Dear Colleagues,
I am excited to announce the appointment of Lakshmi N. Reddi, Ph.D., as UNLV’s next Executive Vice President and Provost, effective June 1, 2026.
Dr. Reddi will lead UNLV’s strategic academic initiatives and support and inspire our students and faculty in their ongoing commitment to success and excellence. He has a long history and understanding of the importance of shared governance in higher education, and I have great confidence in his ability to handle the substantial responsibilities of leading the academic side of our growing R1 institution. I know he also values the importance of diversity in culture, community, and education, all fundamental tenets of UNLV.
Dr. Reddi’s administrative background is both vast and impressive. He has more than 25 years of leadership experience within large urban R1 and land-grant R1 universities, including Florida International University, the University of Central Florida, Kansas State University, and most recently at New Mexico State University where he served as interim provost for the past two years following eight years as the dean of their college of engineering.
In these roles, Dr. Reddi has actively led or substantially contributed to numerous academic and research-focused initiatives. This includes crafting internal and institution-wide strategic plans, developing high-impact learning practices to increase student enrollment and retention, and engaging with community and industry to develop and fund workforce-aligned degree programs.
While at Florida International University, where Dr. Reddi served as dean of the graduate school, he created the Academy of Graduates for Integrative Learning Experiences (AGILE) – an award-winning program focused on helping graduate students develop professional skills that mix with their intellectual and research skills.
Supporting and growing research in higher education has been a key part of his leadership vision throughout his career. A highly accomplished researcher himself, Dr. Reddi has secured more than $25 million in grant funding for his work, and he’s led units that have achieved sustainable growth in research and innovation. Through both his research and teaching, he has demonstrated the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration – promoting synergy between STEM and non-STEM disciplines, university and industry partners, and always with an eye toward developing curricular and workforce opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students.
I want to thank Boyd School of Law dean Leah Chan Grinvald and the entire search committee for their tireless efforts throughout the process, including their deep commitment to campus engagement. They presented our campus with four excellent, well-qualified candidates for the role, and I commend them for their work. Thank you to everyone who participated in the search process and submitted feedback. Your thoughts and advice played an important role and helped me make this decision.
I’d also like to recognize Kate Hausbeck Korgan and Barb Roberts. For the past year, Kate and Barb have selflessly and energetically advanced the important work of the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost – Kate as the acting executive vice president and provost and Barb as senior vice provost for academic affairs in Kate’s stead. I am incredibly grateful for their steady leadership during this period of change, as their work and coordination ensured that our university kept moving forward with positive momentum. Both will remain important leaders of their respective areas going forward.
Please join me in thanking Kate and Barb, and in welcoming Lakshmi Reddi to UNLV. I hope you will introduce yourself to him as he gets to know our university this spring and takes on this critical new role in a few short months!
Warm wishes,
Chris Heavey
UNLV Interim President