PRINCETON, NJ (TIP): Sanjeev Kulkarni, dean of the Princeton University Graduate School and a professor of electrical engineering, has been appointed dean of the faculty effective July 1.

“Sanj Kulkarni has served with distinction as dean of the Graduate School, and I am delighted that he has agreed to take on this new role,” President Christopher L. Eisgrube said. “His own interdisciplinary research, his wide-ranging service to the University and his leadership of the Graduate School have given him a deep appreciation for the values shared throughout our University and the scholarly practices that distinguish our departments. Sanj is a wise counselor and an effective administrator who is dedicated to ensuring our faculty’s quality and well-being. I am confident that he will be an excellent dean of the faculty,” Eisgruber said.

Kulkarni, who became dean of the Graduate School in April 2014, is an associated faculty member in the Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering (ORFE) and in the Department of Philosophy.

“Faculty are the foundation of any great university, and it will be a pleasure and an honor to work with and support Princeton’s outstanding faculty. I look forward to working with scholars, teachers, and researchers across the full range of academic departments and programs at the University,” Kulkarni said.

As dean of the Graduate School, Kulkarni led the strategic planning Task Force on the Future of the Graduate School, implemented a sixth-year funding program for graduate students in the humanities and social sciences, and with the dean for research implemented tuition matching funds for faculty who support fourth- and fifth-year graduate students on sponsored research.

Under Kulkarni’s leadership, the Graduate School created an assistant dean position for professional development and developed a number of new programs including the University Administrative Fellows, opportunities for collaborative teaching between Princeton faculty and graduate students, and a partnership with Mercer County Community College to provide teaching opportunities and mentorship for Princeton graduate students.