About Provost Prabu David
Prabu David
Dr. Prabu David is Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Rochester Institute of Technology. As provost, he serves as the chief academic officer overseeing 11 colleges and 5 international campuses. Among other responsibilities, his office handles curriculum development and assessment, student retention and success initiatives, faculty and staff recruitment and retention, academic support programs, academic affairs, and faculty affairs.
His top leadership priority is to nurture a strong sense of community and belonging in the workplace that leads to the success of students, staff and faculty. In addition, he has advanced a new budget model and highlighted the role of AI as a critical component of the academic mission of the university.
His current research is aimed at developing human-centered AI that is ethical and trustworthy. His recent publications examine acceptance of facial recognition technology, algorithmic bias, AI governance, and privacy.
Previously, he was dean of the College of Communication at Michigan State University, where he expanded their research portfolio, implemented curriculum innovations, improved faculty and student success, advanced DEI initiatives, and led the college to a top 10 international ranking in QS and top 3 position in Shanghai ranking.
His other experiences include serving as associate dean of the Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University and as Director of Undergraduate Studies at the School of Communication at Ohio State University.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from Loyola College in Chennai, India, a master’s degree in journalism from Ohio University and Ph.D. in Mass Communication from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His interests include walking, hiking, bicycling, and dabbling in design projects.
If you’d like to invite the provost to attend or speak at your event, please contact Office of the Provost Communications Manager Stefania L. Palozzi, at slpdfp@rit.edu.