As of March 25, 2024, Dr. Lakshmi Reddi serves as Interim Provost and Chief Academic Officer at New Mexico State University (NMSU). Prior to this role, he was the Dean of the College of Engineering at NMSU. With over 25 years of experience in academia, Dr. Reddi has been a distinguished educator and researcher in civil and environmental engineering, focusing on interdisciplinary themes.

Dr. Reddi earned his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in India, and his MS and PhD degrees in civil engineering from The Ohio State University. His academic career has been marked by a strong emphasis on both teaching and research. He has taught civil engineering courses at undergraduate and graduate levels and has secured over $20 million in extramural funding from various sponsors, including federal agencies (NSF, NASA, FHWA, EPA), state, regional, and local sources. His funded initiatives cover basic and applied research, technology transfer, outreach, integrated research and education, and interdisciplinary collaborations across about fifteen disciplines within and outside of engineering. The research and outreach centers initiated by him, and the corporate and alumni academies established by him, continue to attract millions of dollars of federal, state, and local funding.

Dr. Reddi has authored, co-authored, and edited 8 books and more than 120 technical articles on interdisciplinary themes in engineering. Notably, his book on integrative learning, "Bricks of Light in Mortar of Love," was published in 2021. His research on biomimetic systems for sustainable engineering and energy efficiency has led to the establishment of a collaborative network of researchers from Africa, America, Asia, and Europe, including core groups from South Korea, France, the US, India, and the UK.

Before joining NMSU, Dr. Reddi held several administrative roles, including serving as department head/chair at Kansas State University and the University of Central Florida, and as Dean of the University Graduate School at Florida International University (FIU). At Kansas State University, he received the Engineering Research Excellence Award and the Presidential Award for Outstanding Department Head. He is also a two-time recipient of the James Robbins Teaching Award, a chapter honor member of Chi Epsilon, and an Eminent Engineer of Tau Beta Pi. Dr. Reddi is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). In 2005, he was named a “Distinguished Alumnus” by The Ohio State University, and in 2010, he received the Engineering Leadership Excellence Award from the Engineering Societies of Central Florida.

In addition to his academic and research achievements, Dr. Reddi has served on various boards, including the Board of Directors of the Florida Engineering Society, the GRE and TOEFL Boards of Directors at the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the NM MESA Board of Directors, and the Roundtable for DoD Basic Science Research.