One year later, Ramanan Raghavendran reflects on experience as Chair of the Penn Board of Trustees

One year after being appointed as chair of the Penn Board of Trustees, Ramanan Raghavendran reflected on higher education, service-based leadership, and AI. 

Raghavendran — 1989 Engineering and Wharton graduate, and 2015 College of Liberal and Professional Studies graduate — was the chair of the board of advisors for the School of Arts and Sciences when he assumed the position of Penn’s board chair in January 2024 following Scott Bok’s resignation. He became the first person of color to chair the University’s Board of Trustees. 

Prior to becoming board chair, Raghavendran oversaw the selection process for Penn’s next president. One year later, he is working to find ways to communicate the importance of higher education for American leadership in the world. 

In an interview with Penn Today, Raghavendran stressed that he took on the role because he "really care[s]."

“I care not just because I am a proud Penn alumnus; I care because there is plenty of evidence that universities like Penn are central to American greatness," Raghavendran said. 

He added that he even carries around the Penn values statement in his pocket and will "whip the card out" at Penn events.

Raghavendran also spoke on the scrutiny Penn has faced this past year, emphasizing that Penn is a “scholarly community” that fosters excellence and discovery, rather than a place of “elitism.”

“I don’t see it that way at all,” Raghavendran said. “When I arrived at Penn 40 years ago with two suitcases and not much else, I wasn’t anyone’s idea of ‘elite.’ There are students on campus now from humble backgrounds who, 20 years hence, will shape politics, business, the nonprofit world, and more.”

He went on to highlight the changes Penn’s campus has seen over the past year as ways of advancing our excellence such as the openings of Amy Gutmann Hall, Vagelos Laboratory, and Ott Center for Track & Field.

He also referenced Interim President Jameson’s work within the University, such as the Temporary Standards for campus events and demonstrations and the faculty-led review of the Open Expression Guidelines — both created in response to the protests following the October 2023 attacks between Israel and Palestine. 

With regard to his personal leadership style, Raghavendran expanded on his definition of service-based leadership, arguing that a sense of service is "baked into the word" Trustees itself.

"We hold Penn in trust," he said. "We’re here to serve Penn and, through it, society. And I should mention we don’t get paid for this work — I keep getting that question!"

When looking ahead, Raghavendran is looking most forward to supporting President Jameson and his team in all they have planned.

“Our task is to navigate this landscape steadily and with a clear moral compass,” Raghavendran said. “We will not make everyone happy, but we will continue moving Penn forward.”

In addition to being the chair for the Board of Trustees, Raghavendran is a managing partner at Amasia, a venture capital firm that specializes in sustainability and climate investments, the global coordinator for the Penn Alumni Ambassadors Program, and a member of the advisory board for the Center for the Advanced Study of India.