Indian American named provost of US varsity

Computer scientist Satish Tripathi, 53, has been named the new provost of Buffalo University in New York. Tripathi is a graduate of BHU.

An Indian American computer scientist has been named the new provost of Buffalo University (UB) in New York.

Satish Tripathi, 53, is credited with the rapid expansion of the engineering school at the University of California, Riverside.

He is currently the dean of Bourns College of Engineering at the Riverside campus and will take over as UB's chief academic officer July 1, according to a UB statement.

The provost is the number two official at a university, overseeing instruction, research and other day-to-day operations.

A native of India, Tripathi graduated at the top of his class from Benaras Hindu University in Uttar Pradesh. He holds two master's degrees in statistics -- from India and Canada -- and earned his master's and doctoral degrees in computer science at the University of Toronto.

Tripathi was a professor of computer science at the University of Maryland for 19 years, focusing his research on computer networks. He served as department chairman at the University.

He joined the University of California, Riverside in 1997.

Tripathi replaces Elizabeth D Capaldi, who took a job in administration with the State University of New York in January, according to a report in Buffalo News.