Dr. Sanjay Rai is a higher education champion with more than 30 years of experience in faculty and leadership positions at a community college, liberal arts university, and state supported institution. He is recognized for his work globally as a faculty member, scholar, and leader.

His work has resulted in greater access, student success, and closing achievement gaps.  He led the development of partnerships with K-12 along with business and industry, resulting in the creation of early college and new academic and training programs serving Cyber, Biotech, Information Technology, and Data Sciences. His work in this field also resulted in securing $25 million dollars in competitive grants to address the high-tech needs in the region and the state.

He has numerous publications including scholarly articles and his most recent book, “Basic Insights in Vector Calculus” published in 2020. He has been honored with numerous awards throughout his career, including Chief Academic Officer of the Year, Leadership Montgomery Outstanding Leader Award, and Excellence in Teaching Award.

Dr. Rai’s education includes degrees from India, Canada, and the United States, earning a doctorate in mathematics from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.​