Leadership Announcement

Dear Emory Community,

I write to announce that Dr. Ravi Bellamkonda will leave Emory at the conclusion of this fall semester to become the next executive vice president and provost of The Ohio State University. Ravi has been a tremendous partner to me and many others during his time as Emory’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. He has made important contributions to our university for which I am deeply grateful, and his thoughtful, warm presence on our campuses will be missed.

Provost Bellamkonda was involved in recruiting seven of the nine deans who are leading Emory’s colleges and schools. He built a strong team of vice provosts, and he also hired leaders of the Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory Center for Ethics, Emory Empathetic AI for Health Institute, Center for AI Learning, Center for Public Scholarship and Engagement, Emory College Pathways Center, and Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry. Across all corners of the university, there are talented academic leaders who are here because of Provost Bellamkonda’s vision for Emory and his dedication to our mission.

In close collaboration with the leadership of Emory Campus Life, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Oxford College, Goizueta Business School, and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Provost Bellamkonda created the Student Flourishing initiative. This signature program has shaped our offerings in and out of the classroom, embedding a focus on purpose and well-being into all aspects of the student experience, and it will continue to grow.

Provost Bellamkonda also launched AI.Humanity, which has brought 47 new faculty members with expertise in artificial intelligence to Emory. This interdisciplinary hiring program positions Emory scholars to both unlock the extraordinary potential of AI and address the many ethical, philosophical, and practical challenges it presents. Provost Bellamkonda has put Emory on a course to shape the future of AI in a way that only our university can.

I have worked closely with Provost Bellamkonda for more than three years, and I know how much he cares about the students, faculty, and staff at Emory. His new role at Ohio State gives him the opportunity to bring his experience to a flagship public research university while making a return to the state of Ohio — where he began his academic career.

I will soon announce an interim provost for the spring semester and will provide further details about a search process for Emory’s next provost. This is a crucial role for the university, and I look forward to recruiting an extraordinary leader to build on Provost Bellamkonda’s success.

Sincerely,

Gregory L. Fenves
President