Lakshmi N. Reddi, Ph.D., serves as Executive Vice President and Provost at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). A nationally recognized higher education leader and accomplished engineering scholar, Reddi has more than three decades of experience advancing academic excellence, research growth, student success, interdisciplinary collaboration, and institutional innovation at major public research universities. Prior to joining UNLV, he served as interim provost and chief academic officer at New Mexico State University (NMSU), where he led university-wide strategic initiatives focused on enrollment growth, student retention, operational effectiveness, academic innovation, and cross-campus collaboration.

Prior to his appointment as interim provost, Reddi served for eight years as dean of the College of Engineering at NMSU. During his tenure, the college achieved record levels of research funding, expanded interdisciplinary academic and research initiatives, strengthened industry partnerships, and secured significant state and private investments, including support for the Aggie Innovation Space and a new engineering building. He also led the development of innovative student-centered initiatives, including the Eloy Torrez Family Engineering Learning Communities and the Ron Seidel Engineering Leadership Institute, which contributed to significant gains in student retention, persistence, and academic success.

Before joining NMSU, Reddi served for five years as dean of the University Graduate School at Florida International University, where he oversaw more than 100 graduate programs and helped establish nationally recognized initiatives that advanced graduate education, interdisciplinary collaboration, faculty research, and student success. Among these initiatives was the Academy of Graduates for Integrative Learning Experiences (AGILE), which received national recognition for innovation in graduate education. Earlier in his career, he held leadership positions at University of Central Florida and Kansas State University, serving as department chair, department head, research center director, and graduate program director. Enrollments reached record levels in the academic units he led at both institutions.

Across more than 25 years in academic leadership, Reddi has helped secure approximately $100 million in private, state, federal, and congressional funding to support academic programs, research initiatives, student success efforts, and institutional growth.

An internationally recognized scholar in civil and environmental engineering, Reddi has secured more than $25 million in external research funding from agencies including the National Science Foundation, NASA, EPA, FHWA, and the U.S. Department of Energy. His interdisciplinary research spans sustainability, biomimetics, environmental systems, infrastructure resilience, geo-environmental engineering, and engineering education. His research collaborations have brought together interdisciplinary teams of faculty and researchers across institutions worldwide, including partnerships in the U.S., Africa, Asia, and Europe. He has authored or edited nine books and more than 120 technical publications.

Reddi has received numerous honors for leadership, teaching, and research excellence, including election as a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. At Kansas State University, he received both the Engineering Research Excellence Award and the Presidential Award for Outstanding Department Head. He is also a two-time recipient of the James Robbins Teaching Award, a chapter honor member of Chi Epsilon, and an Eminent Engineer of Tau Beta Pi. His honors also include the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Ohio State University and the Engineering Leadership Excellence Award from the Engineering Societies of Central Florida.

Throughout his career, Reddi has been recognized for fostering collaborative partnerships, advancing student-centered innovation, strengthening research enterprises, and supporting the academic mission of public research universities. In addition to his academic and research achievements, Reddi has served on numerous national and regional boards, including the board of directors of the Florida Engineering Society, the GRE and TOEFL boards of directors at the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the New Mexico MESA board of directors, and the National Roundtable for DoD Basic Science Research.

Reddi earned his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from Ohio State University and his Bachelor of Technology degree in Civil Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University.