Jayathi Y. Murthy

Indian-born eminent educator Jayathi Y. Murthy became the 16th President of Oregon State University (OSU) in September 2022.

She is the first woman of colour to lead Oregon State, a university renowned worldwide for excellent teaching and student services, cutting-edge research and facilities, particularly in the fields of AI, robotics,  advanced technology, climate and ocean sciences, agriculture and forestry. 

Professor Murthy is a leader in higher education engineering teaching, research, and service. She is widely recognised as a champion for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion and has made it her top priority at OSU. “Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion is a deeply held conviction of mine and is central to my work as an educator and administrator,” she says. “As an engineer, I have often been the only woman in the room since I was 16.” 

"The power of women to be the drivers of change inspires me the most. Study after study and years of experience have shown that when women are empowered and when they achieve economic and political power, they benefit not only themselves and their immediate families but also their communities. Education, particularly higher education, is key to the empowerment of women. This Is why I am so committed to providing pathways to excellent higher education and employment for women."

Prof Murthy has had many accomplishments in her illustrious career. She served as the first woman dean of UCLA’s school of engineering and as chair of the mechanical engineering department at the University of Texas at Austin. She received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Washington State University, and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota.

As a professor and researcher, she has authored over 330 technical publications, and her research interests comprise nanoscale heat transfer, computational fluid dynamics, and simulations of fluid flow and heat transfer for industrial applications.