Bloomington, Ind. — Indiana University Bloomington has named Ramesh Venkataraman, a longtime faculty leader at the Kelley School of Business, as the next dean of the Edward L. Hutton Honors College, effective July 1. He succeeds Rebecca Spang, who has served as interim dean since April 2023.
As dean, Venkataraman will serve as the chief academic and administrative officer for the Hutton Honors College (HHC), reporting to the provost and executive vice chancellor. He will oversee strategic direction, student engagement, faculty recruitment, budget management and cross-campus partnerships aimed at expanding academic excellence and opportunity for IU’s most motivated students.
“Dr. Venkataraman has long exemplified Indiana University’s mission to provide transformative educational experiences that position students to thrive,” said David Reingold, IU Bloomington chancellor and executive vice president. “His leadership will ensure that the Hutton Honors College continues to expand opportunity, nurture innovation, and prepare the next generation of thinkers and leaders who will make meaningful contributions in their communities, across Indiana, and around the world.”
Venkataraman brings more than 25 years of experience in higher education to the role, including a distinguished record of academic innovation, administrative leadership and a deep commitment to student success. He currently serves as a professor in the Department of Operations and Decision Technologies and has held several high-impact leadership roles within the Kelley School, including associate dean of information and instructional technologies; chair of the Kelley Direct program; chair of the undergraduate program; and chair of the Master of Science in Information Systems program.
“Dr. Venkataraman’s leadership will be pivotal in advancing the Hutton Honors College’s academic excellence and expanding high-impact opportunities for our most accomplished students,” said Rahul Shrivastav, IU Bloomington provost and executive vice chancellor. “We’re thrilled to welcome him to the campus leadership team and look forward to building on the Honors College’s success through a more dynamic curriculum, increased global and research engagement, and stronger interdisciplinary connections.”
During his time in senior leadership roles at the Kelley School, Venkataraman led nationally recognized curricular reforms, most notably in Kelley Direct, which was named the MBA Program of the Year by Poets & Quants in 2021. He expanded enrollment, improved student quality, and introduced new global and experiential opportunities. As chair of the undergraduate program, he guided one of the nation’s top-ranked business programs to a #4 national ranking by Bloomberg Businessweek and oversaw major academic innovations. He also transformed the Master of Science in Information Systems program into a leading graduate program with consistently high placement rates.
“I am honored to join the Hutton Honors College in this leadership role,” said Venkataraman. “Together with our students, faculty, staff, and alumni, I look forward to advancing a bold and innovative vision for honors education—one that deepens academic excellence, fosters discovery, and connects learning with the world.”
In addition to his administrative leadership, Venkataraman is an accomplished scholar whose research spans database design, information systems education, mobile applications and software engineering. His work has been published in leading journals such as MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, and Journal of Database Management. He is also co-author of the widely used textbook Modern Database Management.
Venkataraman holds a doctorate in business administration with a focus on management information systems from the University of Arizona, a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Iowa, and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the Birla Institute of Technology in India. He has received numerous accolades for teaching and leadership, including the John R. Gibbs Professorship and multiple faculty fellowships.
The Edward L. Hutton Honors College is home to more than 5,000 high-achieving undergraduates from across IU Bloomington’s 17 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. Known for fostering a vibrant community dedicated to academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, and interdisciplinary collaboration, the HHC offers enriched academic experiences, innovative coursework, undergraduate research funding, global learning opportunities, and a vibrant honors student community.