Debasish Dutta

Dutta joined the University of Michigan as assistant professor of mechanical engineering in 1989 after completing his Ph.D. from Purdue University. He earned tenure and became Associate Professor in 1995 and was promoted to full professor in 2000. He was appointed director of the Program in Manufacturing and the founding director of InterPro, a unit established for interdisciplinary professional programs.{{Cite web |title=Michigan Engineering {{!}} Interdisciplinary Professional Programs {{!}} Overview |url=http://umich.edu/~bhlumrec/acad_unit/engin/degree_req/2006_2007/bulletin/students/bulletin/interpro/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808190131/http://umich.edu/~bhlumrec/acad_unit/engin/degree_req/2006_2007/bulletin/students/bulletin/interpro/index.html |archive-date=2018-08-08 |access-date=2018-09-06 |website=umich.edu}} In 2009, Dutta left University of Michigan to become Dean of the Graduate College at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

While at U Michigan, in 2004, Dutta was tapped by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to lead Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT), the flagship graduate education and research traineeship program at NSF. Later, he was appointed acting director of the Division of Graduate Education, overseeing several education programs across the foundation. Dutta also served as Senior Advisor in the directorate. While at NSF, he helped create new partnerships with the National Institutes of Health and the Office of Naval Research. NSF Director Arden Bement appointed him to the NSF's strategic planning committee where he chaired the Learning and Workforce Development group for the [https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/nsf0728/ Cyberinfrastructure Vision for the 21st Century].

Dutta served as Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate College from January 2009 until June 2014. He was responsible for facilitating and nurturing interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary connections, assuring integrity and quality of graduate programs, and providing essential graduate student services. In 2011, he chaired the steering committee for Stewarding Excellence at Illinois, an institution-wide program for cost control and organizational efficiency created in the face of falling state revenues.{{Cite web |last=Illinois |first=Inside |title=News Bureau {{!}} ILLINOIS |url=https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/210247 |access-date=2018-09-06 |website=news.illinois.edu |language=en-US}} He also chaired a campus-wide committee to assess doctoral education at Illinois including the size, quality, effectiveness, demand, and operational costs of individual doctoral programs.{{Cite web |title=AIDE History and Overview {{!}} The Graduate College at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |url=https://grad.illinois.edu/AIDE |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906090355/https://grad.illinois.edu/AIDE |archive-date=2018-09-06 |access-date=2018-09-06 |website=grad.illinois.edu |language=en}} At Illinois, he was Edward and Jane Marr Gutgsell Endowed Professor of Mechanical Science and Engineering.

Dutta served as a Scholar in Residence at the US National Academy of Engineering and completed two projects: The Lifelong Learning Imperative in Engineering study,{{Cite book |author=Debasish Dutta |url=https://www.nap.edu/catalog/13503/lifelong-learning-imperative-in-engineering-sustaining-american-competitiveness-in-the |title=Lifelong Learning Imperative in Engineering: Sustaining American Competitiveness in the 21st Century |author2=Lalit Patil |author3=James B. Porter, Jr. |publisher=The National Academies Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-309-26443-3 |location=Washington D.C. |pages= |doi=10.17226/13503}} completed and published in 2012, and the Educate to Innovate study,{{Cite book |author=Arden Bement, Jr. |url=https://www.nap.edu/catalog/21698/educate-to-innovate-factors-that-influence-innovation-based-on-input |title=Educate to Innovate: Factors That Influence Innovation: Based on Input from Innovators and Stakeholders |author2=Debasish Dutta |author3=Lalit Patil |publisher=The National Academies Press |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-309-36879-7 |location=Washington, DC |pages= |doi=10.17226/21698}} completed and published in 2014.

Starting in July 2014, Dutta served as Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at Purdue University. In July 2015, he also assumed the role of Chief Diversity Officer for Purdue. His significant contributions to academic excellence, diversity and student success at Purdue were recognized by a Resolution of Appreciation adopted by the Purdue University Board of Trustees.{{Cite web|url=https://news.uns.purdue.edu/images/2017/dutta-resolution.pdf|title=RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION FOR DEBASISH "DEBA" DUTTA|date=16 June 2017|access-date=5 September 2018}}

When it was announced Dutta would leave Purdue for Rutgers in July 2017, Purdue President Mitch Daniels said of Dutta, "He has made an enormous and positive difference for Purdue and has proven himself an effective change agent in a sector where such people are scarce. Immensely talented leaders often attract the attention of others and so it is in this case."{{cite web |last1=Daniels |first1=Mitch |title=Message from President Daniels |url=https://www.purdue.edu/president/messages/170406-med-message-dutta.html |website=Purdue University Website |access-date=2018-09-10 |archive-date=2018-09-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911045128/https://www.purdue.edu/president/messages/170406-med-message-dutta.html |url-status=dead }}

Dutta was appointed chancellor of Rutgers University-New Brunswick in July [https://news.rutgers.edu/news-release/debasish-dutta-named-chancellor-rutgers-university-new-brunswick/20170406#.W3oZZNPwZ-V 2017]. Dutta led the largest Rutgers campus with over 40,000 students, 2,000 faculty, and 5,000 staff. The Faculty Council viewed him as "a model for how administrators should interact with faculty in shared governance relationships.” Dutta created a new administrative structure for the campus to bring focus and accountability to key functional areas. He oversaw the matriculation of the largest first-year class in history, the reversal of a three-year decline in research funding, and increased alumni engagement. Dutta worked extensively with state legislators and business and community leaders to create institutional momentum around student success, affordability, and academic excellence.

On July 25, 2018, Dutta announced his resignation as chancellor, citing misalignment with the University's vision for the chancellorship.{{Cite web |last=Carrera |first=Catherine |title=Rutgers-New Brunswick chancellor resigns after 'clash' with university |url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/education/2018/07/25/rutgers-new-brunswick-chancellor-resigns-after-clash/837151002/ |access-date=2023-09-17 |website=North Jersey Media Group |language=en-US}}

Dutta was appointed eighth chancellor of the University of Michigan-Flint in June 2019. He helped turn around eight consecutive years of enrollment decline, posting a 3% increase in fall 2023{{Cite web |last=King |first=Robb |date=2023-09-12 |title=UM-Flint enrollment on the rise, exceeds 6,100 students for fall 2023 |url=https://news.umflint.edu/2023/09/12/um-flint-enrollment-on-the-rise-exceeds-6100-students-for-fall-2023/ |access-date=2023-09-17 |website=UM-Flint NOW |language=en-US}} which was followed by a 6.5% increase in fall 2024.{{Cite web |last=King |first=Robb |date=2024-09-25 |title=UM-Flint enrollment continues to climb as more than 6,500 students arrive for fall 2024 |url=https://news.umflint.edu/2024/09/25/um-flint-enrollment-continues-to-climb-as-more-than-6500-students-arrive-for-fall-2024/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=UM-Flint NOW |language=en-US}} He guided UM-Flint through the pandemic while creating a new College of Innovation and Technology,{{Cite web |title=UM-Flint will create College of Innovation & Technology {{!}} The University Record |url=https://record.umich.edu/articles/um-flint-will-create-college-of-innovation-and-technology/ |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=record.umich.edu}} establishing the first regents-approved bylaws for shared governance,{{Cite web |title=Regents Roundup — October 2020 {{!}} The University Record |url=https://record.umich.edu/articles/regents-roundup-october-2020/ |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=record.umich.edu}} creating several named professorships for faculty, revitalizing and promoting faculty scholarship by creating three research institutes,{{Cite web |last=King |first=Robb |date=2023-06-06 |title=UM-Flint announces launch of Institute for Data Engineering, Analytics, and Science |url=https://news.umflint.edu/2023/06/06/um-flint-announces-launch-of-institute-for-data-engineering-analytics-and-science/ |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=UM-Flint NOW |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=UM-Flint to launch institute focused on urban social justice {{!}} The University Record |url=https://record.umich.edu/articles/um-flint-to-launch-institute-focused-on-urban-social-justice/ |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=record.umich.edu}} increasing graduation rates by 10%, and surpassing previous fundraising records.{{Cite web |title=Giving Blueday Raises $800,000+ |url=https://issuu.com/umflintschoolofmanagement/docs/final_b_umf/s/14129796 |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=issuu |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Marowski |first=Steve |date=2021-03-12 |title=Giving Blueday at University of Michigan raises $4.6M in 24 hours |url=https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2021/03/giving-blueday-at-university-of-michigan-raises-46m-in-24-hours.html |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=mlive |language=en}} He worked to transform UM-Flint from a primarily teaching institution to a research-active university that increased its year-over-year total awarded research dollars from $1.3M to over $11M in FY2025.{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Jeffrey |date=2025-02-03 |title=UM-Flint receives historic NSF grant to fund translational research |url=https://news.umflint.edu/2025/02/03/um-flint-receives-historic-nsf-grant-to-fund-translational-research/ |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=UM-Flint NOW |language=en-US}} He led the efforts to raise $50 million from federal, state, and private sources for the construction of a new Innovation and Technology Complex to make UM-Flint an engine for economic growth.{{Cite web |last=King |first=Robb |date=2023-11-27 |title=UM-Flint to receive multimillion-dollar investment from the state to construct an innovation & technology complex |url=https://news.umflint.edu/2023/11/27/um-flint-to-receive-multimillion-dollar-investment-from-the-state-to-construct-an-innovation-technology-complex/ |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=UM-Flint NOW |language=en-US}} After four years as chancellor of University of Michigan-Flint, Dutta stepped down on September 15, 2023, and joined the University of Illinois as Senior Advisor to the President. In the announcement, Dutta was applauded by the president of University of Michigan for being a strong advocate for UM-Flint and for his commitment and work transforming the institution.{{cite web |last=Iseler |first=James |date=July 18, 2023 |title=Deba Dutta to step down as UM-Flint chancellor |url=https://record.umich.edu/articles/deba-dutta-to-step-down-as-um-flint-chancellor/ |access-date=July 18, 2023 |publisher=The University Record}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dutta, Debasish}}

Category:Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Category:Rutgers University faculty

Category:American mechanical engineers

Category:University of Evansville alumni

Category:Purdue University alumni

Category:Jadavpur University alumni

Category:Living people

Category:University of Michigan faculty

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:University of Michigan–Flint people

Category:Indian emigrants to the United States

Category:American people of Indian descent

Category:American people of Bengali descent

Category:American Hindus