Priya joins MSU from the University of Minnesota, where he served as vice president for research and innovation for the past three years. In December 2025, he transitioned into the roles of special advisor and founding executive director of the National Security Research Institute, as well as strategic advisor to the chancellor at the University of Minnesota Duluth. As VPRI at Minnesota, Priya oversaw a more than $1 billion research enterprise across multiple campuses, with responsibility for sponsored projects administration, research integrity and regulatory compliance, technology commercialization, 12 interdisciplinary research centers and institutes, and a rapidly expanding corporate engagement portfolio. Under his leadership, the university achieved record growth in both new research awards and total research expenditures, launched a record number of startups, and significantly strengthened industry partnerships.

Prior to the University of Minnesota, Priya served as associate vice president for research at Pennsylvania State University, where he led major strategic initiatives within the research enterprise. Among his accomplishments, he expanded and reorganized Penn State’s Strategic Interdisciplinary Research Office — doubling its size and substantially increasing large, complex proposal submissions and funding success rates. He also led the Commonwealth Campuses research programs, seeding research across Penn State’s campuses through targeted investments that fostered faculty engagement, core facility utilization and the development of center-scale initiatives. In addition, Priya advanced international research partnerships across Europe, Australia, and Asia and collaborated with campus leaders to develop long-term plans for research infrastructure and equipment investments.

Reflecting on his decision to join Michigan State University, Priya emphasized the institution’s strengths, mission and long-standing tradition of excellence across all forms of scholarship.