Raghuraman Thulasi Kumar is joining George Mason University as associate provost for Institutional Research and Assessment.
Kumar will be in charge of providing strategic analytical support to help shape Mason’s long-term institutional policies and programs that deal with resource allocation, new program development, student success, benchmarking and institutional effectiveness to further Mason’s strategic goals.
“George Mason is a uniquely progressive institution that does not shy away from meeting the emerging challenges in higher education,” Kumar said. “This truly reflects in its academic offerings, research agenda and the diverse population it serves. I am excited to join the Mason family and hope to align the decision support systems to meet Mason’s future priorities and strategic vision as well as provide analytical support for enrollment management.”
Prior to joining Mason, Kumar was the assistant vice provost for Institutional Research and Effectiveness at the University of Connecticut where he focused on institutional analytics, assessment, effectiveness and data warehousing. Before the University of Connecticut, he directed the Institutional Research and Assessment teams at Missouri University of Science and Technology and University of Northern Iowa.
Kumar received his bachelor of technology in civil engineering from Sri Venkateswara University in Andhra Pradesh, India; his master of engineering in civil engineering from Anna University in Madras, India; and his PhD in urban affairs and public policy from the University of Delaware. His research interests include policy analysis, program evaluation, public administration, energy and environmental policy, research design and statistical methods.
His first day at Mason is Monday, Feb. 15.