty need support to be successful in today’s academy. Support should be threaded not only throughout the core functions of teaching and research, but it should also be available to help all faculty, regardless of track, progressively build leadership skills as they seek to advance their careers.
  • Launched a new initiative and provided funding support for over 100 faculty through a new VPRI – GRA Grant Program.
  • Recognized research faculty for the university awards for excellence in various categories.
  • Supported over 250 funding pursuits across 16 funding agencies impacting 84 faculty impacting $17M.
  • Chaired numerous faculty recruiting at all ranks and mentored through their promotion and tenure success.
  • Raised funding and created the new Office of Research Advancement to support faculty to lead significant multi-disciplinary multi-institutional funding proposals. Created a database of research capabilities and research clusters for over 250 faculty across 8 Colleges.
  • Established research partnerships for faculty research with national agencies, labs, and major industries such as the US Army, US Navy, Sandia, LANL, NASA, Apple, IBM, Intel, and numerous mid and small-scale companies.
  • Launched and supported over 110 faculty through a new VPRI – Undergraduate Research Grant Program.
  • Initiated a bi-weekly Research Data Blitz talk for researchers to promote interdisciplinary research across campus.

  • Launched numerous grant-writing workshops, trained and impacted 200+ faculty researchers.

  • Initiated a semester-long Junior Faculty – Grant Writing Training program for new faculty cohorts.

  • Active participation in recruiting and retention of high-performing faculty across campus.

  • Partnered with Center for the Advancement of STEM Leadership – CASL for faculty leadership training.

  • In 2 years, the overall department faculty graduate research proposals increased by 320% and the extramural funded research increased by 280% and grown annual research expenditures.

  • Developed graduate research faculty emphasis with reduced teaching (1//2 course) load.

  • Mentored and supported faculty to network and visit with federal programs and labs, grantsmanship training for faculty, including educational program funding for instructional faculty.

  • Initiated multiple industry-funded research projects for the department faculty.

  • Increased by 150% in the faculty body with a high graduate research emphasis.

Staff Success

Administrative staff play a critical role in the success of a university. In the current times, students and faculty have incredibly high expectations around efficiency, service and quality, all of which are impacted greatly by front-line and back-end staff. However, the work of delivering a great experience to these staff-who have such a direct impact on student and faculty satisfaction-tends to get overlooked when exploring how best to serve faculty and students’ needs. Besides overseeing faculty, I have led large staff teams towards excellence while nurturing a healthy working environment.

  • Recruited, trained, and supervised numerous (over 80 FTEs) full-time administrative staff and leaders such as various administrators, research scientists, managers, directors, assistant/associate vice presidents, etc.

  • Significantly invested in staff development through training, mentoring, and nurturing a progressive growth mindset.

  • Supported staff members on work-life balance and flexible working hours.

  • Improved morale and built a cohesive, and productive team of faculty and staff, effectively resolved conflicts to achieve the best outcome for the organization, and recognized outstanding performers with awards.

  • Provided funding for each staff professional development, created a STAR Staff Award Program and recognized outstanding staff boosting morale.

  • Integrated “One-Team Culture” which improved departmental communication, collaboration, and efficiency.

  • Created a monthly staff social for staff to take break from regular work and involve in recreational team building and professional building activities.

Student Success

The students of today are the leaders of tomorrow, and educators are that critical point that makes students ready for their future. Student Success is firmly rooted a top priority of my leadership practice. As a higher education leader, the student success is not only focused on academic performance and progress toward graduation but a holistic sense of fulfillment. Educators give students the purpose, prepare them for success as citizens of our world, and inspire in them a drive to do well and succeed in profession and life.

  • Created and served as the faculty advisor for the ASME student chapter and received national recognition. Provided opportunities for students to participate in STEM projects, research, and professional activities that significantly helped student retention and demonstrates my commitment to student learning and success.

  • Launched the 1st International Conference on Undergraduate Research Excellence (I-CURE)

  • Supported with over $1,000,000 in funding to revive and sustain the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR).

  • Doubled UG Research funding, which led to a 105% increase in UG research scholars & faculty mentors.

  • Supported 300+ undergraduate research scholars for diverse research and innovation experiences

 

  • Supported over 100 graduate student’s tuition and/or salaries through a new VPRI – GRA Program
    1. Created a faculty-led Internship/Co-op program and achieved a 98% placement record consistently.
    2. Developed and implemented a structured and closed-loop academic advising process using the Starfish system.Created a survey to assess and improve the quality of academic advising.
    3. Created a Student Success Seminar Series for students to learn college survival skills, study skills, and develop leadership skills through expert speaker series.
    4. Created a Freshmen Social Program and Freshmen Practicum program to build bonding among freshmen students and to engage more with departmental laboratories and hands-on projects.
    5. Created an innovation-Lab for students to engage in outside classroom learning and engagement.
    6. Mentored and coached students to present in conferences, symposiums, and competitions, and offered events that promoted student participation and engagement.

Community & Regional Prosperity

I have deep passion and drive to have a broader impact of the university on the prosperity of the community and the region surrounding the institution. I have demonstrated a substantive, sustainable, and institution-wide commitment to and strategy for regional economic engagement, growth, and economic prosperity.
  • Inducted to the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities — APLU 2020-2021 Innovation & Economic Prosperity (IEP) cohort for a prestigious national recognition and standing.
  • Leading a 50 acre $100 Million innovation corridor design and development for regional economic development.
  • Created Economic Development Advisory Board with leaders from government officials, industry, and investors in the community.
  • Established partnerships with ED organizations in four counties in the Greater Houston area for PVAMU’s economic impact of $766 million on the State of Texas with 5,300 jobs created and with a $3.9 Billion long-term impact.
  • Partnered with other nonprofit organizations such as the Rotary Club of Corpus Christi, Brooke’s Blossoming Hope for Childhood Cancer Foundation, Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History.

  • An integral part of establishing a multi-university South Texas Engineering Alliance (STEA) Consortium, and Chaired and established MOU agreement for engineering programs with Del Mar Community College in TX, and served as an advisory board member for community colleges’ engineering programs in South Texas.

  • Established partnerships with industries for research and educational collaborations including Driscoll Children’s Hospital System CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital System Pepsi Co. Corporate Office HEB, Water Street Restaurants.

  • Partnered with the community Small Business Innovation Center, CC Regional Economic Development Corporation, Coastal Bend Business Innovation Center, South Texas Economic Development Center, CC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Business Professionals of the Coastal Bend.