Ajay Nair, PhD has served as President of Arcadia University since 2018. He is a nationally recognized expert in student affairs, the first person of color to lead Arcadia, and one of the first Indian American college or university presidents in the United States.

Under Dr. Nair’s leadership, Arcadia has advanced in several key areas. Fundraising and giving has increased substantially since his tenure began, including a historic $8.6 million gift from Dr. Ellington Beavers ’93H received in December 2018. The University has also seen significant growth in undergraduate and graduate enrollment in 2024 and 2025 following Dr. Nair’s push for the expansion of academic offerings, including new degree programs and broadening course modalities to incorporate more flexible, hybrid, and online learning options, aligning with the needs of today’s students. In addition, President Nair has instituted a Shared Governance Network with faculty, staff, and students that facilitates dialogue with key university stakeholders throughout the year, underscoring the collaborative community of practice that is a hallmark of his leadership.

As president of a university nationally recognized for international education, Dr. Nair supports a diverse community of undergraduate and graduate students while maintaining Arcadia’s distinctive liberal arts approach. He has also served on numerous higher education and civic boards, including the Board of Directors for the Association of Presbyterian Colleges & Universities.

Dr. Nair has been honored with several national awards, including the NASPA 2018 Dr. Doris Michiko Ching Shattering the Glass Ceiling Award. In 2019, NASPA named its Outstanding Allyship Award in his honor, recognizing his leadership and contributions to the Asian/Pacific Islander/Desi American community in higher education.

He has published commentary on higher education leadership, including a piece in Educause Review titled “What Failure Can Teach About Leadership,” and he was a featured panelist for the Chronicle of Higher Education event “What It Takes to Be a Student-Centered Institution Now.” In 2020, the Philadelphia Business Journal named him a Minority Business Leader.

Prior to joining Arcadia, Dr. Nair held executive and faculty roles at the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, the University of Virginia, and the World Language Institute in Kwangju, South Korea. He earned a doctorate and a bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University. He lives in Glenside with his wife, Paayal Nair, a school psychologist and graduate of the Pennsylvania State University and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and their two children, Krishna and Rani Nair.