Latha Ramchand

Dr. Latha Ramchand was named inaugural chancellor of IU Indianapolis and executive vice president of Indiana University effective February 12, 2024. In addition to her executive leadership role, Chancellor Ramchand serves on the Indianapolis faculty of the Kelley School of Business as a professor of finance. Chancellor Ramchand joined the campus at a pivotal time in its history, bringing the energy and vision to launch IU Indianapolis as one of the nation’s premier urban research universities.

She came to IU Indianapolis following her successful tenure as provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Missouri (MU), a role she held since 2018. At MU, she focused on student success, overseeing efforts that led to an increase in student retention and graduation rates, undergraduate research, and enhancements to the Honors College. She also launched the rollout of a new resource allocation model for MU and led the implementation of MU’s strategic plan, which strengthened the research enterprise.

Before that, she was dean of the C. T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston (UH) since 2011. She joined UH in 1993 and rose through the ranks, serving as associate dean and then dean. During her tenure as dean, Ramchand drew on her faculty and administrative experience to increase enrollment, improve retention and graduation rates, double the research budget, and raise more than $73 million, including securing gifts to name three endowed Centers of Excellence.

Throughout her career, Chancellor Ramchand has been firmly committed to supporting student success, creating partnerships on campus and with the community, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. At MU, for instance, she increased the number of academic advisors and reorganized key student-facing areas to better serve students and enhance faculty participation. At UH, she strengthened and leveraged industry and community partnerships to create opportunities in executive education and social entrepreneurship. At both places, she oversaw programs designed to promote student access and inclusion, boost scholarships and financial aid, and connect with supportive industry leaders and community partners. In these prior roles, she also developed ways to highlight mission-based goals, including a focus on instruction and engaged learning, community engagement, and inclusive and operational excellence. At MU, her work led to the incorporation of these goals into annual performance reviews for all campus leaders, making strategic goals a shared responsibility.

Ramchand has been recognized for her leadership, scholarship, and outstanding teaching over her career. In addition, the Mayor of Houston and the Houston City Council honored her with a UH Faculty Excellence Proclamation in 1995. She was named among Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women of 2015 by Houston Woman Magazine and was voted an Outstanding Woman in Business by the Leadera Group in 2016.

Ramchand received her doctorate in finance from Northwestern University and her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in economics from the University of Bombay. An expert on international and corporate finance, she has also focused her academic career on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and leadership. Ramchand has published extensively and has presented her work at national and international conferences. She is a chartered financial analyst and has served on a variety of advisory boards, including the National Small Business Development Center Advisory Board, the Center for Financial Planning (CFP) Board of Directors for the CFP Board of Standards, and the Beta Gamma Sigma Board of Governors.

Ramchand and her husband, Ram, have two children and two grandchildren.