Dr. Renu Khator is president of the University of Houston and chancellor of the UH System, overseeing an organization that serves more than 61,000 students, has an annual budget that exceeds $1.25 billion, and generates a $3 billion impact on the Greater Houston area’s economy each year.
During her tenure, the University of Houston has experienced record-breaking research funding and private support. In 2009, UH brought in $110 million in research awards and began construction of its 75-acre Energy Research Park; the Cougar football team ranked in the Top 25; and a pathway to Tier-One status was created by the state legislature and approved by the voters of Texas.
Dr. Khator, who was born in Uttar Pradesh, India, recently joined some of the world’s most respected leaders when she was named to the Indian Prime Minister’s Global Advisory Council. She serves on many local, state and international boards, including the Greater Houston Partnership, the Houston Technology Center, the Texas Medical Center Policy Council and the Business-Higher Education Forum Board of Directors.
A noted scholar in the field of global environmental policy, she has published numerous books and articles on this subject.
The first Indian immigrant to head a comprehensive public research university in the United States, Khator was appointed in January 2008.