Creative Energy, Shared Vision
Eastern brings on board a ‘strong advocate’ to head its new graduate studies office.
This July, EWU will open its first Office of Graduate Studies and Research, a move that aims to grow graduate enrollment, promote more research funding, boost industry collaborations, and better position students to contribute to our region’s workforce needs.
Sushma Krishnamurthy, currently graduate dean at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, will serve as the office’s inaugural dean. At ULM, she manages a $3.6 million budget and oversees centralized graduate admissions, assistantships, degree certification and regulatory compliance. She will join Eastern’s faculty on July 1.
Krishnamurthy says her goals for the new office include advancing Eastern’s graduate programs while strengthening bonds between EWU’s campus researchers and the broader university community.
“I look forward to building a strong and vibrant Office of Graduate Studies & Research at EWU. This exciting work involves harnessing the creative energy and shared vision of the campus community to reach its aspirations,” she says. “From my campus visit, I immediately gathered that the aspirations are many — developing new degree programs, grant support, professional development and services for students. I am ready to meet all the stakeholders and begin my work.”
Lorenzo Smith, provost and vice president for academic affairs at EWU, said Krishnamurthy will be “a strong advocate for workforce-aligned graduate education” and that her leadership will promote “innovative curricula, graduate policy, international partnerships and sustained graduate-student success.”
Smith went on to highlight Krishnamurthy’s many accomplishments in her current position, including her proven track record of success as a graduate dean. Under her leadership, graduate enrollment at ULM more than doubled. She also implemented a strategic plan for its graduate school, and strengthened its academic quality and compliance.
In addition, Krishnamurthy is a noted biological sciences researcher who, with over 30 years of experience in aquatic-systems studies, has contributed important findings related to heavy-metal pollution. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Bangalore University/St. Joseph’s College, and earned both master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
“She is a respected leader, and we know EWU will be better with her as part of our team,” Smith says.
