Bangalore: Pradeep K. Khosla, the dean of Carnegie Mellon University's CMU) engineering college has been appointed as the 8th chancellor of University of California by Mark G. Yudof, UC president, reports Ishani Duttagupta.

After Soumitra Dutta, an IIT-ian from Delhi who is currently Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management, it is Khosla’s turn to be named to such a prominent post.

Khosla has been serving CMU as the dean for the last eight years and during his tenure he started curriculum reform, diversity efforts and organized multidisciplinary and multi-college research centres as well as international programmes. He has also extended an helping hand in the fund raising campaigns of the university such as for the establishment of a university wide energy institute (worth $100 million) and campaign for a 100,000 square foot College of Engineering building for biotech, energy and nanotechnology (worth $90 million).

"I feel fortunate, humbled and energised to have the opportunity to contribute to that excellence while embracing the challenges of integrating world-class research with an undergraduate educational experience that will remain accessible to all, regardless of family income’’, said Khosla in a statement.

Khosla holds a degree in electrical engineering from IIT Kharagpur and he completed his MS and Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering respectively from Carnegie Mellon.